learn how to price your art
and negotiate with companies
A pricing course for surface designers to help you navigate the confusing waters of pricing, contracts, and negotiation
enroll now
It’s time we all get paid like it.
Our art brings in thousands of dollars for companies.
As a surface designer, your art is WHY people buy a product from one brand and not another. So your art makes a company’s products successful – and you deserve to be paid well for that!
But I've seen too many talented artists settle for low fees because they lack the confidence to see just how valuable their work is.
And that's why I created Artful Pricing & Negotiation: to teach you how to charge fairly for your work, understand and negotiate profitable contracts, and feel secure in your rates and value as an artist.
So you don’t panic when a company asks for your rates, ever again.
Without second-guessing yourself or doubting the value of your work
Artful Pricing & Negotiation shows you my tried-and-tested method for pricing your art & negotiating contracts
Inside Artful Pricing & Negotiation, you can expect…
8 easy-to-follow modules with video lessons through the different elements of pricing & contracts, to arm you with knowledge for the real world.
A flexible pricing system for licensing and freelance projects to ensure you have a rock-solid, yet adaptable rate sheet.
4 calculators for licensing, buyouts, and freelance projects to price your art within minutes knowing for sure your rates are fair.
Screenshots of email interactions I’ve had with companies to take the guesswork out of how to reply to pricing and contract questions.
A custom built ready-to-use licensing contract template, plus how to spot red flags when reading a client's contract.
My full organization system to keep track of active licenses and contracts, helping you stay protected and efficient.
Instant lifetime access to the course on our class platform, Searchie, allowing you to find all course content easily and quickly.
Inclusion in a private online community to ask pricing or contract questions and seek support for tricky situations.
enroll now
This course isn't just useful for the surface design industry. I think a lot of artists don't know how to talk about money, negotiate or feel confident in the business side of life in general… now I know how to put myself in charge of the business aspect of my design business.
"Once I finished this class I definitely had a boost in confidence."
- Amanda Todaro
As a new designer, I didn’t want to under or overvalue my work. I didn't have any idea of how designers set their rates or how to calculate a rate based on what kind of deal is being negotiated. Now I know the value of my work plus I have a path to getting my work out there and to the people who need to see it.
"Until this course, no one seemed willing to speak honestly about compensation – it felt like a giant secret!"
- Anjana Simpson
It was so insightful to get a peek behind the curtain and see some of the mystery surrounding prices revealed. She gives information on what to look for and how to best create a pricing guide. Now I feel more confident about how to approach pricing than I did before I took the course.
"I love that Shannon shares real numbers and examples."
- Petra Van Der Lem
Pricing is not often shared and I don’t think people realize the different categories there are or how to charge for each type. I think artists would feel a lot less hesitant when giving a price after taking this course – things are straight to the point. You say it as it is and I love the realistic take on all your classes.
"I feel so much more confident in what to ask & how to negotiate!"
- Tracy Beagen
course overview
here's just a taste of what you'll learn in this comprehensive two-part course…
We’ll cover the common steps of each deal including when you’ll get paid, how to create and send an invoice, the payment options you have, and what to do when a client doesn’t pay on time.
Module 4:
We’ll examine your current relationship with money, how common pricing fears impact your income and ways to dismantle them, plus a few simple exercises to help you build confidence as an artist.
Freelance Projects
You’ll learn how to create your own price ranges that you can adapt to any client inquiry, but I’ll also show you examples from my surface design portfolio and EXACTLY what I got paid for each of them.
Module 2:
We’ll discuss what freelance IS and isn't in surface design, my step-by-step method to calculate a quote for any proposed project, and important factors that can help make freelance less stressful for you long-term.
Module 3:
Module 1:
Pricing Foundation
Licensing & Buyouts
Invoicing & Payment
Part One: Artful Pricing
Specially designed calculators for buyouts, flat-fee licenses, royalties, and freelance projects.
Easy-to-use Airtable templates for keeping your licenses, client list, and projects organized.
Ready-to-use forms for invoicing and receiving payments – they’re fully editable PDFs!
artful pricing also includes several valuable resources...
We’ll discuss the different ways you can finalize contracts, best practices for managing them, how to organize everything on your computer, and tips for keeping your files up to date.
Part Two: Artful Negotiation
Module 4:
We’ll cover the easiest way to reduce the stress of discussing terms with clients, common fears and how to overcome them, and methods for turning the negotiation process into a positive experience.
Let’s Talk Negotiation
You’ll learn about basic contract terms including the differences between buyout, licensing, and freelance contracts, plus common red flags to watch out for when reading a client’s contract.
Module 2:
We’ll talk through common client scenarios and how to approach each one, simple tips for making negotiation easier, how to ensure a deal is fair to both you and your client, and 6 ways (beyond price) to sweeten any deal and make it more attractive to say YES to.
Module 3:
Module 1:
Negotiation Foundation
All About Contracts
Contract Organization
A licensing contract template custom made for this course by Creative Genius Law.
An Airtable negotiation checklist to walk you through the process of each client deal.
Copyright assignment form to use whenever a client purchases your art outright.
Artful Negotiation has some pretty sweet resources too...
a few course bonuses
Once you’ve leveled up your pricing & negotiation skills, you can focus on building a sustainable design business which is why I’ve also included…
In this special module, you’ll learn how to set your target salary, effectively use streams of income, organize your finances, survive slow phases in your business, and more.
Candid Pricing Interviews with Design Veterans
Featuring 4 in-depth case studies of my own client deals, including screenshots of all correspondence, showing a design’s entire lifecycle from creation to negotiation to getting paid.
Bonus 2:
A global perspective on pricing is important, so I’ve interviewed 4 industry veterans with a combined 60+ years of experience from around the world who share their thoughts about pricing and negotiating with clients.
Bonus 3:
Bonus 1:
Growing Your Business Income
Pricing & Negotiation Case Studies
Zoe Wodarz
brook gossen
stephanie fizer coleman
victoria johnson
Europe
North America
North America
w/ focus on children's books
Australia
w/ focus on small & local biz collaborations
Have cultivated the confidence to charge profitably and negotiate better terms with Artful Pricing & Negotiation...
Students from all over the world
The Q&As, calculators, and additional sections that break down contracts and other areas make it totally worth it. Plus the peace of mind of knowing my prices are in line with industry standards is worth everything to me.
"This was the best investment I could have made for myself!"
- Louise Pretzel
As someone who is getting into the freelance side of this industry much later in life than many, I have gained the most benefit from all of your well-thought-out, informative classes that actually give real answers and roadmaps to getting things accomplished.
"You share so much of your expertise and knowledge."
- Diane Labombarbe
After taking the course last year, I am so grateful to have signed four contracts, my first ever as a surface designer… I really feel that your course has given me everything I need to prepare for these moments and to enter negotiations from a place of confidence.
"Artful Pricing & Negotiation has changed my career."
- Kate Lower
The whole course has been so insightful with the ins and outs of contracts and pricing, it’s really open and honest advice. It gives you the tools to enable you to price your work, with real figures and situations from licensing to freelancing and highlighting fair pricing for your work.
"I've got the starting point I was looking for."
- Laura Dobson
My biggest a-ha moment was that I have a tendency to under-value myself. The course helped give me the confidence to start with the higher numbers when negotiating. Even if an artist is going to go through an agent, the material in this course is still very helpful.
"It was very helpful to see real and realistic number ranges."
- Heather Rosas
“Artful Pricing let me in on 'the great big secret of surface pattern pricing' and enabled me to create a price guide for licensing & buyouts, plus gave me the confidence to negotiate with art directors.”
A Ireland based surface designer who used the negotiation advice and price guides she created to license 6 designs to a wall art company!
Tina Devins
“This is a great course that empowers you with real-life scenarios and clearly breaks down some of the industry jargon. Your guidance has opened up a new pathway for my business and hopefully, I can now make it sustainable financially into the future."
An Australian illustrator who got a client to nearly TRIPLE their budget using what she learned!
Alicia Rogerson
“This course gave me knowledge about how to price things, what kind of licensing deals there are and how to negotiate, read contracts, all of it. I'm light years ahead of where I would be otherwise with this. What a resource!"
An artist & designer from California who used the freelance module to negotiate graphic design projects with her clients!
Melissa Escobar
You have a portfolio of work and are contacting companies to license your work to and/or freelance with OR you've completed my Pitch Your Portfolio course.
You’re at a loss about what to charge — and feel like you’re just “guessing” whenever you send your prices.
You lack confidence to ask for a higher rate or different terms than what’s initially offered to you by a client.
Reading a contract makes your eyes glaze over, so you really aren’t sure what you’re signing.
You wish you had someone to always ask about tricky pricing and contract situations.
Is this course for you?
enroll now
it'll be a good fit for you if...
I feel strongly about the value and support you’ll find inside this course, but I realize it’s sometimes hard to know if it’ll be a good fit.
MY 7-DAY GUARANTEE
If you decide it’s not for you, just email me within 7 days of your purchase. My team will send you a simple refund request form and once completed, we’ll process your refund within 5 business days.
Believe me, I’ve been burned by courses myself – so I’ve got your back!
a left-handed, left-brained surface designer & educator
Btw, have we met yet?
I'M SHANNON McNAB
Over the past decade, I slowly transitioned to my dream job: working for myself as a full-time surface designer. And when I say “slowly transitioned”, I mean it! I was definitely not an overnight success.
One thing that did help? Though I’m an artist, the other part of me is a total numbers nerd, so I thrived on testing different approaches, documenting my results, and creating streamlined systems for myself.
So I’ve learned a whole lot about what to do (and not to do) when negotiating with clients. And I want to help as many artists as possible learn how to price their art for profit and gain confidence.
And it's allowed me to license 80+ designs and negotiate over 35 freelance projects in just the past 6 years alone.
This course goes WAY beyond pricing guidelines, instilling confidence and increasing the earning potential of the next generation of surface designers:
more buzz about Artful Pricing...
still got questions???
Is there a time limit for course access? (Can I take my time or is there a set schedule?)
The course itself is completely self-paced, so you can go through it as quickly or slowly as you like depending on how you like to learn. And you'll have lifetime access to the course content allowing you the time to complete it when you can.
How much time do I need to complete this course?
My suggestion is one module per week (the modules range from 30-60 minutes to watch).
And I’ve provided a 4-week and 8-week pacing calendar inside the course to give you suggested timelines for working through the content – including a few weeks of implementation so you can immediately put what you learn to use.
Still, I don’t want you to get too overwhelmed, so I encourage you to go at whatever pace you’re most comfortable with given your current schedule. Remember, you’ll always have access to this course and can revisit any video.
How much does this course cost? Are there payment plans?
- PURCHASED SEPARATELY: €389 (~$405 USD)
- PURCHASED TOGETHER:€599 (~$625 USD)
Prices shown are in Euros and exclude VAT (which will be collected for EU customers). USD prices are approximate and based on the current exchange rate.
Do you offer refunds?
Yes, within the 7 days of purchase. Just email us and we'll send you a simple refund request form. Once completed, we’ll process your refund within 5 business days.
Will you teach me how to find companies to pitch to in this course?
Will this help me if I don’t live in the US?
Absolutely! Artful Pricing has alumni from more than 20 countries, from Belgium to Greece to Israel, who have used what they learned to further their design careers.
Will this help me price freelance work or is it just for licensing?
Yes, what you learn in Artful Pricing applies to pricing freelance work as well. In fact, there is a dedicated module inside Artful Pricing all about pricing freelance work and I discuss the unique terms you'll find in freelance contracts inside Artful Negotiation.
How do I know if I’m ready for this course?
If you’re reaching out to companies, then you are ready! But if you’re learning how to design, then it’s best to wait.
Will this course tell me exactly what to charge?
Yes and no. This industry is not one-size-fits-all, so giving you a few exact numbers is not going to help.
Instead, Artful Pricing & Negotiation is built around a pricing framework that can be adapted to every unique situation. This course is meant to meet you where you’re at today, giving you the knowledge and motivation to advocate better rates and terms for yourself right now AND for years to come.
Do you provide captions or transcripts for course videos?
Yes! Every course video has captions and downloadable transcriptions available to make it easier for you to learn the material in whatever way works best for you. There’s also a full course workbook you can download or print out so you can follow along through each module.
What’s the difference between Pitch Your Portfolio and Artful Pricing & Negotiation? (Which should I take first?)
Pitch Your Portfolio teaches you how to find and contact companies, and Artful Pricing & Negotiation teaches you to price your work and negotiate contracts . I recommend taking Pitch Your Portfolio first — because if you’re not pitching, there’s no one to negotiate with!
What if I have more questions before I sign up?
