Looking into the Future
This has been a crazy year. A busy early spring, but, a very slow summer. In fifteen years of book design, this summer may have been one of the slowest I have seen. It was never dead, or even critical, but it was more like stable condition. Not being a numbers guy, I don’t track my workload year-to year like I probably should, but my gut impression tells me this year has been down.
I’m not sure if it was just me, or the book industry in general was slow. It’s a bit uncomfortable asking others if their workload is the same. (The answer you don’t want to hear: “My workload? Why I am having the best summer EVER. I haven’t slept in two weeks I’m so slammed.” Oh. Yikes.) Common sense—and the news—tells me that everyone has slowed down. Certainly, the industry has been struggling for several years now, reflecting the ugly condition of the broader economy.
Thankfully, this fall is shaping-up to be closer to normal as far as my personal workload goes, even though things for the industry look iffy at best. I hope this is more than a blip on the radar. It would be really nice to see next year be a better one for books and publishing (and everything and everybody else for that mater). But, that’s then, and this is now.
- Do you see growth or shrinkage in the number of clients and titles you have coming across your desk?
- Are you hopeful or doubtful that the health of book publishing is in recovery?
- What do you do to help insulate your freelance business from the ups and downs of the economy?
Image courtesy of Flickr.
11 Responses
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Most of my publisher clients have specifically told me they reduced the number of new titles this year. I think that was widespread in the industry and reported in the press.
I make sure that publishing clients are only a part of my design business.
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Not necessarily a slow down in work, but what I have seen is a big increase in revisions (surprised that I’m bringing this up?). Not just tweaks, but starting over completely. Also, working on many paperback jobs lately where the cover goes back to the hardcover design (on the flip side I benefit from this since my designs for hc’s have picked up for paperback adoptions). I have to think all of this is due to a lot of trepidation and indecision by editors, marketing, sales, etc. After all, they are accountable for the books selling and our designs are the face of their books.
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Kimberly, I have noticed the same thing: a great deal of indecision. I think fear is a driving force behind much of the uncertainty. No one wants to screw up and risk losing a job, an author, or a client. The natural tendency is to “play it safe”, which often results in failure.
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Agree with Emily, this year I’ve expanded my offerings to other creative services most of which include photography. I never have been a book cover-only designer so maybe you’re directing this specifically at them. But even still, because of the state of things its been a good time to shove out into unexplored creative turf and it’s instantly paid off with new clients and opportunities.
Great inquiry and post. We’ll see what happens and keep us posted from your end.
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I wonder if my workload was really slower than normal this summer or it was perception and fear based on the overall economy. If I was smart I would track these things.
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I’ve noticed a lot of friends panicking because they think the economy has affected them – yet their jobs have been steady, workloads heavy, etc. There is a consumer psychology to a recession which can hamper recovery.
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I think you are right about that, Ingrid. I was thinking that through again last night. Reality is that I have three new clients this year, some of my existing clients have actually picked up the pace, and this fall is looking to be a very productive season. I think fear of what is around the corner can be a dangerous thing. Instead of focusing on what is now, there can be the tendency to focus on what will be. And that is hampering.
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Great designers like you will always be in demand, primarily because your end product is distinctive, in terms of your thinking. The aesthetics can achieved by a lesser designers, but I would hire you for your conceptual thinking—how your design communicates. How it fits the content, and marketplace. I especially appreciate Brandon’s perspective on taking more project types, like photography. Again, on the same subject, everyone’s a photographer, but I bet Brandon was hired for more than that.
Lots of changes on the horizon. Interesting to see this broached here.
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I’ve had a better year than most (the worst being winter of ‘08), but I think that is due to one long-standing client having an inhouse designer on maternity leave, which means they’ve been able to outsource a lot of work. I have to keep an eye on that… I did recently lose one client who took their catalogue layout inhouse, so the mat leave has been balancing things. Gulp.
As for the covers, in general? I think I’ve been conscious that clients are hesitant, second-guessing design decisions etc. but the biggest thing I’ve noticed is their hesitation to commit to one market (or hone in on it). I’ll revise a cover (who’s title and subtitle will also be revised!) after the client gets feedback from their regional and US sales forces – hired firms who aren’t privy to inhouse decisions. So, I’ve had to anticipate sales directives and talk my clients through a design based on my market research, prior sales, etc. In some ways, I’m wearing more of a marketing hat and less of a creative hat – but the results have been great creatively. Strange.
And I’ve noticed myself bugging some clients to promote prizes, quotes etc. more on covers, so I guess I’m feeling for them. I used to try to downplay those things (and fight to keep them unobtrusive), but I really don’t want a book failing these days because some reader couldn’t easily see that the NYT favorably reviewed.
Where now? I mean, sales *are* up in bookstores, but where are they coming from and what sales channel is driving people to what book? And the elephant in the room: what are eBook sales going to do to print sales – and where do we fit in?
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I too had a fairly slow summer, but surprisingly, I’m finishing well ahead of last year after a strong rebound since back-to-school. I was feeling tense for a while though, that’s for certain.
One thing I did to bump up revenue was to add page layout back into the mix after more or less doing covers only for the past 5 years or so, and I’m also exploring other revenue streams to help insulate against down-turns. I don’t want to get caught slacking off in 2010, just in case…
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I’m going through the same thing. Last year was an unbelievably good year, this year not as good. It has me worried about the future, for sure.
Being so far down on the “food chain”, and not being privy to the financial statements of any of the publishers I design for, I can’t tell if it’s a problem they’re having, or if they’re not assigning as much freelance, or what.
I’ve been learning some web design to insulate myself from any problems that publishing may be having. I’m also taking more advertising assignments — brochures and ad design.