This is a post I never wanted to write. I have always tried to resolve issues privately, professionally, and with respect for everyone involved. I prefer to keep my space positive for my community and focused on creativity. However, after several years of recurring problems,  and most recently, a complete lack of response from my publisher, I feel it is important to explain my situation clearly, calmly, and factually.

“Sweet Crochet Friends” was published in 2019 by TUVA Publishing. As the designer and author, I put my heart, creativity, and years of work into this book. I am deeply grateful for the love it has received from crocheters around the world.

My book has been successful and was translated into several languages. According to my contract, royalties are due per language edition. However, after the translations were released, I was informed that royalties would only apply to languages published directly by TUVA, not to all language editions. At the time, I felt pressured to accept this interpretation after the fact in order to move forward.

My contract specifies that royalties should be reported and paid twice per year (every six months). In practice, since 2023, payments have been made only once per year. Each year, I have had to personally reach out to request royalty statements and payments, ask questions, and seek clarification.
I was often told that sales were low or that returns were high, resulting in minimal or no royalties due. However, when I consulted Amazon Author sales data for the Amazon US market alone (including returns), the numbers already exceeded the total global sales figures reported by the publisher. Since the book is sold worldwide, this discrepancy raised serious concerns for me. When I showed this data and insisted on explanations and corrections, the reported sales numbers then were revised, just simply editing the numbers in the reports 🙂 This situation has repeated year after year and has made it increasingly difficult to maintain trust in the reporting process.

One of the most distressing aspects of this collaboration concerns crochet kits made using my patterns. My contract covers book publishing only and contains no clause authorizing related products such as kits. In 2020, I discovered by chance that crochet kits based on my designs were being sold. I was not informed in advance. The dolls were produced by other people, my name was not credited as the designer, and the patterns contained errors. Customers contacted me directly for help and complaints, while I had no knowledge of these products and no control over their quality. This caused confusion in my community and damaged my artistic reputation. When I contacted TUVA, I was told that only 200 kits per design had been produced and that production would stop. Since the products were already on the market, I accepted this explanation at the time.
However, these kits continued to be sold year after year. They were later promoted through television advertisements in the UK in 2023, and as of today, in 2026, they are still being sold publicly. Throughout this entire period, I have received no credit and no compensation for these products, while customers continue to associate them with my work and contact me regarding issues.

I have repeatedly expressed my willingness to terminate this contract in a peaceful and professional way due to the ongoing issues and the emotional toll this situation has taken. These requests were refused.

This year, I contacted TUVA Publishing to request my royalty report and payment. I sent several emails and reminders and provided a clear deadline for a response. To date, I have received no reply. All my attempts to communicate have been met with silence, while the book and related kits continue to be sold. This absence of communication has left me with no way to resolve the matter privately.

I am sharing this information not to create conflict, but to be transparent with my community and to protect my work as an independent designer. Fighting every year for basic information, correct reporting, and respect has been emotionally exhausting. Transparency, communication, and mutual respect are essential in any author–publisher relationship, and unfortunately, these elements have been consistently missing in my experience. This publisher is based in Turkey, while I am based in France, and my books are sold worldwide. This makes resolving the situation even more complex. Any support, advice, or guidance from you is truly appreciated.
– If you are a crocheter and wish to support me, please consider not purchasingSweet Crochet Friends or related kits, as I receive no benefit or recognition from them. Instead, I invite you to support my work by purchasing my independently published patterns and other projects or books (the ones are not with TUVA). I no longer support or promote products published by this publisher. Please feel free to share this message within your crochet circles and communities, every bit of support truly means a lot to me.
– If you are an author or designer, I sincerely hope you never have to face the difficulties I have experienced. I hope my story encourages you to read contracts carefully and ask questions before signing. I am always open to sharing more details if it may help others.
– If you have experience, advice, or professional knowledge related to author or designer rights, I would be grateful to hear from you.

My wish is simple: to close this chapter peacefully and move forward. I want to focus on new projects, creativity, and the joy that crochet brings, not ongoing conflict. Thank you to everyone who has supported my work over the years and continues to stand with me.

I need your help – justice for “Sweet Crochet Friends”
Your dear crochet friends,
Khuc Cay