WHO THIS IS FOR
Designers who went into surface pattern design for the pattern part, not the invoicing part, and now find themselves quoting jobs, writing licensing terms, and answering client emails with no formal training in any of it.
WHAT'S INSIDE
• Deck 6, SPD Glossary, 44 cards
• Deck 9, Art Licensing 101, 40 cards
• Deck 13, Portfolio Strategy, 40 cards
• Deck 14, Pricing Your Work, 40 cards
• Deck 15, Client Communication, 40 cards
• Plus Deck 21, When You're Stuck, free
AND THESE PLAYBOOKS:
- SPD PRICING PLAYBOOK
- SPD LICENSING PLAYBOOK
- SPD CURATED LIST OF BUYERS PLAYBOOK
- SPD PITCHING PLAYBOOK
WHY THIS MATTERS
Knowing the difference between a licensor and a licensee, or what a royalty structure genuinely implies, changes how a contract negotiation goes. Knowing how to price a job, structure a portfolio, and answer a client email without either overselling or underselling yourself changes how the whole business runs. These five decks are the business literacy most design educations skip.
WHAT YOU'LL WALK AWAY WITH
Working fluency in licensing terms and royalty structures, a pricing approach you can defend, and client communication habits that make you sound like someone who has done this before, because after this deck, you have.
PRICING PLAYBOOK
A Clear Pricing Formula
No more pulling numbers from thin air. You'll have a repeatable calculation that accounts for your costs, your experience, and the specific project parameters.
Real Market Rate Data
What do mass-market brands actually pay versus mid-market versus premium? You'll know the ranges so you can price appropriately for each opportunity.
Usage Rights Clarity
Understand the real difference between buyouts, exclusive licenses, non-exclusive licenses, and royalty deals, and how each one changes what you should charge.
Negotiation Confidence
Know exactly how to respond when a client says you're too expensive. Learn the adjustments you can make without devaluing your work.
Category-Specific Guidance
Pricing for quilting cotton is different from wallpaper is different from greeting cards. You'll understand the nuances of each market.
LICENSING PLAYBOOK
LICENSING TERMS IN PLAIN LANGUAGE
Royalties, flat fees, minimum guarantees, advances, territories, exclusivity clauses. Every term is explained clearly so you know what you are agreeing to before you sign anything.
NEGOTIATION STRATEGY THAT RESPECTS BOTH SIDES
Learn what is typically negotiable, what rarely is, how to push back professionally, and when walking away is the right business decision.
PRICING AND MONEY REALITIES
Why rates vary, how companies calculate value, and how to price based on market and strategy rather than desperation or guesswork.
CONTRACT RED FLAGS AND PROTECTION
What problematic language looks like, how rights grabs and scope creep happen, and when you genuinely need a legal review before moving forward.
LONG-TERM LICENSING MANAGEMENT
How to track your licensed designs, monitor usage, handle renewals and expirations, and re-license existing work strategically over time.
EXCLUSIVITY STRATEGY
The real cost of exclusivity, how to evaluate category-specific exclusives, and how to protect your earning potential without closing doors unnecessarily.
COMMON MISTAKES AND HOW TO AVOID THEM
A blunt, practical look at what goes wrong in licensing deals and what you can do differently before the damage is done.
CURATED LIST OF BUYERS PLAYBOOK
As an independent artist, finding the right companies to license or buy your artwork can be overwhelming. That's why I created The Power List, a curated list of over 500 companies actively looking for designs from independent artists like you.
• Skip the guesswork and connect directly with verified buyers and licensing companies
• Get submission tips to increase your chances of success
• Discover art licensing agencies and resources to help you navigate the industry
• Stay informed with industry insights to stay ahead of trends
THE PITCHING PLAYBOOK
At some point, most surface pattern designers have convinced themselves that pitching comes naturally to some people and not others. The confident ones. The extroverted ones. The ones who somehow wake up every morning ready to send cold emails with the enthusiasm of someone who has never been ignored.
That story is not true, and this playbook is here to dismantle it.
Pitching is a skill. That means it can be learned, practiced, refined, and improved with repetition. It does not require a particular personality type, a background in sales, or an unusual tolerance for rejection. It requires a framework, a system, and the willingness to show up consistently even when the silence on the other end feels deafening.
The designers who pitch well are not necessarily the most talented or the most connected. They are the ones who understand what pitching is, who it is for, and how to do it with clarity and professionalism. They have stopped waiting to feel ready and started treating pitching as part of the job, because that is exactly what it is.
If you have ever avoided pitching because it felt too salesy, too vulnerable, or too likely to result in being ignored, this playbook was written with you in mind.
ALL SIX CARD DECKS REG. $28
FOUR PLAYBOOKS REG. $68
TOGETHER, REG. $96
BLACK FRIDAY 2026 PRICE $77