Crochet Pattern Design - Publishing and Navigating the Testing Process
Written by: Kristen Moore
Published on 03/04/2024
Welcome to the 4th part to my newest blog series all about crochet pattern designing! If you haven’t read the first few posts, you’ll want to check them all out at the links below!
Crochet Pattern Design - Designing with Originality
Crochet Pattern Design - Getting Started
Crochet Pattern Design - Helpful Tools and Resources
If you’ve read through each post and took on all the challenges, I truly hope you’re feeling more confident in your crochet pattern design journey. More and more crocheters every day are dipping their toes into the design world and are searching for ways to go about doing all the pattern design things.
My goal with these posts is to share my own growth and journey as a pattern designer. I still have so much growth I’m looking forward to but I’m excited to be diving into this series and sharing the cool things I’ve learned.
So first of all…
…before getting into publishing your design you may be wondering what COPYRIGHT means.
I had a lot of questions on a recent Instagram poll about copyright and if there’s anything special you need to do to make sure your pattern is protected.
According to U.S. Copyright Office, “Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States to the authors of ‘original works of authorship’ that are fixed in a tangible form of expression.”
Basically, copyright exists as soon as your crochet pattern is created. For even more protection, you can go as far a registering your work so it’s on the public record, but it’s completely voluntary and not needed to place the copyright symbol on your work.
For more information, you can check out these Copyright FAQ’s directly from U.S. Copyright Office.
With that being said, as soon as your pattern is written you can add the copyright to any part of your pattern. Some pattern designers choose to add it to the bottom of every page, but you can also add it in to the last page of your pattern (this is what I do) stating that your pattern is copyrighted.
Here’s an example:
This pattern is a copyright © 2024 Junebug and James. Pattern and photos can not be used for resale purposes. Distribution in part or in whole of this pattern is strictly forbidden. Any Your Pattern Name created using this pattern may be sold, but please remember to give credit to Junebug and James. | junebugandjames.etsy.com
I hope this gives you a little more understanding into protecting your creative work and the pattern you worked so hard designing and putting together.
Publishing Your Pattern
Okay, so now that you understand what copyright means and why it’s important for your pattern, let’s talk about the next steps to getting your pattern published!
The first thing you’re going to want to do before publishing is make sure your pattern is totally ready for other makers. The way to do this is to either hire a tech editor and then also do a testing process, hire a tech editor and skip the testing process, or if you’re confident if your design and on a tight budeget then to just go forward with the testing process alone.
Let me say this first…it is necessary for a pattern to go through these steps before publishing if you want your customers to really trust and rely on your work.
None of us are perfect and we ALL miss things. But when other makers are relying on creating a certain item from our patterns we really don’t want to miss anything that could potentially get in the way.
Also, going through these processes will reduce the amount of customers trying to contact you after publishing because they don’t understand what you wrote. I don’t know about you, but I would be really frustrated if I purchased a pattern that was filled with miscalculations and grammatical errors, making it impossible for me to make what was intended.
When a pattern is edited by a professional and tested by other crocheters first, you’ll learn so much and get to see first hand how your pattern works up in the hands of other makers. Your editor and testers will be able to give you feedback on the ease and flow of your pattern, while also catching any missed typos or errors.
I will say, and this is really important, if you are not familiar with how crochet patterns should be formatted, and grammar and writing are not your strong suits, I would highly suggest you send your pattern to a tech editor before the testing process. In my opinion, it’s not the testers job to completely edit your pattern. It’s their job to make sure they can make the intended item with ease. If they’re spending all of their time going through and counting numerous grammatical and counting errors, you’re probably asking too much of them.
If you’re not able to afford a tech editor, I would suggest reaching out to a couple of designer friends you admire to look over and edit your pattern. This process is usually called “pre-testing” because it’s being looked over by just a few makers before being put into an official testing process.
Either way, make sure you communicate your expectations with your pre-testers and testers before the process begins. If you’re looking for a complete edit of your pattern, be sure you include this information to your testers so they can decide if this is a test they really want to take on.
As mentioned before, we are only human and there will always be one or two things that may be looked over, even after having your pattern tech edited and tested. But overall, the pattern should be in great shape before it’s put into the hands of your testers to make the testing process go as smoothly as possible.
I made this mistake early on in one of my very first pattern designs. It really wasn’t ready for testers and I didn’t even know about tech editors at the time, so I definitely put my testers through the ringer with all of my miscalculations and grammatical errors/overall pattern inconsistencies. I had followed patterns for years, but I wasn’t experienced writing patterns yet so I didn’t really know what I was doing to be honest. I’m a bit embarrassed when I look back, but I also know that showing grace to ourselves on this journey is HUGE. We ALL start somewhere, so don’t be ashamed of your mistakes. As long as we take the steps we need to learn and grow, we’re on the right track and shouldn’t be ashamed of our journey.
As mentioned in my last post…after working with a tech editor for a few of my designs, I was able to learn how to write a very consistent, clear, and cohesive pattern.
Now, I’ve gained the confidence in knowing my patterns are in good shape to be sent off to testers. I’ve had a lot of great feedback on the clarity and flow of my patterns now, but I wouldn’t have learned any of that (or at least it would have taken some painful trial and error) had I not worked with a tech editor.
Keep in mind, whatever lengths you go to make sure your pattern is easily understood, I hope you know you’ll get better with each pattern you release.
We all have different budgets, different goals, and different schedules. Take into account your own circumstances and don’t ever let them keep you from releasing that really cool pattern design you have prepared.
I know designers on so many journeys and it’s honestly the coolest thing seeing all of us reaching for our dreams and designing things from our hearts and minds.
Anyway…bottom line, getting your pattern ironed out and ready for other makers is KEY and you don’t want to skip over it.
So, how do you navigate the testing process?
I’m gonna tell you my experience with the testing process right here.
In this next section we’re going to be walking through four steps to navigating the testing process.
Preparing the details of your testing process.
Announcing the tester call and giving people a way to apply.
Choosing testers.
Using your testers feedback to create needed changes in your pattern.
Let’s talk about the first one, preparing the details of your pattern test.
First, you’ll want to plan out all off the details of your pattern test beforehand so you can jump in organized and with a clear mind.
This preparation should include:
Timeline of your test and when notes and photos are due.
How many testers you are looking for.
How many photos of their finished item you want included.
Specific types of yarn you want your testers to use (or no specifics if applicable).
Social media requirements you want: when/how often to post, whether or not they can share the final item or just in-progress photos.
The final release date (or tentative release date).
How you want to communicate with your testers and where you want them to send their final feedback (i.e. Instagram, Email, Facebook, Google Form, etc.)
Any specific feedback you want: if the photos are helpful, what they think about X part, etc.
Once you plan out the details you can start preparing for your tester call!
This can be done in a number of ways - through Instagram, Facebook, an email list, or another way where other makers have the option of seeing your tester call announcement and apply for the test.
Some designers like to create a google form that other makers add their email and extra information to (whether they’ve tested before, their Instagram handle, etc.). They’ll share that google form on their social media or in their newsletter, mentioning the deadline to apply. Then, they wait for potential testers to apply with their information. When the time comes, the designer goes through that list and chooses their testers.
Another way is to use an Instagram post as your application. This is how I do my tester calls, and it’s worked really well for me. I begin by creating a post with the words “Tester Call” at the top so people immediately know what I’m looking for.
Then, I include the requirements I’m looking for when it comes to testers. A huge part of the testing process is having makers with public crochet accounts getting to share the work they’ve put into your pattern for other makers to see. If their account isn’t public, there won’t be a lot of reach to other crocheters so this is always a requirement for me. Another requirement for me is for the testers to be able to complete the test by the firm deadline. This is especially important to mention because you want your potential testers to know if they can complete the project within the timeline before they go ahead and apply. The third requirement I always include is that the tester is able to provide helpful feedback and a well-lit photo by the deadline.
I can honestly say I’ve never had a bad experience with testers taking advantage of getting a free pattern and not giving me feedback. I know some have, but I’ve been extremely blessed the have some incredible testers for my patterns. The majority of testers I have had have shown so much enthusiasm towards providing helpful feedback and giving their advice on what could be better. But, you’re also welcome to state the details in your initial tester email about what happens if they’re unable to complete the test on time. This could be that they will then need to provide payment to you for the pattern since they didn’t follow through with their end of the deal.
Anyway, after stating your tester requirements, you’ll want to let them know how they can apply in the same post!
For my tester calls, I like to ask my testers to like and save the post, share the post to their Instagram stories, and then comment with their interest in testing while tagging another maker who might be interested.
The way you want other makers to apply is TOTALLY up to you, though. You might only ask your testers to comment with their interest without all the other stuff. Or, maybe you want them to tag 2-3 makers in their comment instead of just one. Whatever way you choose to do have them apply should be based off what’s important to you.
If you’re looking for a huge application turn out, then asking your applicants to share your post might be really important to you. If you’re only looking for one to two testers for your pattern, then maybe you won’t require them to share the post.
Regardless of what you do, I would say pay most attention to the requirements and making sure they’re really clear for your potential testers.
Lastly, in your tester call post you’ll want to be sure to mention when the tester call ENDS and how or when you will contact the chosen testers. When the time comes and your tester call has ended, you’ll want to edit your post to say CLOSED so people know it’s not open for applicants any longer.
Check out the photo below for an example of one of my most recent tester calls!
Okay, so now you have your tester call ready and posted and people are applying! Yay!
Instagram Tester Call Example
Here’s a little example of one of my recent tester calls on Instagram! Each one will be different depending on the timeline and goals for that test.
This next part is by far the MOST stressful for me out of any part of the design process - choosing your pattern testers.
I hate, and I mean HATE, hurting people’s feelings. But, I’ve learned to mostly take my emotions out of this process and choose what is best for my pattern and me. I like to balance my testers with a few who I know are reliable and have tested for me before with a few new accounts who have not tested for me yet. One of the things that brings me incredible joy is choosing someone who has never tested before and giving them an opportunity to build their testing resume. Some designers won’t choose another tester who’s never tested before (which is totally okay on their part!), so being able to have at least ONE pattern test under their belt really helps give them an opportunity to be chosen by another designer.
Either way, what you’re looking for is completely up to you. Say you’re designing an amigurumi pattern and someone with a bigger following who doesn’t make amigurumi applied for your test. You may be more likely to choose them because you want to see if someone who isn’t familiar with amigurumi can make your pattern easily. OR, you may not want to choose them because you know their following probably doesn’t include many amigurumi makers, so they may be less interested in your pattern after seeing it. Having some of these ideas and goals in your head before you choose testers can really help the process of choosing be a bit easier.
Who do you want your pattern to reach? What do you want to get out of the testing process? Are you most interested in quality feedback, or is the marketing aspect of the testing process also important to you? Keep all of these things in mind while you go through the list of applicants and have fun choosing your testers!
Alright, you’ve now chosen that special group of magical makers! If you didn’t skip the first step you should already know how you want to communicate with your testers at this point. Will it be through email, instagram chat, or both?
Once I reach out to my testers on Instagram, I gather their emails and get ready to send my pattern out. In the initial email I make sure to list all expectations and repeat when the deadline is. Then, I create an Instagram group chat to add all my testers to. With this, we can chat about color choices and new ideas plus share any urgent changes that need to be made.
Ultimately, I still like to have my testers email me their final notes along with photos because it’s easier for me to keep track of them all this way.
Now your testers can get to work! This is the FUN part! I absolutely love seeing the life my testers bring to my patterns.
Once the test is complete and you’ve received everyone’s notes and photos, you will now go through your pattern and make the final edits. Sometimes testers will suggest things or ideas that you don’t want to use, and that is totally okay. Unless it’s really a matter of all of your testers not being able to understand a certain part, I wouldn’t worry about it too much if you’re not comfortable changing the pattern. Remember, it’s YOUR pattern and any change is ultimately up to you.
Your pattern is NOW ready to be published!
Hooray! You finished the testing process! And if you’ve hired a tech editor, it should now be getting one last lookover. Finally, all of your edits are done and your pattern is in TOP shape - ready to be published for other makers to enjoy!
You’ll probably already have an idea of where you’ll be listing your pattern at this point. So, it’s time to get your listings or blog posts ready and get people excited about the release date!
All of my patterns are listed on Etsy and I’ve really enjoyed working with their platform. According to another Instagram poll I did several months ago, out of over 100 makers about 75% of them said they preferred buying their patterns on Etsy. They said they enjoy being able to keep track of them and have them all in one place. But ultimately, it’s up to you as to where you want your patterns to be accessible. Many designers list them in several places such as their website, Etsy, Ravelry, Ribblr, and I’m sure other places as well. There’s really no right or wrong!
Anyway, if you stuck through this entire post (phew! it was a lot of info!) I hope you came out of it encouraged and knowing a whole lot more about publishing your first crochet pattern.
If any of this resonated with you, I would love to hear about it! I’m also ALWAYS open to new ideas for blog posts! I am here to help and I absolutely love sharing my journey and knowledge with all of you. You can email me at kristen@junebugandjames.com, or send me a message on Instagram or Facebook!
Thanks so much for sticking around and stay tuned for the next and last post with this new series!
Thanks for reading, friend!
If you want to see more behind the scenes and daily life projects I’m working on, feel free to follow me on Instagram! Can’t wait to connect with you!
