Painful but true depiction of the Bad Client… so sorry you went through this! My favorite dynamic: the phase of maliciously complying with every detail of their instructions, to show them just how awful their ideas are, only to have them be satisfied with the result. Then muttering “I hate you, I hate you so much” while finishing the job :)
Glad you have some nice and satisfying university press projects to cleanse the palate!
Though the one way I’ve found to live with these projects is to decide to feel good about making the client happy. If they realized their vision and are satisfied, then good for them, I can try to approve of that even if they didn’t decide to accept a Better Idea.
Yes. My role as an architect was to ask the client twice. After that, it’s their building, their money so I’ll deliver what they want.
I would still try to deliver the best design I could within the new (suboptimal) constraints and obviously none of this would apply to contravening building codes.
Reading this post, I kept thinking about the correlation to what I do in addition to writing--selling real estate. I couldn't help substituting my experiences in working with certain clients in place of book covers: I'm too old to be working the worst deal of my career." Especially where you describe people who treat designers as a tool to execute their visions. That one punched me in the gut it was so spot on.
Keep up the good fight, inner peace and keeping the tools at bay is always worth it. Promise.
I never in one million years would have likened what I do to selling real estate, but this makes perfect sense! I guess in some respects, client work is client work and it all has the same potential dynamics.
I’m eventually going to publish my “business book.” It’ll be exactly 49 pages of text and 100 blank pages, because nobody reads more than the first 49 pages of a business book without realizing it’s not saying anything new or different than the last business book they read. It will be titled “You Know What You Oughta Do?” because that is the first thing someone says when I tell them I own my own shop and what I do. So many business advisors and coaches out there…
I just need to write the first 49 pages of horsesh*t… and design a really bad cover with no fewer than FIVE different fonts.
I was involved with a small press at one point. What you say about folks who use hybrid publishers isn’t true just of them: a lot of egotistical, opinionated folk also try to bully small presses into publishing their work, and reject every attempt by a conscious, competent editor at shepherding the dross they submitted into something that won’t make a reader throw the book across the room. Sometimes one gets caught by what appears to be a good idea for a book, and the person appears genuinely knowledgeable about the subject. So the press accepts the work and the “fun” begins: only in not too short order, it becomes obvious that this was a big mistake. This also happens with fiction. I learned so much of what to watch out for, and it is truly not obvious up front sometimes that a book pitch is not what it appears. I feel for you and your book cover misadventures, because I have been there as an editor. A pox on those people.
I always enjoy your posts Nathaniel. You’re a graphic designer who can WRITE. And works in a library. Makes complete sense.
I ran a mile from hybrid. I wasn’t going to drop $20k for a debut literary fiction novel and have only myself for the marketing to recover that.
Hell, I don’t have a random $20k that isn’t needed to repair cars, put a new roof on the house, send the kid to college or what not.
No, just no. The ONLY person who was going to get rich from that deal was the publisher. And I spoke to a few. And they were all totally reputable hybrids. But still hybrid.
I think authors CAN make hybrid work…when they know they have the marketing skills to sell their own books. You have to do that for Indy or trad anyway. So hone it there before dropping the big bucks on hybrid.
Glad you didn’t do that. I think hybrid for literary fiction is an even worse deal because of how much harder it is to sell fiction than “how to make money” books. But then again, those are the books I’d want to see more of.
You make a great point about marketing your own book!
was just talking yesterday about trying to understand what makes a good book cover, then started reading some of your posts! Looking forward to consuming and learning more they’ve been insightful so far
Ps I’m super curious about this cover but I know you can’t share it!
Man I feel you! My last gig in private practice was for a company that unfortunately had a run of bad clients. I can’t blame my boss…poor dude had paychecks due every two weeks…but yeah I jumped over to the State with nary a regret.
Hopefully with your library job it’s easier to say no to the questionable clients so you can save your energy for those excellent covers. And yes, your university covers are STUNNING.
Thanks friend! Having the library job definitely helps me say no and focus on the work that I love. These were the only covers I was doing for a while, though, so it took a little time to build the confidence (and client base) to confidently say no.
I’m glad you were able to jump ship and are better for it!
If I were ever to hire you, Nate (and I’d love to, but I’m sure I can’t afford to!) I’d be the terrible client who says: “I have no idea. I can tell you what the book’s about and what I hope readers get from it. Otherwise over to you. You’re the professional.” Would that make me a terrible client or a meh client?
I don’t have a bad graphic eye. I can recognize - and appreciate - good graphic design when I see it. I just don’t have a professional graphic eye. So maybe that makes me not so terrible?
And gonna out myself: I do use Canva 🤣 - but my graphic designer does stuff for me there whenever it’s “serious”. For a client like me, Canva is a good send. Because if I need to make some small tweak, change a word, update a number etc, I don’t have to have and know how to use Adobe Illustrator or something. Or send to back to the designer. I can just make that little edit myself. Fast and efficient (and cheap). I’m happy to pay for a graphic designer - but not to update a few words/ dates/ numbers etc.
I think that would make you a fine client—as long as you meant it! Haha. Some people enter projects saying things like that but then it becomes painfully clear that they actually do have strong opinions on visuals that would have been better off being acknowledged from the beginning.
I think using Canva is just fine—accessible design tools are a good thing. It’s just that not everybody has the same awareness as you 😁
Painful but true depiction of the Bad Client… so sorry you went through this! My favorite dynamic: the phase of maliciously complying with every detail of their instructions, to show them just how awful their ideas are, only to have them be satisfied with the result. Then muttering “I hate you, I hate you so much” while finishing the job :)
Glad you have some nice and satisfying university press projects to cleanse the palate!
Though the one way I’ve found to live with these projects is to decide to feel good about making the client happy. If they realized their vision and are satisfied, then good for them, I can try to approve of that even if they didn’t decide to accept a Better Idea.
That’s a healthy perspective! Sometimes I can get there—usually when it’s not terrible, just not what I would do. Other times it’s harder!
Yes. My role as an architect was to ask the client twice. After that, it’s their building, their money so I’ll deliver what they want.
I would still try to deliver the best design I could within the new (suboptimal) constraints and obviously none of this would apply to contravening building codes.
Reading this post, I kept thinking about the correlation to what I do in addition to writing--selling real estate. I couldn't help substituting my experiences in working with certain clients in place of book covers: I'm too old to be working the worst deal of my career." Especially where you describe people who treat designers as a tool to execute their visions. That one punched me in the gut it was so spot on.
Keep up the good fight, inner peace and keeping the tools at bay is always worth it. Promise.
I never in one million years would have likened what I do to selling real estate, but this makes perfect sense! I guess in some respects, client work is client work and it all has the same potential dynamics.
Thanks Page 😊
I’m eventually going to publish my “business book.” It’ll be exactly 49 pages of text and 100 blank pages, because nobody reads more than the first 49 pages of a business book without realizing it’s not saying anything new or different than the last business book they read. It will be titled “You Know What You Oughta Do?” because that is the first thing someone says when I tell them I own my own shop and what I do. So many business advisors and coaches out there…
I just need to write the first 49 pages of horsesh*t… and design a really bad cover with no fewer than FIVE different fonts.
Five fonts? You madman. I’ll buy it!
"No, this isn’t an affiliate link." Ha!
Haha I’m so happy you appreciated that
Been waiting for this one 🔥🔥🔥 excellent writing as always friend! Here's to being tired of sales tools for sales tools 🍻
I was involved with a small press at one point. What you say about folks who use hybrid publishers isn’t true just of them: a lot of egotistical, opinionated folk also try to bully small presses into publishing their work, and reject every attempt by a conscious, competent editor at shepherding the dross they submitted into something that won’t make a reader throw the book across the room. Sometimes one gets caught by what appears to be a good idea for a book, and the person appears genuinely knowledgeable about the subject. So the press accepts the work and the “fun” begins: only in not too short order, it becomes obvious that this was a big mistake. This also happens with fiction. I learned so much of what to watch out for, and it is truly not obvious up front sometimes that a book pitch is not what it appears. I feel for you and your book cover misadventures, because I have been there as an editor. A pox on those people.
I’m happy I’m not alone but it also bums me out this also happens at a small indie!
I always enjoy your posts Nathaniel. You’re a graphic designer who can WRITE. And works in a library. Makes complete sense.
I ran a mile from hybrid. I wasn’t going to drop $20k for a debut literary fiction novel and have only myself for the marketing to recover that.
Hell, I don’t have a random $20k that isn’t needed to repair cars, put a new roof on the house, send the kid to college or what not.
No, just no. The ONLY person who was going to get rich from that deal was the publisher. And I spoke to a few. And they were all totally reputable hybrids. But still hybrid.
I think authors CAN make hybrid work…when they know they have the marketing skills to sell their own books. You have to do that for Indy or trad anyway. So hone it there before dropping the big bucks on hybrid.
Aw thanks, Sue! That means a lot.
Glad you didn’t do that. I think hybrid for literary fiction is an even worse deal because of how much harder it is to sell fiction than “how to make money” books. But then again, those are the books I’d want to see more of.
You make a great point about marketing your own book!
You make a good point that literary fiction and hybrid are a particularly bad match.
I haven’t ruled out self / independent. Just putting it on the backburner. It’s enough work as it is just to get it published on Substack.
Thanks for sharing this. Happy Saturday.
was just talking yesterday about trying to understand what makes a good book cover, then started reading some of your posts! Looking forward to consuming and learning more they’ve been insightful so far
Ps I’m super curious about this cover but I know you can’t share it!
Thanks Tim! I hope you find the newsletter educational and entertaining.
Wish I could share, but alas. Here’s a good primer on what to generally avoid, though:
https://www.bookdesignersnotebook.com/p/i-can-tell-your-book-was-self-published?r=739h1&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Man I feel you! My last gig in private practice was for a company that unfortunately had a run of bad clients. I can’t blame my boss…poor dude had paychecks due every two weeks…but yeah I jumped over to the State with nary a regret.
Hopefully with your library job it’s easier to say no to the questionable clients so you can save your energy for those excellent covers. And yes, your university covers are STUNNING.
Thanks friend! Having the library job definitely helps me say no and focus on the work that I love. These were the only covers I was doing for a while, though, so it took a little time to build the confidence (and client base) to confidently say no.
I’m glad you were able to jump ship and are better for it!
If I were ever to hire you, Nate (and I’d love to, but I’m sure I can’t afford to!) I’d be the terrible client who says: “I have no idea. I can tell you what the book’s about and what I hope readers get from it. Otherwise over to you. You’re the professional.” Would that make me a terrible client or a meh client?
I don’t have a bad graphic eye. I can recognize - and appreciate - good graphic design when I see it. I just don’t have a professional graphic eye. So maybe that makes me not so terrible?
And gonna out myself: I do use Canva 🤣 - but my graphic designer does stuff for me there whenever it’s “serious”. For a client like me, Canva is a good send. Because if I need to make some small tweak, change a word, update a number etc, I don’t have to have and know how to use Adobe Illustrator or something. Or send to back to the designer. I can just make that little edit myself. Fast and efficient (and cheap). I’m happy to pay for a graphic designer - but not to update a few words/ dates/ numbers etc.
I think that would make you a fine client—as long as you meant it! Haha. Some people enter projects saying things like that but then it becomes painfully clear that they actually do have strong opinions on visuals that would have been better off being acknowledged from the beginning.
I think using Canva is just fine—accessible design tools are a good thing. It’s just that not everybody has the same awareness as you 😁