Feature Portfolio etiquette T
HE INTERNET HAS had a drastic impact on the publishing sector in a number of ways, and its effect runs far deeper than the headline news of
readers migrating to digital formats. One altered aspect is working practices: it is far easier to freelance than it was a decade or two ago, and thus the staffing of publish- ing houses is likely more fluid. It certainly appears to be the case with art departments, which are now able to find and source talent from across the globe in mere double- clicks. They can also (relatively) easily assemble and manage a roster of top-drawer freelance talent to take on the jacketing for lists that seem only to swell. Indeed the breadth of potential artistic collabora-
tors—letering artists, illustrators, graphic designers, tpographers, etc—allied with a maturation of desktop publishing and its practitioners (as well as an increase in their number) means that while it may be as difficult as ever to make a book jacket of love-across-a-book- shop beaut, there is now litle excuse to issue a poorly designed title.
Making a mark
The number of freelance creatives, facilitated by increased connectivit and a growing graphic arts education sector, means there is an abundance of talent to commission. Five art directors reveal what catches their eye in a portfolio, how it should be submited, and what not to say. Danny Arter writes
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But as with many digital “products”, an abundance of freelance and creative talent can present a prob- lem to art directors: how to filter it? And, on the flip- side, how can those with a portfolio career ensure their work catches the eye of a commissioner at a publishing house? Well, the days of door-knocking with a portfolio in hand are almost certainly over. Donna Payne, crea- tive director of Faber, says she now “far prefers digital submissions”; and Oneworld art director James Paul Jones says “the best way [to pitch] is to send a short, concise and polite email that introduces yourself and your work”. The pair are backed up by Nicola Price of Wide-Eyed Editions, who says “an email with a link to an online portfolio” is preferred to print samples. Indeed, Payne goes further, actively discouraging the sending of physical portfolio pieces as eye-candy busi- ness cards. “It breaks my heart to see cash-strapped graduates spending loads of money on marketing,” she says. “The effort is always appreciated, however the truth is that the average designer has very litle physical storage space.” Price’s solution for this is for freelances to think practical—“if you are going to invest in [physi- cal mailers], then things you can pin up or even use, like a calendar or a notebook, definitely stick around the studio longer”. Jones says that while he “still receive[s] postal work, it’s far less than I used to, and I understand the reluctance due to [posting] costs”.
Making connections The Oneworld art director has a particularly interesting perspective, as he oſten freelances on other publishers’ covers. So what is his approach to securing work? Most “seems to come from people seeing my designs in book- shops, or finding my work online”, he says, adding that overseas work is more forthcoming for those with strong digital portfolios who exercise an aspect of “self-promo- tion or are featured on design posts and websites”. He cites Tumblr and Instagram as good sources of clients, because “hashtags and keywords ensure my work can be searched for and found under different categories”. All the art directors The Bookseller spoke to—Jones, Payne and Price, plus Unbound’s Mark Ecob and
11th April 2018
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