In this episode, Kara chats with special guests, Chelsea Fitch of Knit Fitch, Francoise Danoy of Aroha Knits and Claire Probst of We Love Knitting to share details about FiberBoss College LIVE. If your wish is to profit from your passion, then this is a must-listen to episode! 

[Tweet "Should you design for magazines? Weigh the pros and cons with this week's episode of the #PowerPurlsPodcast #knitweardesign"]

Episode highlights:

• It can be tempting to work for "exposure," hoping that will turn you into a superstar.
• Designing for magazines usually means you will get paid for your work, which is a big benefit!
• Once you know how much time it will take you to create a design and how much they'll pay, work the numbers.
• Remember: there's also a marketing benefit for magazine design! Your work gets out to a wider audience.
• Connection can be a benefit as well. Working with a magazine can connect you with influencers in the industry.
• Keep your eyes open for opportunities to form connections each time you collaborate on a design.
• Think about what you can offer above and beyond just sending in a pattern. Solve a pain point for the editor!
• Rights can be a tricky area for magazine design. For at least some time, the pattern rights will belong to the publication.
• Make sure you understand the rights agreement and if/when the rights revert to you!
• Remember that the photos in the magazine don't belong to you; if you republish a design, take your own photos.
• Even if the rights don't revert back to you at all, that's not necessarily a bad thing! Just make sure you're comfortable with the arrangement.
• Make sure the fit is right: does your work fit with the magazine and its audience? If not, find another one.
• Think like a businessperson: tailor your proposal/submission to the magazine you're trying to impress!
• Kara's tip #1: Keep trying until you get a YES! (No matter how many Nos you hear before that!)
• Being turned down by one magazine - or ten- does NOT mean that your work isn't good enough!
• Sometimes rejection just means your work didn't fit their theme or they had too many similar submissions.
• Kara's tip #2: Be professional! Put together a nice portfolio of your work to show the editor!
• Study how other designers are using Instagram well to present their portfolios.
• Maintain a professional website - it's like your virtual home base and it speaks volumes about you and your work.
• Follow the guidelines and format that the magazine specifies in their calls for proposals.
• Kara's tip #3: Diversify! Don't put all your eggs in one basket - publish your work in a variety of places.
• Be aware: If you send your designs out to different magazines, you can't send the same design to more than one place!
• Never send a previously published design as a proposal to a magazine. All designs must be original.
• Bonus tip: don't knit your own samples! Hire sample knitters - it will save you a ton of time.

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Trisha Malcolm's episodes - Episode 1 and Episode 72

If you need help with planning out your path to magazine publication, or you'd like someone to review your design proposals, book a FREE consulting session with me and we'll go over it together! Click here for all the details.

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