​ ​February 24, 2026

Reader

Hi friends,

In my last newsletter, I shared five unexpected moments from 2025 — and one of them was selling full rights to six of my designs to a home décor company.

A few of you replied and asked if I would expand on that decision.

So today, I am going to share the experience from how this came about to doing this thing even though I was scared!

The opportunity came from attending High Point Market in North Carolina. This show is huge, the reason I wanted to attend is to do some research in two areas. One was to gain an understanding about the market so I could learn, and two my dream is to attend as a designer bringing my collection to market. This is a big dream. But you have to start somewhere.

I talked to a ton of people, some vendors and also attendees. In one conversation I met an attendee that was a buyer. She was very nice I told her I was a textile designer, and shared briefly about my business, then I moved on.

Later that night when I returned to my hotel, I checked my emails and there was an inquiry from someone to meet me in a zoom to discuss designing for their next launch of bedding for children's sheet sets. At first I thought it was a scam...I quickly called the number and found out it was real. The person I met earlier had contacted me!

It was the beginning of a year long venture in something I knew nothing about - Licensing my artwork and selling the full rights to every design they wanted to purchase.

Let’s talk about what “selling full rights” actually means — and why I chose to do it.

First, what does selling full rights mean?

When you sell full rights (sometimes called a buyout), you are transferring complete ownership of that artwork to the company. That means:

– They can reproduce it however they choose
– They can scale it, recolor it, or modify it
– They own it permanently
– You no longer license or resell that design

It’s very different from a traditional licensing agreement, where you retain ownership and earn royalties over time.

So why would a designer choose to sell full rights?

For me, it came down to three things.

1. The scope of the opportunity.
   The company had a clear vision, strong distribution, and alignment with my aesthetic. The placement felt meaningful.
2. The compensation structure.
   In this case, the upfront payment made sense for where I am in my business right now. It was a very good deal for the amount of the offer. I contacted someone I know who is in the business and got very solid advice how to pitch my my fees as a package.
3. This would be a learning experience and I was up for it. I wanted to collaborate, create with a sound business and this was how it was going to happen. This was that moment for me.

Would I always sell full rights? No.

I will not ever be able to share the designs, nor will my name be on them.

Do I regret it? Also no.

The company valued my art and design skills and paid me what the package was worth. This is VERY important. If the buyout was not what I thought a professional should be paid for a buy out I would have walked away.

Every deal requires asking:
What serves my long-term vision?
What supports my current financial reality?
What feels aligned creatively?

There isn’t one “right” model. There’s only what makes sense for your business in this season.

Here’s my encouragement:

Before you sign anything, understand:
– What you’re giving up
– What you’re gaining
– How the contract defines usage and ownership
– Whether the compensation reflects the value of permanent transfer

And most importantly — don’t make decisions from fear.

Make them from strategy.

Thanks for being here — I love sharing behind-the-scenes with you.

Warmly,
Lori

​​

Longview Drive, Leesville, SC 29070
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