Pattern Workshop: How an Online Course Helped to Grow a Sector of the Sewing Industry
Lauren Dahl’s online course, Pattern Workshop, has taught thousands of aspiring sewing pattern designers to digitally draw and grade pattern templates.
Yarn Market News Publishes Its Last Issue
This week Yarn Market News, the trade magazine for the yarn industry, announced that the January 2020 issue will be its last.
Long Thread Media Buys Spin Off, PieceWork, and Handwoven
Linda Ligon, John Bolton, and Anne Merrow have come together to buy Spin Off, PieceWork, and Handwoven magazines and related material from Peak Media Properties. The new company is called Long Thread Media LLC and is based in Fort Collins, Colorado.
F & W Media International Purchased and Renamed David & Charles
F+W Media International has undergone a management buyout and is reorganizing under the name David & Charles.
Sommer Street Associates Serve as Book Ambassadors for Independent Retailers
Sommer Street Associates is helping independent craft retailers find and order the best books for their shops, all in one place. Started by two former F+W employees, Sommer Street works as a go-between helping shops order from many different publishers, including self-published authors.
F+W Craft Communities Have Been Auctioned Off to Macanta Investments
In a bankruptcy auction that took place today Macanta Investments, a private investment partnership based in New York City, was the successful bidder for the largest portion of the Crafts Community with a bid of $2,850,000.
Maker Books Helps Self-Publishers Create High Quality Books and Patterns
Founded last month by Kerry Bogert, a veteran in the craft publishing industry, Maker Books strives to fill that void, guiding designers and artists through the self-publishing process from start to finish.
F+W Books Has Been Sold to Penguin Random House
According to a bankruptcy court filing made this morning, F+W Books has been sold to Penguin Random House. The amount of the sale was not disclosed.
What to Do When the Company You’re Working With Files for Bankruptcy
Navigating your way around a bankruptcy filing is tough, but it will be easier if you understand some basics about U.S. bankruptcy law.
The Big List of Craft Magazine Submission Information
Here’s the big list of Craft Magazine Submission Information! This can be a great way to share your creative work and grow your audience.
How to Get a Craft Book Deal
The book publishing industry worldwide—though it seems to be shrinking a bit with publishing houses closing, being bought, or filing for bankruptcy—is still on the lookout for original ideas and unique twists on the tried and true when it comes to arts and crafts.
The Big List of Craft Publishers’ Submission Guidelines – Updated 2019
Publishing houses are constantly evolving. They’re looking at trends and always in search of the next great idea. Use this chart to get a sense of what each house has published and how to contact them.
F+W Media Files for Bankruptcy
F+W Media, the major craft publisher, has filed for bankruptcy. In the filing, CEO Gregory Osberg cites the decade long decline in the market for print magazines as a contributing factor. Since 2015, for example, the company’s subscribers have decreased from approximately 33.4 million to 21.5 million and the company’s advertising revenue has decreased from $20.7 million to $13.7 million. But that’s not the whole story.
State of the European Handmade Market
The creative market in the European Union is nearly as big as the United States’, but with some very curious differences.
UK Sewing Magazines Show Lack of Diversity in Cover Models
In 2016 Rumana Lasker looked at 52 sewing magazines published in the UK that year and realized that every single one featured a white woman on the cover.
“One of the things that struck me the most…is the feeling of being undervalued- as a consumer, as a person,” says Lasker a British sewer who was a quarter-finalist on the Great British Sewing Bee. “Because it is no exaggeration to say that by failing to represent us, they are telling people of color that we don’t matter.”
Recent Staffing Changes at Craft Companies
There have been a few recent staffing changes at craft companies so we thought we’d round them up here.
F+W to Cease Publication of Modern Patchwork, Cloth Paper Scissors, Quilty, and Knit.Wear Magazines Amidst New Round of Layoffs
F+W is shutting down Modern Patchwork, Cloth Paper Scissors, Quilty, and Knit.Wear magazines. The issues currently in production will be the last. A letter will be going out informing contributors later this week and Tiffany Warble, Director of Content, says the company is working on a plan for existing subscribers. A round of layoffs accompanied the closures.
Nomadic Knits Magazine is Changing the Meaning of Supporting Local
Nomadic Knits magazine highlights a different region of the world in each issue, focusing on what makes that place so special when it comes to fiber.
How Craft Book Authors Can Make the Most of Amazon and Goodreads Author Pages
Online retailing giant Amazon and book recommendation site Goodreads, both offer authors resources to promote their books directly to readers.
C&T Publishing Reduces Number of Books Published Annually and Shutters Digital Pattern Marketplace
C&T Publishing, a premier publisher of quilting and craft books, has reduced the number of books their publishing in a year and is shuttering their digital pattern marketplace, PatternSpot.com.