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The Pattern Design Series is geared towards crocheters who want to learn how to write, publish, and sell their own crochet patterns. In this series you will learn everything you need to be a successful crochet pattern designer.
Ok so by now you know writing crochet patterns is technical writing. You know what to include in your crochet patterns and you have created a killer stylesheet. Now what?
Now it is time to publish your crochet pattern!
pin it now, read it later
Some of these sites are places for you to publish your crochet pattern free of charge. Others are selling platforms only. Deciding between free or selling is a topic for a different day.
One thing to remember is you do not have to choose just one site. You can and should use multiple sites to attract a wider audience.
Etsy (Fees)
The queen of all marketplaces to sell anything handmade. Etsy is well known and pretty easy to get started selling your patterns, however it has also gotten huge! As of 2017, there were 1.93 million Etsy sellers!
This past year (2018), Etsy increased their fees. The biggest one was increasing the transaction fee from 3.5% to 5%. It might not seem like a lot, but the increase over time adds up.
One of the downsides to Etsy is, although it millions of buyers, it also means you need to figure out how to get yourself seen. Hint: Etsy is all about SEO.
Resource: New to Etsy? Use my referral link to get 40 FREE Listings! Click Here!
I recommend listing your pattern on several sites, but if you want to just dip your toe in, then start with Ravelry. You can connect with other designers, people in your area, and it also has its own sub-Reddit.
You can choose to list your pattern for free or sell it. Ravelry charges a service fee if you sell more than $30/month. It again changes when you hit the $1500 threshold.
Resource: Ravelry Shopkeepers
Shopify (Fee)
Where Etsy is a marketplace, Shopify is e-commerce. Meaning Shopify allows you to sell from Facebook or your own website. You have more control over what your shop looks like and it is your own shop. If you have a lot of traffic to your site already then Shopify might work for you. They have different monthly plans and different fees.
Resource: Shopify can range from $9/month for Shopify Lite to $299/month for Advanced Shopify
AllFreeCrochet
As the site says this is a spot for free crochet patterns. If you have a free pattern you would like to share, then this is a fantastic resource for you. They have a lot of tutorials and downloads. Plus they will occasionally round up the most popular pattern of a specific category and make them available in a downloadable book.
Resource: How to Submit Your Original Project
