The following are rates for Making Things.

—Posted 14 April 2019 —

Year of Publication: 2019

Type of design: Socks

Is your design: Knit

How much were you paid by a flat fee?: $30

How much did you gross in royalties in the first year of the design’s release? (if N/A enter N/A): $1

Was your design: solicited by the company

Was your sample returned?: Yes

Were you paid according to the terms of your agreement?: Yes

Relationship with company: ongoing/pre-existing relationship

Did you have a written contract?: No

Did you negotiate your contract terms?: No

Briefly describe your royalty payments: The payments are based on how many people access the patterns each month and how many patterns each person accesses. It’s out of the designers’ control and therefore results in insanely tiny payments like this.

What best describes the rights you granted this company? Non-exclusive rights; can concurrently self-publish.

Who was responsible for the following:

Yarn Support – Designer

Sample – Designer

Grading –Designer

Tech Editing –Designer

Photography – Designer

Layout – Company

Customer Support – Designer & Company

Yardage of sample: 250-500yds [229-458m]

Weight of yarn used in sample: Fingering (Sock)

How many sizes did you grade?: 3

Primary stitch used in the design: Knit/Purl Motif

This company/publication promotes equality, diversity, and fairness: No

BIPOC are represented by this company/publication: No

LGBTQ are represented by this company/publication: No

I feel the need to minimize various aspects of my race, ethnicity, or religion to be able to “fit in” to the culture of this company/publication: Yes

I feel the need to minimize various aspects of my sexual orientation or gender identity to be able to “fit in” to the culture of this company/publication: Yes

I feel the need to minimize my disability to be able to “fit in” to the culture of this company/ publication: Unsure

I’ve been excluded by this company/publication because of my race or ethnicity: Yes

I’ve been excluded by this company/publication because of my sexual orientation or gender identity: Yes

I’ve been excluded by this company/ publication because of a disability: Unsure

I experienced or witnessed racial harassment or discrimination when working for this company/publication: Yes

If I were to report racial harassment or discrimination to this company/publication they would respond to it appropriately: No

Does this company/ publication offer accommodations for designers with disabilities during the submission/design process?: No

This company/publication genuinely addresses the concerns of marginalized groups: No

Would you like to elaborate on your experience? This company has reacted to criticism over their lack of diversity in a truly abhorrent manner. They have silenced BIPOC who raised their concerns and fired team members who raised these concerns directly with leadership.

What can this company/ publication do to promote an inclusive environment? I think it’s too late for them, they should have listened to the lived experiences of BIPOC and paid them for their emotional labor.

Would you work with this company again?: No