Graphic Novel Design Novels & Stories

“What do you do?” “Me? Oh.” I wrapped my fingers around the stem of my wine glass. Fuckfuckfuck. “I’m all dot com. Design—websites, graphics, book covers, and the like.” “Oooh, really?” The darker blonde—was it Abby?—asked. “Anything we’d know?” “Oh, no. Nothing big. Mostly for self-published authors. There’s a big market there right now.” “Oh, that’s lovely. I don’t have much time to read these days.”

he said, “could you kindly explain the design you submitted for your quarterly assessment?” I froze slightly. “My quarterly assessment?” I echoed. “Yes,” Xavier said, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Since you created that as well, I’d like to hear about it. But let’s skip the visuals. I’d like you to describe it without looking.” I hesitated. The design… what did it even look like again? It had been a while since I reviewed it. I forced a smile. “Well… it had a cascading diamond layout, inspired by waterfall movements. The neckline was crafted to resemble waves in motion, and the metalwork…”

Other works included metal sculptures, canvases covered in glass and beads and ribbons, and more traditional paintings of people that were haunting in their colors and overall composition. Thea hadn’t entered in paintings, and now she wished she had. She hadn’t entered at all, actually. After she’d sent out a number of query letters to agents for her graphic novel, she hadn’t heard anything for weeks. Assuming rejection, she’d been about to send out a second round of letters to other agents when she’d gotten the email from an agent in New York.

“I grew up in Chicago. I was in London meeting a friend when I got the interview. Now I’m going to New York and if things don’t work out, then I’m in grave trouble.” “How?” “My money is gone. Freelancing gave me side income for a while but it's not enough to survive in a city like New York or London or Chicago for that matter.” “Why only SweetHarvest Treats?” I ask abruptly. “Because they are the best. I am a graphic designer. For me, the quality of food is not the deciding standard, though I love their chocolates.” “It’s the types of images they use while advertising and the graphics on the packets of the packed food. I can give them what they want.”