Yesterday I missed my Feature Friday because I was hard at work on the upcoming Black Friday to Cyber Monday Sale.This sale will be for only 5 days - launching in the afternoon on Thanksgiving Day and finishing up Monday night at 1 am EST.
Almost all the items in the store will be on sale, including the sewing tables, quilting kits, and DVDs. I've also decided to discontinue the prints and cards, both of which make terrific gifts!So if you were planning on placing an order in the Day Style Designs Quilt Shop - WAIT! Hold off until next week and you're sure to get a great discount.
Also I've been tooling around with an idea for a long time about making printer friendly PDF versions of all the designs on this project.The problem is this is a very time consuming and expensive task. I'm now working with a terrific graphic designer to help render the designs into easy to follow graphs, but this represents the biggest investment to the business that we've made so far, and frankly - we can't afford it.
So here's deal: if there are going to be printer friendly PDF versions of the designs, they cannot be for free. I'm sorry - it's just simply too expensive and time consuming.
I've been playing around with two ideas that will both cover the cost of creating the printer friendly PDF versions:
Idea #1 - Sponsor a Design Program
Yes, this does involve advertising. Each design will be placed on a new page on the Day Style Designs site, complete with the same information, links, and videos they had on the blog. The only addition is that the page will now have an ad on the top. Ads can be purchased for $50 per year.
Idea #2 - Download the PDF for $1.99 each - This is the same cost of a downloadable TV show or movie on Amazon.com. Each download will include a 2 page PDF complete with 5 graphs detailing how the designs can be stitched.
Just to test this idea, I've created a sample using Design #1 from the project - Shadow Waves.
Right now this design can be downloaded for free so you can see what the PDF looks like.
On this page, you can also see what the new advertising area looks like at the top.
So let me know what you think! If you think this is totally unnecessary and ridiculous, let me know. I certainly don't want to sink a ton of money and time into something ya'll don't want.
But if you do like it, or you have a suggestion for another idea that will cover the cost of creating the PDFs, let me know that too!
Please keep in mind that I'm only THINKING about this as an option. And while I'm thinking about it, I'd like to know what ya'll think too.
Off to work on the sale a bit more,
Leah Day
21 comments:
Leah,
I love your project of a different design for 365 days. I also think you can (and should) use it to support your business. My vote is for the $1.99 download per design minus advertisers. I downloaded your #1 Shadow Waves pattern and the format looks very nice. Thank you for sharing your ideas and patterns.
Idea #1 would be my choice. I like the idea of sponsering a design, especially a favorite. I do not have a sewing related business to advertise, so would only use my name. If $1.99 to download a PDF file, you can buy 25designs for $50. I know that I would have more than 25 I would like to download. Your shadow wave sample was very well done and easy to follow. All in all, I would accept either idea. You have put a lot of work into the designs and videos and have shared them for free so far. You should get something for all the hard work you have done. "For Free" does not put food on the table.
I like the idea of sponsoring a design as well. I would be interested in something like that since I am starting my quilting business (in Australia) in Feb! This would be great.
I like the idea of the PDFs. The free one looks great
Leah -
Thanks for the free download. I think PDFs would be a wonderful addition to your site. I like the idea - but the cost - not so much. A dollar a page seems expensive to me.
And I also noticed that on your video, you start in the top left corner and stitch "down" - and on the PDF, you start in the top left corner and go "across".
It seems to me that the video is "left-handed" and the PDF is "right-handed". Are you left-handed? Me too.
Being left-handed makes the PDF files totally backwards for me - but I guess I can compensate. (My blog addresses left-handed quilting issues if anyone is interested. - alefthandedquilter.blogspot.com/)
So for now, I'll stick with watching your videos and making my samples. They are easier for me to follow. But I really want to thank you for sharing your patterns. It is very generous of you to share your talent with us all.
I think you should do option 1--use advertising to support this part of the project.
I think that people treasure good books, Leah. Though the pdf looks good and will have it's use, it would not, in my opinion, become a reference tool, the way that daisy to paisley would. I wouldn't want to speak for anyone but myself, but I think that pdfs' at $1.99 are expensive, especially when compared to the books we can treasure.
Take care,
Xica
I have to say that I would balk at $1.99 for one design. I'd happily pay $3.99 for 5 designs though.
I like the sponsored design idea. And as Roberta said, anyone could sponsor a design, it doesn't have to be an advertisement.
I totally agree that you should be making a profit from all this! It's just hard to find the balance that makes it affordable enough for people to just do it without really thinking about it, and yet still put money in your coffers.
I like the PDF for sale idea, even though I'm sure it's much more work for you. I found the sample PDF great and easy to follow. Thanks for all you do for free but I totally support your need to make this a paying business.
They look really good. I like the idea of sponsorship for each design and then $1.99 for the ones that don't get sponsorship. At first I thought just pay per download, but then if you add it up, it does get expensive fast.
I was thinking that it would be neat to have an option of 'x' amount of designs for 'x' amount of money would give you the cash you need to support this endevor AND give us, the consumer, a choice in the designs we might need to have printed to get the gist of how we should/could quilt it!
I love the idea of a set amount for adversiting with you on the PFD pages. People could do that to. Make it the $1.99 if you only want 1 desing, 'x' amount for 'x' number of designs and the $50 per year, per design to advertise on your PFD design page.
Lots of choices and the people can choose how to support you.
This is such a wounderful site to come to - You do yourself proud!!!
It is so much fun to come and see what your up to next!!
Leah,
I, too, have loved your designs and feel encouraged and inspired by your blog. Thank you so much for sharing AND asking for ideas.
My two cents mirrors much of what has been said. Option #1 is most palatable to me. I don't download items much, but when I do' I'd much rather get an entire album for $14, than each song at $1.29.
You've done over 200 designs thus far. At 1.99 a pop, the collection would cost $400 (okay, $398). Perhaps a subscription service could work? A set price for one design, a slightly discounted price for 5, a bit more of a discount for 10 designs, a deep discount for 20, and unlimited downloads for another "premium" service that would rival the anticipated cost of a downloadable book?
The format on the PDF looks clean and appropriately easy to follow. I would take Kitty's advice, though, and have your videos exactly match the sketches (or vis-versa). Newer quilters are fearful enough without stumbling such a discrepancy.
You do deserve to earn money from your work, although artists often don't get compensated nearly enough for their work. Best wishes on your new endeavor.
I vote $1.99 per download. Although I have no website managing experience whatsoever, going with the sponsor route appears to add additional work for you - ensuring you always have one, etc. $1.99 is very reasonable and I believe it would be profitable for you as well.
Your pdf looks fantastic! No need to change anything there. Living outside USA, $1,99 for a two page pattern is a bit much. I agree with Katie, in the sense of, selling the patterns in bulk, say 5 patterns for $6,99 or "buy 4 get one free". But I have no problem with advertisers, as long as they do not take more space than the pattern does...
But, to tell the truth, I would rather buy the book, and use that as reference, than buy and print one design at a time.
Elzaan
I think you should charge for your pdfs, but I think you should charge $.99. The nice thing about electronic downloads is there is essentially no cost beyond the initial investment. So every time you sell a download, your cost per item sold goes down. If you sold 50 copies per year of your pdf at $.99 (which is a generic price that most people are willing to pay pretty easily for things), you would make up the same cost as the sponsor without the hassle of finding a sponsor, making sure you have one each year, putting the proper ad up, and then having competing online stores advertising on your site. And if you sold more than 50 copies in a year, well then you are on top aren't you?
Cheers!
Rachel
I think if you could charge $.99 per download, you would get a lot more takers. I completely agree that you shouldn't give them away for free, but at $1.99 each I would have a hard time even deciding on one. $.99 each is just like buying songs - it seems really cheap so I'm more likely to toss another in the cart.
I LOVE the PDF format. It's very helpful for those, like me, who are free motion challenged. It's just nice to have the information presented in a different way than the video.
It's an interesting delimma about the price point. I have to agree with the posters who are suggesting the cost be 99 cents for each pdf. First of all, that's straightforward and requires no administrative effort by anyone. Secondly, there is, I think, some psychological hesitation at $1.99 and virtually none at $.99. For me, the effect would be that I'd easily download 10 or 12 .pdfs without thinking, whereas I would be hesitant to download more than one or two @ 1.99. Crazy, but true . . .
Speaking for myself, I don't want to see advertising on the pdf pages. I feel that it weakens your brand and that part of the strength of your site/brand is your personal connection with your readers/viewers/customers.
FWIW, I DO buy ebooks and I love that format and I won't hesitate to pay $20 for an ebook, but I see your free motion designs more in the category of a much smaller object, more like buying a song from iTunes.
Whatever you do, make sure it makes your life/business simpler and more effective, not more complicated.
Just my two cents.
Yay! a sale. :)
You are awesome and can charge what you wish for your PDF.
Hi Leah,
I complete support your ideas of how to make your designs support your business. After all, it puts the bread on your table.
Considering that I pay $1.52 for a cup of coffee at my local coffee shop, I think $1.99 for a design is totally fair.
Keep up the good work!
I would be very happy with the option of being able to download a selection of chosen designs for a specified amount x$ for 5 designs and x$ for 10 designs. That way you could select designs you want to use on a particular project and over time build up the 'library' of designs as your skill develops.
If like many people, we buy books, magazines etc for a pattern, if we are lucky there is a second pattern we'd consider doing, but we've made a large financial outlay for probably 80% of something we'll never utilize fully. But, if we start purchasing and downloading designs we want to use we will develop and improve our skills and want to download more, or purchase the whole library of designs.
You put a lot of work into this, and have done in many ways provided designs for us all already, but you know that shipping costs and import duties for books outwith the US could actually make many shy away from purchasing the booklets and DVD's, downloads, especially in this simplified small group format could make it more accessible to a world wide group of quilters.
Hi Leah
Interesting comments throughout the blog.
From my side, I think it is wonderful that you offer your ideas for free. People would have the option to download further explanations etc or not. I don't see the problem with charging for this additional info. (you are putting it out for free for heavens sake!)Also - why do you have to do one or the other? Charge for downloads AND do the sponsorship. I don't think anyone would not buy because there was a sponsor name at the top of the PDF. If they want the download - they want it.
From your side you have to initially cover your costs, then, hopefully, make an income. Perhaps you have already done this - but take the cost price of producing the downloadables and work out how many you need to sell at $1.99. Is this amount feasible? How many at $0.99 etc....
Another thing I would definitely try.... How about writing out to (say) 100 of your customers who have already bought something from you. Break them into smaller groups based on how much they have spent with you in the past. (suggest 3 groups - high, medium and low spenders) and tell them what you are doing. Give each group a different option - eg. 10 downloads for $20 (or $40 - whatever your price breakdown mentioned earlier suggests), $1.99 each - how many would you buy? - etc. Using their input from specifically targeted questions might give you more concrete info than people just saying - oooh - a dollar 99 is too much.
I would be happy to pay $1.99 - I wouldn'y buy them all - but choose my favourites. Then - if I was doing a project and wanted a different one - I would probably download that too. Over time I would build my collection.
Hope that helps!
Anyway - thanks for what you do - there is no-one else that I know who gives their stuff for free. Funny how people don't appreciate this (no matter how much they say 'thanks we love you!') by getting humpy when you suggest charging for something extra!
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