Hello everyone! Tara here—

If you missed last week’s post about submitting a design to Crochet World or Crochet! Magazine, check it out HERE!

Once your design is accepted by one of the magazines, it’s incredibly important for you to ask questions. Most of the information you need to know is covered in the acceptance email we send out to let you know we want your design in the issue, but some of it isn’t and it’s important for you to talk to us if you have ANY hesitations.

#1- What’s Expected of You?

This is the most important question. This information gets covered in the acceptance email Britt and I send out, but it’s still good to talk about.

When your project is accepted, we’re expecting you to send us your ORIGINAL pattern and a crocheted sample of the project that has been blocked properly. The pattern and sample should be turned in by the project deadline included in the acceptance email—we try to give our designers as much time as possible, but you’ll only have 6-8 weeks to complete the design and send everything in to us.

If you designed a project with colorwork, you should send in a colorwork chart along with your pattern. We also ask for an assembly diagram if it’s necessary.

For garments, we do expect more than a regular project. The pattern should be graded and include multiple sizes using the Craft Yarn Council’s guidelines as a starting point for your measurements. You’ll only have to send a crocheted sample in one size (we typically ask for a Medium), but you’ll have to send in schematics for the garment. The schematics don’t have to be too fancy, but they must contain all necessary measurements.

#2- What Are the Different Rights?

Our contracts have different rules and it’s important for you to know the difference between them.

All Rights: With All Rights, we would own the pattern completely. This is the option designers choose when they don’t plan on publishing the pattern on their blogs/ Etsy/ Ravelry, etc., because this contract means that Annie’s (our company) is the only one allowed to publish the pattern. Because we own the pattern, we handle any and all questions makers have when they are stitching the piece, so it’s one less thing for designers to worry about.

Shared Rights: With Shared Rights, we would be able to use the pattern more than once (in the issue it was submitted to and potentially on our website) and the designer is still able to publish the pattern on their online platforms as well. The pattern cannot be published in another Magazine, but Etsy, Ravelry, etc. are fair game. This is the option a lot of Bloggers and Influencers choose. We do ask that the designers wait to publish the pattern until the issue is on sale because it makes the pattern feel a bit more special. The pattern should look the same when we publish it and when the designer publishes it.

One Time Rights: With One-Time Rights, we would only be able to use the pattern once (in that issue alone). Like with Shared Rights, the designer is able to publish the pattern on their Etsy, Ravelry, and other online platforms. This pattern is the designer’s and they can do what they like with it.

First-Time Rights: First-Time Rights are a lot like One-Time Rights. We would only be able to use the pattern once (in that issue alone), but we would publish it before the designer does. Once we’ve published the pattern, the designer is then able to publish the pattern on their Etsy, Ravelry, and other online platforms. This pattern is the designer’s and they can do what they like with it after we’ve published it in the magazine.

#3- Are There Any Changes to the Design?

Sometimes we’ll ask you to make changes to your design to make it fit better in the issue. This isn’t always the case, but it isn’t unheard of. Sometimes it will just be the title of the project, sometimes it may be the colors used for the project, and sometimes it may even be the brand of yarn you suggested. More rarely, we may even ask you to change the size of the project (maybe we need a mug rug more than a place mat, or an afghan instead of a scarf). Regardless of the change, this is something we’re more than happy to talk about to ensure you’re as happy with the design as we are, and to make sure it looks as incredible in the issue as possible.

#4- What About Payment?

We usually send payment out after the signed contract comes back to us, which is sent out after the sample and pattern come in. The exact date will be in the acceptance email, but it’s usually a few weeks after the project deadline.

We know how much time goes in to designing a piece and we know how much the designs are worth, but the magazines do have limited budgets so we aren’t able to pay as much as we would like to. On top of the payment, you will be given yarn support for your design so you don’t have to buy any yarn.

Being published in the magazine is a good way to have your designs shown to makers that may not have seen your work before. Your piece will also be shown on our social media accounts, so you’ll have more exposure in the crochet community and you don’t have to create the online content yourself.

Plus, there’s just something so special about seeing your name in print.

#5- Should I Have the Pattern Tested?

No! Having people test your pattern takes all of the surprise out of having it published in the magazine. We have an incredible team of Tech Editors that will go through your pattern after the contracts go out and they’ll make sure your pattern fits our standards and reads similarly to how our other patterns read (similar abbreviations, formatting, etc.). They work closely with our designers and will reach out when they have questions and/or think there may be an error in the pattern itself.

#6- Then What?

Once the pattern has gone through tech editing, the only thing left for designers to do is wait. Britt and I will reach out a few weeks before the issue is set to be released and we’ll tell you the exact date the issue will be going on sale.

At this time, we’ll also give you information about working with our Social Media department. It’s not required, but it’s always wonderful to see our designers and their pieces being featured on Instagram and Facebook!

What questions do you have about publishing designs? Let us know in the comments below!

– Tara Orchard, Editor of Crochet! Magazine