How I created the final product of the hardcover for the workbook

I didn’t plan on making the hardcover workbooks of the workbook myself. But ultimately I am glad I did the research.

When I launched the Artist’s Launch Academy pilot program on December 1st, 2024, I had a lot of things ready. The curriculum. The slides. The research. The game plan.

What I didn’t have was the final, printed, bound version of the workbook.

Why? Classic ADHD. I had big goals, tight deadlines, and (spoiler alert) a tendency to create as I go—which, in this case, worked in my favor.

The Workbook Came to Life Mid-Flight

Instead of finishing the entire workbook in one go, I sent it to the pilot artists in two sections—Modules 1 & 2, then Modules 3 & 4. And honestly? I loved it that way.

Sending the workbook in waves gave me time to talk to the pilot artists about how they were using it, what made sense, what didn’t, and how I could improve it before I printed hundreds of copies. Every time a new module went out, I had real feedback that shaped the pages in the next one.

Modules 3 and 4 (which focus on research and launching your website) barely needed editing in the second edition—because that part of the Academy was built on years of doing SEO and custom websites for artists. That part was second nature to me.

But Module 1? That got a major upgrade.

In the pilot workbook, Module 1 was short. Just a quick overview of marketing. But I realized very quickly that artists needed more than theory—they needed to see how all the moving parts of a campaign fit together.

So I expanded it. I added interactive campaign mapping exercises, big-picture strategy prompts, and real scenario work that helped students see the full system before they ever got into tactics.

That one module accounts for most of the page increase in the second edition, which now sits at 246 pages total.

The Hardcover Spiral Wasn’t the Plan (But It’s the Best Thing I Made)

Now let’s talk about the cover. The original pilot version was printed on thick card stock and bound with a plastic comb binder. It was functional—but it was also paper. And when I traveled with it to Las Vegas during the pilot, the corners got dinged, bent, and bruised.

Every time I shipped it to someone, it looked like it had been through something.

I knew I needed something sturdier. I’m a hardcover book girl anyway—I’ve always been hard on books because I use them. I write in them, toss them in bags, take them everywhere. My workbook should be able to do the same.

So I started researching.

At first, I looked into getting the hardcover manufactured. But everything I found felt wrong—too clinical, too off-brand, too impersonal. I wanted canvas. I wanted stitching. I wanted it to feel like something an artist would actually love to hold.

And I didn’t want it mass-produced. I wanted it made like the artists I built this for: with intention, detail, and craft.

How I Learned to Make Book Cloth (and Embroider It by Hand)

I bought premade book cloth at first. It was backed by paper, and when I tried to embroider the logo onto it, my thumbs nearly fell off. Too thick. Too stiff.

So I hit YouTube and TikTok and figured out how to make book cloth from scratch.

You only need three things:

• Fabric

• Heat n’ Bond

• Tissue paper

Once I cracked that code, I was able to print the logo directly onto cloth using freezer paper and my Epson printer. (Yes, it’s possible. Yes, I geeked out.)

From there, I applied Heat n’ Bond to the back of the logo patch and ironed it onto the book cloth before stitching—so the stitch could be decorative, not structural.

Each workbook cover is different. I’ve collected fabric from travels, thrift shops, friends, and family. I hand-embroider every single one with one of 150+ thread colors. I use a few stitches I’ve come to love.

Now that I’ve perfected my template and rhythm, I make 3–5 book cloths a day to hit my quota of 30 hardcovers for launch.

This wasn’t just about aesthetics. It was about building something that mirrored the care, effort, and art that each of my students are putting into their own creative business.

Want One? You’ll Get to Pick.

When enrollment opens on June 1, you’ll get to choose your workbook style at checkout: hardcover or paperback.

All hardcover versions are handcrafted by me.

All paperback versions are clean, crisp, and durable.

Both versions contain the same 246-page workbook that took months of testing, feedback, and refinement to get right.

Want a Scholarship?

Right now, I’m offering two full scholarships to Artist’s Launch Academy (that includes the workbook, online platform, and lifetime access).

All you have to do is fill out this 5-minute survey about your current marketing habits. That’s it.

On June 1 at 7pm CST, I’ll host a live virtual launch party where I’ll:

• Announce the scholarship winners

• Bring in a few of the original pilot artists to share what they learned

• Give everyone who attends 20% off enrollment if they don’t win

That drops tuition from $2497 to $1997, and yes—there are payment plans.

This academy was never meant to be a trend.

It’s a real system for artists who want real momentum.

If that’s you, I hope you’ll be there on June 1.

Let me know if you’d like this blog turned into an email announcement or broken into an IG carousel series.