a few hitches with pitches

Recently I have had a couple of projects where I've been invited as one of several designers to pitch concepts for a new book design. I have concerns about the process of 'the pitch' and thought it worth airing them.

Advertising creatives do the pitch thing. That's the way things are done in that parallel universe. That's way I'm not there.

There's something very special about being commissioned to be the designer of a new book. It's a great privilege to be asked and trusted with a new manuscript. To be one of few to have the chance to read a new story on A4 unbound pages. I take the privilege very appreciatively, probably too earnestly, and always with unflagging enthusiasm.

My experience 'pitching' for a recent project seemed terribly frustrated. I spent a long time on it – time completely out of kilter with the fee being offered. And yet I failed stupendously to produce anything of great merit and was embarrassed by the obvious lacking of my offering. I didn't have heaps of other work on at the time so it wasn't that I didn't give it enough time or thought. The brief was exciting and well considered and wonderfully comprehensive. My relationship with the publisher, at ease and comfortable. I was really excited about the project.

The payment for the concepts wasn't insulting but nor was it comparable to the amount of reading and research I usually invest in the beginning of a new project. I probably spend too much time in this stage but I find this time and effort can often be rewarded by early success. You don't build your house on feeble foundations.

Was my frustration and mediocre offering a case of performance anxiety perhaps? Was my ego struggling with the idea of competing with others? Isn't competition meant to drive better performance? Was I intimidated by not being on an in-house team and thus privy to developments and creative input from others? I am used to having the trust of the publisher, such that they've chosen just me to be the designer. Did the absence of this trust alter my ability to give my full creative commitment? Could I have just been having a bad week or two where everything I did turned to stone? Was I sub-consciously resenting the lesser pay for the 'big ideas' even though this never usually is a consideration? Was I concerned with giving too much away for that fee? Probably YES to all of these questions and more.

I also have concerns about what happens with the pitch designs I send. A publisher may take one aspect from my design and add it to another design. I fully expect that this is the idea behind commissioning several designers. It's crowd-sourcing like 99designs does, and it basically threatens the integrity and intention of the original designs given by all the designers commissioned. 'Can we have this graphic with that type configuration and then can we make it red like that one?' At penguin we called this the dance of thousand cuts. What you end up with is a salmagundi of nothing much and likely, poor sales. (I have always wanted to put that word to good use.) Once the designs have been presented, I have no control over the process from there. I don't see what was chosen. There's little feedback and less opportunity to revisit the designs for another round. I don't have a say about what's taken, if anything, from my design, and what's done with it.

Okay, okay! That feels much better. I'm stepping down from the soap box and bracing myself for this next dance.

The secret life of books

Happy new year all!
I hope you are all enjoying your summer, leisurely reading lovely books and being inspired to create even lovelier books this year.

I have just stumbled across the most beautiful stop motion movie which I had to share with you all.

The Joy Of Books.

Sean Ohlenkamp and wife Lisa re-doubled their efforts for Type Books in Toronto. After several sleepless nights of animating with a crew of over 20 people, the Joy of Books was born. Music composed especially for the short by Grayson Matthews. (Source: Colossal)

Here's to the secret life of books and to a wonderful 2012!