Photo book advice

[nerwin]

I've always wanted to create my own photo book and I'm hoping maybe doing this process actually getting something physical in my hands with my work in it could be really cool but also inspiring to create more. Big prints are nice I don't have the space for them and photo books could be a nice way to show my work to others when they visit or an opportunity to make a little cash on the side.

I know there is no right or wrong when it comes to making books but if any of you have made books yourself, do you have any advice?

I'm not looking to create a novel here, just a simple minimalist book. I think Blurb seems to be the industry standard and plus I get a good discount for being a Flickr Pro member.

So far this is what I have right now. I never made a book before and I don't know what to really add to the book, like should I add more text..should I have a artist bio on the rear cover of the book? Like I'm not sure what to do.

 

[smoke665]

To me there's something about a book that touches the senses. I've created several over the years, that are well worn from guests thumbing through them.

So what's the end game? Personal (one off) or something to sell (multiple copies required)? Need to look closely at the pricing structure of the company. Some are higher on one or a few, but offer substantial discounts as the quantities go up and some are cheaper for "one offs", but the discounts for multiple copies aren't great.

I can tell you from experience books are a lot of work. Using a company that offers templates, tools, clip art etc, makes the job easier but limits you to their layouts. You can use LR's Book Module, to create, but I've found it clunky and not that easy to work with, plus it only integrates with Blurb.

For simple "one offs", I've used Snapfish, for higher end options try Nations.

 

[nerwin]

To me there's something about a book that touches the senses. I've created several over the years, that are well worn from guests thumbing through them.

So what's the end game? Personal (one off) or something to sell (multiple copies required)? Need to look closely at the pricing structure of the company. Some are higher on one or a few, but offer substantial discounts as the quantities go up and some are cheaper for "one offs", but the discounts for multiple copies aren't great.

I can tell you from experience books are a lot of work. Using a company that offers templates, tools, clip art etc, makes the job easier but limits you to their layouts. You can use LR's Book Module, to create, but I've found it clunky and not that easy to work with, plus it only integrates with Blurb.

For simple "one offs", I've used Snapfish, for higher end options try Nations.

I was thinking of getting a hardcover for myself and perhaps try selling an affordable one that's a softcover depending if I really like this or not. I'm not not expecting much as I'm not a social media influencer but I am part of a car community so I have a potential to sell some copies.

 

[smoke665]

thinking of getting a hardcover for myself and perhaps try selling an affordable one that's a softcover depending if I really like this or not.

Have you considered POD (print on demand) companies? Your upfront cost is greater, but your cost per copy goes down, plus your looking at offset printing vs inkjet.

 

[nerwin]

Have you considered POD (print on demand) companies? Your upfront cost is greater, but your cost per copy goes down, plus your looking at offset printing vs inkjet.

I believe Blurb does that and even has its own marketplace but first I'll have to get a book made and see if anyone would be interested in it. Either way...might be cool to have my own book professionally printed even if nobody wants a copy.

 

[smoke665]

might be cool to have my own book professionally printed even if nobody wants a copy.

Back in the 70's I owned a publishing company. Three newspapers and a commercial printing plant. We did full color, but not many books. The upfront cost for preparation was prohibitive unless you were printing thousands of copies, but the quality/longevity of offset printing is far superior to ink jet.

 

[nerwin]

Back in the 70's I owned a publishing company. Three newspapers and a commercial printing plant. We did full color, but not many books. The upfront cost for preparation was prohibitive unless you were printing thousands of copies, but the quality/longevity of offset printing is far superior to ink jet.

The one I was looking at is 10x8 with 20 pages, hardcover and premium lustre paper...if I include the Blurb logo, its $46. Not TERRIBLE but not cheap either.

 

[webestang64]

I made a few "car art" books back around 15 years ago. Sold 6 out of 10 books made at a car show my local Mustang club had. I only made $5 a book but it was fun none the less. I did sell the others later at cost to members of the club.
I did use the inside cover for "photographers info/bio" and got a few paid single shoots out it.

 

[smoke665]

The one I was looking at is 10x8 with 20 pages, hardcover and premium lustre paper...if I include the Blurb logo, its $46. Not TERRIBLE but not cheap either.

Snapfish has a 20 page 8x11 hardcover at $49, with a 60% off coupon currently. Additional pages are $2.79 each.

From a marketing standpoint, selling a 20 page book that costs $46 would be tough. With even a 40% markup you'd be looking at a sale price of $77 plus shipping. By comparison the same book in a large press run would probably fall in the $7 (or less) range giving you a sale price in the $12 range. Still high from a marketing standpoint.

I've looked at doing something similar, but it's hard to justify the upfront cost on a large run that "may sell". So, I've resigned myself to one offs for my own enjoyment. I don't do weddings or maternity anymore, but at one time higher end books were a popular product, that you could make decent money on even with a high product cost.

In today's digital age "coffee table" books seem to be dying out. If you're looking for a marketable product why not consider selling those photos in digital image packs for screen savers? Your product cost would be virtually nill, and everyone uses screen savers.

 

[nerwin]

Thanks for the advice!

I decided to abandoned the idea. It's not worth it overall.

 

[dunfly]

I personally don't think you should give up on the idea. I have done about 12 books for trips I have taken, most through Shutterfly. They are not the top quality, but they are very acceptable and not too expensive, particularly if you wait for some of their specials. Their templates are very flexible once you get use to them. You can rearrange page layouts, add text boxes and even choose background patterns. There is nothing like actually holding the photos in your hand. No matter who you end up using, it is a fun excercise putting the book together.

 

[nerwin]

I personally don't think you should give up on the idea. I have done about 12 books for trips I have taken, most through Shutterfly. They are not the top quality, but they are very acceptable and not too expensive, particularly if you wait for some of their specials. Their templates are very flexible once you get use to them. You can rearrange page layouts, add text boxes and even choose background patterns. There is nothing like actually holding the photos in your hand. No matter who you end up using, it is a fun excercise putting the book together.

I suppose I could do a more budget friendly one and go from there.

 

[smoke665]

I didn't mean to throw you off the idea entirely, just noted that there are different requirements for commercial vs personal books.

A personal collection/book is something you'll enjoy both in the creation and viewing later.

 

[nerwin]

I didn't mean to throw you off the idea entirely, just noted that there are different requirements for commercial vs personal books.

A personal collection/book is something you'll enjoy both in the creation and viewing later.

I'm probably better off going back to selling prints that I used to. I still might make a book for myself, people make it look so easy on YouTube but its not a easy figuring out what you want it to be about. I'm just trying to come up with ideas that I could do with my work right now that might help me get my mojo back.

 

[Hof8231]

I actually went through this process myself and decided to keep things minimalist, which really let my photos shine. I found a cheap book printing service and added a short artist bio on the back cover, which gave it a nice personal touch without taking away from the imagery. Inside, I sprinkled in a few captions that offered context to the images, but kept the focus firmly on the visuals.