Some Make it, Some Don't

Book cover design... done lots of it, though mostly for textbooks since I work for a textbook publishing company.

Most people would probably feel very proud to have their work published, probably just like how I felt when my work first got published many years ago. But somehow, I don't get to feel much of that anymore.

No, it's not that I've already gotten used to it. I feel that, more often than not, the only reason that my works get published is because I am working in a company that pays me a monthly salary to produce the cover designs for its publications. So, technically, good or bad, most of my works get printed (though, not really, because I have many critics in and out of the office and they are the ones who have the final say on whether a cover design gets published or not).

Nowadays, I actually get a whole lot more kick out of receiving compliments from fellow artists/officemates rather than from seeing my work get printed. It's those compliments that really tell me that I did something good and that my work truly deserves to be seen by the public.

Aside from the compliments that I get from them sometimes, only artists truly know and appreciate the amount of work that went in to a design. I've had a bunch of cover designs rejected by people who hold high positions (in the office hierarchy or just in their minds) just because of the following reasons:

1. one person didn't like it
   
2. someone liked his/her idea more
   
3. someone did not like a predominantly blue colored design
   
4. someone did not understand the concept of the design (even after I've explained it to him/her which I thought was very obvious)
   
5. someone liked his/her idea more
   
6. someone did not like a predominantly green colored design
   
7. someone else other that the person in #1 did not like it
   
8. someone did not like a predominantly red colored design
   
9. have I mentioned someone liked his/her idea more?

Dismissed, just like that... two days worth of hard thought and work down the drain. Well, frustrating as it may be, or depressing even, I try not to get affected by rejections because I'd still get my salary anyway. Though, if I would let the artist in me come out and express his sentiments...

Anyway, here are some of those that did not make it to the press... By the way, these are all done in Photoshop.

Cover Design for a Book on Reinforced Concrete

This one was not rejected... this was intended for a local reprint version of a foreign book on reinforced concrete. Somehow, the project did not push through, so, this never got published. (Title and author/s names removed)

Cover Design for a Book on Probability and Statistics

This got rejected in one of those "I like my idea better" scenario. Though admitedly, this design is quite inadequate in symbolizing the subject matter. (Title and author/s names removed)

Cover Design for a Book on General Chemistry

The authors did not like this design... nuff said. (Title and author/s names removed)

Cover Design for a Book on Physics

This got rejected in one of the "Why that?! I don't like that!" scenario. Note the "I". (Title and author/s names removed)

Cover Design for a Hotel & Restaurant Management Book

The authors did not like it. Nuff said. (Title and author/s names removed)