I had an idea for a booklet with about 10 patterns in it. I pitched it to a publisher, who 5 weeks later sent the dreaded "thanks but no thanks" letter. I then sent it to my CGOA mentor, who encouraged me to self publish it.
What a wonderful idea! I thought. I was clueless about the amount of work I was putting on myself for this. I didn't know the first thing about self publishing. This began a great deal of research, which I am still doing.
It turns out that you can sell crochet patterns on Ravelry, Amazon, and Kindle. Apparently there is a market out there for various ebooks. You can also sell on Etsy and your own website. This has opened up an entirely new world for me to explore!
As I have written and sold patterns before, I think I have that part of the process down. It takes time - a LOT of time. I have to jot down pattern notes while I crochet what's in my head. Then, once the item is complete, I have to translate those notes into a readable pattern. Then comes the dreaded photo session. If a good picture is worth a thousand words, then my photos are worth about 3. Usually someone in my family will take pity on me and get a few good shots of the item for me.
Formatting is taking me a little bit of time to learn. As is setting up my own website and Etsy store. The process is slow, but once done, I won't have to do it again. This is keeping me motivated, even when frustrated!
Each of the 10 patterns needs to be completed, not just a sketch. Each pattern needs to be written, each item photographed, introduction text needs to be written, table of contents and cover pages need to be decided upon, online shops need to be set up, formatting needs to be done, and then, once the booklet is finished, it needs to be marketed. Sheesh!
My goal is to have it all done by March 2012. I still have to make time to work on Christmas presents!
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