What Pattern Writers Should Know About Selling with QBPN, with Ruth Erdei

If you sell digital quilt patterns, you've probably wondered whether a marketplace is worth it, and what actually goes on behind the scenes to make one work. Ruth Erdei joins the podcast to talk about Quilting Books Patterns & Notions (QBPN), the family business she co-owns, and why she believes so strongly in transparency as a business model.

Ruth is a serial entrepreneur, designer, and creative business strategist with more than 20 years of experience building businesses across the craft, creative, and e-commerce industries. Her background spans custom cosplay, crochet, digital products, fashion, quilting, and cross-stitch, which gives her a wide view of both the creative and business sides of the industry. She's the co-owner of QBPN and co-founder of Craft Hatchery, two marketplaces supporting hundreds of independent designers and connecting makers with customers around the world.

In this episode, Ruth shares:

• How she got started with QBPN and how the company has grown
• How the QBPN business model works and what makes it different from other marketplaces
• Why pattern writers might consider selling their patterns through QBPN
• The different revenue streams the company offers designers

We also talk about something that doesn't always get discussed: what it actually costs to distribute digital patterns. It's easy to assume digital products have no overhead since there's no shipping or warehousing involved. But platform fees, protecting designers' intellectual property, keeping listings current, customer support, marketing, and ongoing file management all take real time and resources. Ruth talks through what that investment looks like at QBPN and why supporting and protecting designers is central to how the company operates.

If you're a pattern designer weighing where to sell, or just curious how a marketplace like this runs behind the scenes, this episode is worth a listen.