Limerick and the IDP
Monday, March 1, 2010 at 9:33AM Limerick, the spiralling green beret I shared here previously, is now published!
A few months ago Knitpicks put out a submission call for independent designers, looking for patterns knit or crocheted in their yarns. The program is very flexible, in that you can submit previously published designs as well as new ones, and all the rights of the pattern remain with the designer allowing us to publish the designs elsewhere. This is a major step forward for yarn companies and designers alike, and this is one of the reasons I decided I would try the program to see if it worked for me. The standard model for yarn companies is to buy the rights outright to a design, and rarely does the price paid reflect the time put into a pattern. The pattern is then generally used in publication or given away free. I always negotiate to keep the rights to a pattern (except on one occassion, where I was paid fairly for the work and it was a design I was happy to let go of) so this is a major improvement on that.
There has been a lot of discussion amongst designers about this program. Many feel that the price of the pattern PDF's, $1.99, is too low and is undercutting others in the business and is lowering the value of single patterns. Add to that that many don't like Knitpicks because they sell yarn much, much cheaper than yarn stores can manage then you can see why this program doesn't suit everyone.
In principle, I agree with many of the points put forward as to why the IDP isn't a good business move. As someone who started their business solely with PDF's and has spent a fair bit of energy getting people to understand that a digital pattern is just as valuable as a printed one, the price point is a cause for concern. Personally I think Knitpicks should sell the pattern at $3 and pay the designers the same $1.99 that they currently are and keep the remainder to cover admin costs; I'd be happy with that (after all, $1.99 is more than I earn per pattern through print wholesale). Yet on the other hand, this is Knitpicks. Customers who shop at Knitpicks expect lower than average prices and there are still many customers who fully understand why patterns are generally priced higher and will continue to buy them at that price. Bottom line - at least Knitpicks are charging something for the patterns, rather than giving them away free.
The only way to discover if this was a suitable business route for me was to try. Yep, the price point is low and it will be hard to raise the value of this pattern elsewhere whilst the pattern is still for sale on the Knitpicks website (with perhaps the exception of wholesale print). Yet the $100 advance and all rights remaining with me is very positive. That's more than Knitty pay and I expect the traffic through Knitpicks is just as high. If it doesn't work for me I can always pull out of the scheme, once the advance is met, and sell the pattern as I normally would online at my regular price; I haven't lost the design forever.
Making these sorts of decisions is tough. I'm not in a position to ignore opportunities like this; I just don't earn enough. Very few designers do, infact. It's a rather timely discussion, with the article in the Times yesterday about Ysolda. It's absolutely fantastic that she has such a successful business, and I'm sure it has been hard work and will continue to be. Yet it needs to be borne in mind that the majority of knit designers don't earn anywhere near as much, yet are still working hard and creating quality patterns. That's not to take any credit away from Ysolda so please don't get me wrong (I'd love to see more designers have that kind of success and see the profile of knitting and knit designers raised) My point is that one designer's success shouldn't be used as a reason to lower the price of patterns overall ("designers are clearly making too much money so why should I pay that much?") or used as a reasoning for other patterns being of a low standard ("your patterns must be poor because you're not selling as many") or used as a judgement point against those of us who try different business models because we need to.
ETA/ Sorry if this post sounds grouchy, that's not my intention! I've been reflecting a lot on the business side of things; when trying to move a business forward you need to weigh up the pros and cons and that's never easy.
Reader Comments (9)
I just wrote about your post (linked above) because you've hit the nail on the head. My guiding principle in these things is to try it and see what works -- as long as you're not giving up rights to anything, you might as well, and it can be argued their immense built-in audience is an intangible benefit you're not going to be able to reproduce elsewhere. At any rate, I'm prepping a pattern or two for them as well, we'll see what happens but so far all the response I've read from designers working with the program has been positive (and the sales numbers through the roof, comparatively speaking).
I have two designs in the IDP and have done very well with them. I am selling the patterns both on Ravelry and on the KP webesite and the sales volume has been excellent from both venues. I'll never know if this is because these particular designs would have done well regardless of the price, if the $1.99 makes people more apt to buy them or if the high visibility they get on KP is the cause. When KP published the weaker seller of the two in its print catalog the sales of that pattern jumped and it has now sold almost as many copies as the other - so clearly high visibility is a factor. All of that said, I do still worry that the price point impacts my other patterns' sales volume.
Like you I am constantly re-evaluating and trying to find a way to make my business grow. I find it heartening to know that at least one of our number has been able to reach the level of success that Ysolda has.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this! As a fledgling designer, and a mother of young kids, I'm always trying to figure out where to best put my energy. The IDP is something to consider!
Thanks so much for giving us your views so clearly. I've been having similar thoughts lately, myself.
I've been working as a designer for 3 years now, 2 years full-time, and I really don't make enough to live on (thankfully I have a husband with a good job who fully supports what I do). I started out as an independent designer, selling completely on-line, and I love having this control over my designs and business. I realize it limits me in some ways, but I don't think I could find the time to work up a larger distribution on my own. However, I've been relatively successful, benefiting greatly from the built-in audiences at Etsy and Ravelry.
I've been thinking of submitting a design to KP, to see what the results are like, since they seem to have a large audience as well. However, I was planning to work up a new design which I feel is worth the $1.99. The rest of my patterns sell for more, and I think they are worth their current price, considering the work that has gone into them (and all the time I spend supporting them). It is encouraging to hear that the IDP has been giving designers positive results, which makes me more willing to give it a go.
I'm glad that KP is doing this program and I hope that it will help some people get their start in the designing business. I think it's a good thing for people to get introduced to a broader audience.
THAT said, if there's a designer that I like and want to knit from, I'd much rather buy the pattern at a higher price and have more of that money go directly into the pocket of the designer than buy from Knit Picks. But I may be in the minority for that one. At least for now.
Thanks for such an interesting post: you're very brave confronting dilemmas like this publicly and very wise to try out lots of channels for your designs. Maybe you could have a value-added version of the pattern available via your website: more hints and tips, a variation or two, more pictures and compare the sales?
I'm with Virginia above. I like this pattern so much I bought it twice!
Shortly before "Limerick" was debuted here, I had launched a give-away on my blog where - just for the fun of it - everyone who enters a Limerick (coz I was born there) will be entered in a draw for the prize. When I saw Limerick I knew I had to include it in the overall prize; but I also want it for myself.
Rather than buy one, print out the pdf to give away and keep the soft-copy for myself, I'm very happy to pay twice. To me, this pattern is a bargain at twice the price!
[www.undermeoxter.wordpress.com/give-aways] (if you'll pardon the plug)
Good for you, Woolly......
There's no harm in going down an avenue if there's a clear return should you decide that is the best way for you and your business.
Every little helps you reach the wider audiences....and help them make hats full of WIN :D
Hugs
S xXx
Thanks for this thoughtful post. I've seen a lot of criticism directed at the KP IDP, but after some serious thought I decided to pitch a design to them (I'm currently working up my sample). Ultimately what it came down to for me was, does this particular program suit my needs as a designer. As a relatively new designer it definitely would not be appropriate for all of my work - for instance, since they offer little/no editing support I would look somewhere that would if I had an idea for a garment in multiple sizes or involving complicated math. But for smaller, simpler items it absolutely works for me. I use their yarns often, so it makes sense to ask for yarn support if I'm going to design in their yarn anyway. So no, I don't think you sound grouchy at all. :)