July 26th, 2009 at 00:22 am » Comments (5)

At least one or twice a week, some version of the question

HOW do I get Started? pops up in my email or in the many craft/hobby groups.

Rather than continually trying to remember what I want to say – it is time to write the Wheat Wrote WHAT!?!? perhaps less than gentle stock answer in the form of a Sunday Sermon, about Getting Started in Publishing.

To give a bit of context, this is very general, and is really geared to only one tiny consideration in your journey to Pattern Authoring Professional. HOW and WHERE you plan to publish is NOT the focus – The PATTERN itself is.

Each time I see the “Getting Started in Publishing” question, it always seems best to start the answer by quoting the lovely, generous, and by anyone’s standard a rather successful knitting pattern author/publisher and distributor Jackie E-S of Heart Strings FiberArts,

“There is so much more to pattern authoring, than just the design”

I always like to start by asking the aspiring pattern author

Are YOU prepared to educate yourself,
Investing and make the necessary sacrifices of
TIME and MONEY?


If you do not want to make the rather steep investment…
or
If you think this is a quick way to make a few bucks to support your habit

Please STOP READING NOW

It may be something I can do now, but what I have spent to earn over the years from Professional Pattern Editors is worth every penny it cost to have that experienced counsel.

IMNHO, The BEST place to START is the book that while “apparently” intended for Quilt Pattern Authors, is easily applied to all pattern types…

Nancy Restuccia’s

Publish Your Patterns!
How to Write, Print, and Market Your Designs

For “YARN” users, your second (but only one of MANY ) stop should be is to downloading a copy of the Designer Guidelines PDF offered at the Craft Yarn Council’s YarnStandards.com for information about the most commonly used abbreviations and some help with sizing.

BOTH of the Above you need to read, and keep re-reading “until your heads stop hurting” and then go back and read them again on at least an annual basis.

EVEN if you are NOT a YARN user, you can benefit from reading this document – after all, yarn is use a way to make fabric and other pattern authors for sewing and quilting USE fabric so much the same information “would be a good idea”

Now get some patterns from some of today’s top designers – preferably ones who also teach and/or whose work is often found in independent shops (your local shop) LSO’s Local Shop Owners are a tough crowd and they can not afford to carry what will not sell. Patterns sell because they are well-written, teach and oh yes, show something you or I want to wear or won

Study what is the same in each of them. Look for and make a list of the traits you find “common to all”

Make notes on what you WISH was in a pattern.

Think about how and when it is needed – remember Jean Leinhauser’s comment this past week in her Yahoo Group about some patterns putting special pattern instructions at the end and not up front where they may be most needed – forcing the consumer to “look around” – although if it means the user will have to read the directions before starting, I might have to rethink this one

There are many aspects of “packaging” or the nicer word: PRESENTATION (caps required)

And that is just the start… before you know it, you will be like me, with a 2 inch notebook – at least 1/2 of which is “universal” for craft pattern PRESENTATION – the other half is specific to the craft or at least the primary supplies (Yarn, Thread, Fabrics, etc)

Last but not least – I am told there is something to be learned for both Designers & Pattern Authors from the articles included in this blog’s entries in the It All Just Business category has been helpful to many.

Whatever path you choose, I truly wish you the best of success

Wheat

P.S. No I do not publish or share my notebook of check lists for pattern editing and preparation, any more than The Colonel is going to share his list of secret spices.

July 18th, 2009 at 18:04 pm » Comments (4)

It is my sincere wish (but without much hope) that the following will NOT be seen as a personal attack in any way shape or form.

This message is posted here, so you will have to guess which group(s) inspired it – there are more than one or even three or five….

However, some “announcements” over the past year have bothered me and so caused me to “think about it” quite a bit.

YES I do know how my delete key works, in fact TH says he does not know of any other actual incidence of needing a new keyboard because the DELETE KEY wore out – something I have managed to do twice. Perhaps I need to develop a gentler touch with more than just my words

It is of concern to me that many a new designer might think what they see in these groups, meant to help find their footing on the journey of becoming a professional in the Needle Arts, as how they can best “go on” in other venues.

What a ‘working professional’ needs/wants is often different than what our consumers prefer.

It is with this in mind that I don my new flame proofs and sincerely hope we can have a conversation about the Who, What, Where, When and WHY (and How) of making such announcements.

As we each prepare a product or other “new release” type of message here are some of the things I think each of us needs to consider

WHO is the audience – and what is acceptable signal to noise ratio of that group.

Not all that long ago, Tink was criticized for advertising her books in a designer group, or products that would be helpful to any working professional. When it became an issue for even one member of that other group, she stopped any mention of her e-books or other similar products that would be very helpful to those just starting out. But, it was clear that the group “did not want to hear it”

Artists ?? I personally think of groups like QuiltArt and FreeFormations as gatherings of those who have advanced their skills to take their projects to the next level – But mostly produce “one-off” (yes, I do know many also write books, teach, and otherwise are “stars” within their particular niche(s)

Designers ?? these groups might also include those who do create original designs but do not actually produce the Chart/Pattern – so what they need is different too.

Pattern/Chart Author? Those who actually produce not only the design but also the instructions, packaging, presentation and may or may not offer their products for sale at wholesale

Independent Shop Owner? Why constantly post ads seemingly geared to shops in a designer or artist groups?

I have no objection to “paying” sponsors offering the occasional sales message – after all they have paid for that privilege, although I do find it annoying when someone who has not paid for that right does it anyway, thinly if at all disguised as “asking for help”

If your product “works for both” then you should be using other designers as examples of your services – not shops.

If your product is useful to more than just one of these groups, you STILL need to create a message geared to their interests and needs, not yours.

Designers and Artists can be the worst – although not so much now, many domains we maintained the “designer” did not want anyone to know they did not do it themselves. Why I will never understand because the skills to design and develop a web site are very different.

We have provided a wide variety of professional services to many different businesses over the years and it has always been my position that if they want someone to know we did the work, then it is up to them to recommend us. Otherwise, long as their bills were paid on time, that was and is fine with me. Well I did draw the line once or twice that is a long story for another day

WHAT is the purpose of the message –

Maybe because many of the members of this group are not just beginning their journey to becoming a working professional Pattern or Chart Author – that some feel it is good to announce all their new releases of such, simply because many in the group are still more consumer than producer.

WHERE am I posting

Rarely would I post in a consumer group about some service I offer, because the purpose of that group is not to sell my services, but to help other “practitioners of the needle arts” to reach a successful conclusion ot their projects.

WHEN (how often) especially when/how often I am posting the “same” message.
Personally I think in a professional group such as EITHER DBiz or NWBiz, no more than once a month – lest you be perceived to be filling the group with your personal promotional messages.

Personally, if you have new product announcements more often than quarterly, then you should have a newsletter built from the names of people who WANT to receive it rather than using a group that is not your personal “news” list.

>>> I do not mind “QRS Stitching is pleased to announce our new products for JULY releases can be viewed at: http://itsalljuststring.com/new-products/
<<< WHY are you posting? The answer to that “should” be different for each and every place you post a message. Rarely would I post in a consumer group about some service I offer, because the purpose of that group is not to sell my services, but to help other “practitioners of the needle arts” to reach a successful conclusion to their projects. Believe me, if you analyze the amount of time spent in these groups as compared with the volume of sales generated, well, we all will see those “help” messages are a lot more a labor of love to promote the craft, than an investment in future sales

So, if I want to write about a new product, then I am going to have to put in the effort to make that product part of a how-to, response public or private. And, I really think it needs to be about a NEW product, not just a derivitive of one we already offer.

So, certain recent somewhat interesting accusations (exactly how does someones inability to find evidence of a business relationship constitute its existence) I have “stopped” posting in retailer groups about products we sell Wholesale to the Trade and limit my product recommendations to those we sell in our Retail business interests. Products and ideas that are directly contributing to our RETAIL business(es) bottom line – if another benefits, well I do rather like the theory of abundance most days.

The necessity remains, NO MATTER WHERE, I may be, it really may be necessary to”tailor” the message for each group (as this one will be before posting “to the groups”) Another reason why this rant is here and not in any particular group – so no poor hapless list owner has to deal with the potentially emotional and irrational responses.

Thanks for listening and I would welcome hearing what each of you has to say about how and when you want to be reading promotional messages.

JSTTA – Just Some Things To Think About

Wheat

June 17th, 2009 at 00:01 am » Comments (1)

EMAIL:
USING THE NEW TECHNOLOGY

“I think this is a great time for the craft industry. It’s a matter of the ‘suits’ fine-tuning their messages…
… you have to CONNECT with your followers. Folks should be hiring viral marketing craft experts to do these jobs for them; the return on the investment would be significant.”

From the 2009 June 15 edition of the Creative Leisure News and written by Margot Potter used with their permission

To say this hit a nerve will soon be obvious ( and yes, this is a day for understatement)

It might also help if “the suits” AT LEAST hired some one to make sure their emails are easily read. A.C. Moore comes to mind – all greyed out graphics and no text other than a copyright statement.

Now Michael’s does have some newsletter issues, but AT LEAST the link is there to view on line. AND they make it easy to print their coupons – besides their stores are usually cleaner even if the aisles are too close together.

Someone needs to tell the graphics department that Internet Exploder continues to steadily lose market share to FireFox, Opera, and even a growing trend towards Google Chrome browser.

Why is this important?

If I CANNOT READ OR SEE CONTENT,
what’s the point of cluttering my mailbox.

The FIRST line of every e-mail promotion SHOULD be a link to the “if you are having difficulty seeing this add, click here or cut and paste this link…”

Some stores, like JoAnne’s, puts out a readable newsletter each week. However if they are interested in that part of the population willing to spend a bit more for a better quality product, well let’s just say JoAnn’s increasingly seldom has what I want to buy. Still read their ads – even if the links never work – but I can print coupons for use at either JoAnn’s or Michael’s .

Please also make sure the text does not show up in

inch high or larger letters

Just another way of saying PLEASE DO NOT USE WORD to create your news letters and convert them to HTML or other silly microsoft product (Interweave, Kalmback, and others) these get immediately deleted –

NOTHING will make me leave a website faster that “BEST VIEWED WITH….” Who are you to tell me what Browser I should use. Especially if you are telling me to use one that is so insecure as Exploder. Emails just get deleted unless I need the coupon to use at Michael’s and almost never do I visit those sites.

I sincerely hope ALL of the “CHA/Chain” stores need to “get” that Cheap may well be costing them dear…

Those suits seem to think their only customers are unwilling to buy any thing but the cheapest of cheap.

Lately it seems that when the cashier says “did you find everything you need” Our answer is almost invariably “No, but that is not your fault”

It may take a coupon or two to bring’em into the store. Once there, it is that next group, who may buy less but are willing to pay for better quality that will make them money. IF you stock in in your store.

So, Margo, it would be nice if the “suits” realized that lip service to the WWW and the Internet would certainly have a better ROI if ONLY they would THINK – perhaps even take a look at the demographics of who is buying their stuff.

Better yet would be to NOT ignore the “style” of the internet in favor of continuing to use what “worked” in print media or even junk mail. Mr Suit might not be “comfortable” but the people who shop in your store will be.

Please note I am NOT Anti-Chain – I keep WANTING to buy things but if the local stores Chain or Indie, who employ my neighbors and thus are worth supporting continue to eliminate better products

Many Indie’s could use some help as well, but few can afford the services of “professional marketing” so we will cut’em some slack.

Want My Money?

Give me a Newsletter I can read, and quality products and often as not, coupon or not, many like me will buy something and more than one item.

At least then I won’t have to keep opening wholesale accounts and offer these products through my own e-commerce site because I REFUSE to wait 10-14 days for the Chain fulfillers to be me the product.

Wheat

P.S, My thanks to Mike Harnett of Creative Leisure News and Margot Potter for their permission to quote.

P.S.Jr. I am working on taking my own advice – July will be work on a newsletter for our E-tail store

P.S.III – Note to Philadelphia Lawyers and thier friends, NO ONE PAID me to write this – in fact it will probably end up costing me money.