Want to Work with a Publisher’s IP? Here’s How to Make It Happen
So you want to work with a publisher’s intellectual property. Maybe you’re a sculptor who wants to make minis. Maybe you’re a developer with a Foundry module or a character builder. Maybe you’ve built tools before. Maybe you’ve got talent. That’s not enough.
In this business, access is not given freely. It must be licensed. And if you want that license, you need to show you understand the structure. Compliments do not qualify. Passion does not replace paperwork. And past work that infringes on other IPs is a liability, not a portfolio.
Here’s how to make the jump from hobbyist to licensee without being a threat to every publisher you approach, including me.
Understand the Relationship: License, Not Favor When you approach a publisher to use their world, mechanics, factions, or brand in any form—minis, code, tools, print—you are not asking for a gig. You are asking to build on top of their house.
That means you need a license, which requires legal permission, scope (what you're allowed to do), term (how long), exclusivity (who else can), and consideration (what you're paying for the right). This is a business relationship, not a fan club handshake. You are not entitled to access just because you admire the work.
If You Have Sold Fan Work, Purge It Now This is the part most hobbyists do not want to hear. If you have published or sold unlicensed sculpts, models, digital tools, or derivative material based on someone else’s IP, you are contaminated. That is not a moral judgment. That is legal risk.
No publisher wants to enter a license agreement with someone whose online footprint includes Warhammer sculpts on Cults3D, Pathfinder knockoffs on Patreon, fan-made modules for commercial VTTs, or IP-tagged assets with “3D print” or “product” in the hashtags. That history makes you a walking lawsuit. If I license you, I inherit your baggage.
What to do: purge your storefronts of all unlicensed derivative content. Clean your social tags and remove references to infringing brands. Build a portfolio of original or fully licensed work going forward. Be ready to show that your prior habits will not endanger anyone you work with. Until you do that, you are unapproachable.
Show You Know How Business Works If you want to license IP from a publisher, bring the following to the table: a business entity (LLC or sole proprietorship), contract literacy (understand licensing terms), invoicing ability (can get paid, can pay), clear deliverables and timelines, and a legitimate proposal.
You should have two things ready before you make your approach: a portfolio of clean, original work, and a clear pitch for what you would like to do with the publisher’s IP. Do not come empty-handed. Do not come with fanart. Do not come with a vague idea and a Discord handle.
Your email should not say “hey can I work with your stuff?” It should say:
“I am [Name], operating as [Studio Name], and I would like to license [Specific IP Component] for [Specific Use]. I am proposing [Deliverables] under [Revenue Model: one-time, royalty, etc.]. I can meet [Timeline] and am prepared to sign a licensing agreement with consideration terms.”
You are not asking for permission. You are offering a deal.
Know What You Are Licensing and What You Are Not You are not licensing the IP in general. You are licensing a defined use. For example, you are not licensing “Damsels, Adventurers, and Dragons.” You are licensing “the right to produce and sell miniatures based on the Veilknights from Book One under a 1-year, non-exclusive term.”
You do not get access to the full IP, the right to sublicense, the right to alter the IP, or the right to assume any branding unless specified. Everything not written in the contract is off-limits.
Accept That You Will Pay for the Privilege Licenses cost money. That is what consideration means under contract law. You can propose a one-time flat fee, a royalty structure (percentage of sales), a minimum guarantee plus royalties, or a revenue share model with reporting. But it must be something.
There is no free license. There is no “exposure” trade. If you are building a business on someone else’s IP, you pay to enter the ecosystem. That is not punishment. That is reality.
If You Are Serious, You Get Taken Seriously If you bring a clean portfolio, a legal structure, and a business-ready proposal, you stand out immediately. Most people cannot do that. Most never will. That is why there is opportunity.
A serious publisher will review your proposal. If it fits their roadmap, respects their terms, and offers value, you may get a license. You may get exclusivity. You may become the face of that product line. You stop chasing commissions and start building products. You move from fan to partner.
Final Note
This article is not about being harsh. It is about being clear.
If you want to build with someone else’s IP—mine or anyone’s—you have to operate on professional terms. That means legal clarity. That means business structure. And yes, that means leaving your fan-era baggage behind.
If you are ready to do that, I welcome the conversation. If you are not, do not pitch.
A publisher’s IP is not a brand you ride. It is a structure you license. And the gate opens only for those who understand how to walk through it.