Chantry notes, however, that in the design world, the monograph can also be the kiss of death for a career. Many of his colleagues advised him against doing it. He sees the monograph as a sort of stabilizer that demonstrates both the core and limits of a designer's capabilities. On the flip side, it can also create the perception that no one can afford to hire you anymore, that you are unavailable, or, at worst, dead. Thankfully, however, Chantry has proved this is not always the case. Chantry's other efforts at self-promotion come primarily from collaborations with clients who want to advertise their own capabilities using Chantry's work. This collaboration generally results in showpieces and collectable posters.

Because so much of Chantry's work has been on ephemeral objects, like posters and flyers, a book like Some People Can't Surf preserves a vital piece of the history of the graphic design of '80s and '90s punk culture, so much of which is repeated and copied in contemporary underground (and mainstream) music culture. For every piece in the book, Chantry insists that there are ten that he didn't include—so vast is the backlog of his work. "I have enough for probably five more volumes," he notes.

Publishing a monograph is not an option for every designer, but in the event that one has the opportunity to do so, it provides an important showpiece for prospective clients—however ambivalent the designer may feel about it.