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The Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines

17th Edition

The Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines, 17th Edition

Newly updated! The definitive guide for creative professionals navigating pricing, contracts, rights, and a rapidly changing industry.

For over 50 years, the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines has been the trusted industry resource for illustrators, designers, animators, and creative entrepreneurs. Now in its 17th edition, the Handbook reflects the evolving challenges and opportunities facing visual creatives in a world shaped by digital disruption, shifting business models, and new technologies like generative AI.

This edition is our most robust yet—updated, expanded, and reimagined to meet the moment. Whether you’re setting your freelance rates, reviewing a licensing agreement, or navigating new tools like NFTs and AI, the Handbook equips you with the knowledge and tools to build a sustainable, ethical, and empowered creative practice.

What’s inside:

  • Real-world pricing guidelines and salary data across design, illustration, animation, comics, and more.
  • Up-to-date legal guidance on copyright, licensing, trademarks, and the new Copyright Claims Board.
  • Guidance on contracts and negotiation, including 25+ model forms you can adapt to your own needs.
  • New sections on public art, mural art, and social media design & marketing.
  • Business planning and marketing strategies tailored to creative careers.
  • A practical introduction to NFTs and how artists are leveraging them.
  • Expanded content on licensing, reuse rights, and alternative revenue streams.
  • Honest, insightful interviews with 8 self-employed artists and creative changemakers


Timely Tools for a Changing Industry

  • Clear, contextual breakdowns of how Generative AI is impacting your rights, rates, and workflows
  • Model clauses for your contracts that reflect today’s client expectations and technology risks
  • Tips for navigating freelancing in times of economic uncertainty
  • Practical, equity-aware advice for building a creative business that lasts


More Than a Book — A Living Resource

This edition connects directly to the Guild’s website through a QR code, giving readers access to regularly updated guidance on:

  • Generative AI
  • Advocacy & legal issues
  • Creative business practices

Stay current with industry trends, legal shifts, and Guild initiatives long after you’ve turned the last page.

 

Order Now + Support the Guild

The 17th edition is available now for you to order through our Bookshop.org store, where a portion of each sale supports the Graphic Artists Guild’s mission to advocate for artists’ rights, fair pay, and equitable creative labor.

Guild members receive a copy of the Handbook with their membership. Not a member? Join the Guild today and receive your copy for free!

Not a member but already own the 17th edition? Join the Guild today and get a one-time new member discount of $20 with code “BookOptOut” at checkout. (note: If you use this code, you won’t receive a handbook with your membership.)


(The Guild doesn’t ship internationally)

Pricing & Ethical Guidelines Handbook, 17th Edition Cover

Cover design by Emma McGoldrick

504 pages
Publish date: November 4th, 2025
Publisher: The MIT Press

The 17th Edition is available for you to order:

Group Sales for Organizations, Companies, and Institutions

Are you interested in purchasing a number of books for your organization, company, or institution? Fill out the form below, and we will get in touch with you.

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