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Best publisher to approach for photo-book

D

Duff photographer

Active member
Howdo all,

I'm currently looking to approach publishers for a potential photo-book of black-and-white images.

As we all know, some publishers are good at finding the right printer to faithfully produce the image, others not so much.

Can anyone, from experience and/or first-hand knowledge, recommend any publisher that can do this properly? I'm based in the UK so ideally, a publisher which has offices in the country or the EU.

Please note that I am not referring to the short-run 'printer' options such as Blurb, Lulu and what-have-you. Only bona fide publishers.

Many thanks!

Duff.
 
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Shashin

Shashin

Well-known member
Do you want a publisher or printer? Those are two different things.

A publisher, a legitimate one, will want a project they are interested in. You may have to pay, but you are paying for more than printing. They may not be interested in your project--they will chose you just as mush as you chose them. Steidl and Mack are interested in very specific photographers and photography as publishers. Steidl is also a printer, but then you are not on their imprint or distribution channels.

A printer will do the printing for you. You are only paying for the printing and you get to do the distribution. If you don't know how to design books, you will need a book designer. Not just any designer, but one that knows how to design books. If you see a nice book in a book store, sometimes the printer is listed. You can also contact a publisher and ask what printer they use.

Blurb and Lulu are best to stay away from. They are vanity presses. And what they charge is a crime.

Can you let us know a little more about your project?
 
D

Duff photographer

Active member
Shashin said:
Do you want a publisher or printer? Those are two different things.

A publisher, a legitimate one, ....

Can you let us know a little more about your project?
Click to expand...
Hi Will. Thanks for your reply.

Yes, I'll be looking for a publisher, preferably, but now that you've mentioned it, it would be good to know of a printer in case I'm able to undertake the marketing/distribution myself for a book that would largely be of local interest. Any book of wider interest would require marketing/distribution beyond my capabilities.

I have self-published in the distant past (not a photo-book) and while I knew the small niche market back then and knew who to contact it was still a real pain dealing with all the peculiarities involved, and I only just got my money back (well, a small loss to be honest).

If a publisher thinks what I have is viable then all to the good, and much easier for me. Otherwise, it's finding a decent printer (maybe Steidl or another trusted to print photo-books properly) and setting up a page on one of those 'GiveMeMoneyForMyEpicProject' websites, which will require some significant forethought and work in itself.

The project itself is essentially a landscape/historical documentation of my local (rural) area in the UK with a certain angle to it highlighting the decay of the old and once valued in an age where only monetary value seems to matter. It's likely to be mainly of local interest, but it has aspects that could appeal to a wider audience. Black-and-white, very likely square format. The photo's of course will be astounding and nothing like anything that has gone before ;)

The second project is a portrait book which may not happen due to the scarcity of the subject matter. That will definitely need a publisher. I have other ideas but not enough material to push them forward (yet).

So I guess the short answer is I would be looking for both a publisher and a proper photo-book printer, the latter in case self-publishing is feasible.

..and, oh yes, I shall avoid Blurb and their kind like the plague.

Cheers,
Duff.
 
Shashin

Shashin

Well-known member
Duff, I would go to a local book store and see which publishers put out similar projects as yours. But photo books have very narrow margins in traditional trade publishing. That might be a difficult route. Chose your publisher carefully. If you send them something they don't publish, they will probably reject the project.

Another thought would be looking at either a local historical society or government to see if they would be willing to purchase and distribute the books you print. There are other creative ways to get a local partner, you just need to find the hook.

Personally, I use POD (Ingram Spark). That gives me a short run where I don't need huge up front costs or a warehouse to keep the books. Ingram has limited options for photo books--uncoated paper only. They are consistent. The prices are such you don't have to charge an arm and a leg for the book (price is a really important consideration). But you do need to send them print ready pdfs. But POD is more popular in Europe and you may find some other companies that give more options. If you want a long run, 500 to 1,000 copies, then the more traditional printers are going to be better.
 
Frankly

Frankly

New member
Ditto above, I'd look for a publisher doing books as close to what you envision and approach them.

Blurb is useful for doing tests and mockups... creating a nicely made Blurb book can teach you a lot and save headaches later.
 
D

Duff photographer

Active member
Thanks Will. Yes, I'll do that. Best to explore all avenues.

Frankly - yep, and it wouldn't do any harm to show a Blurb copy around to people for their personal thoughts on layout and content before committing to a decent printer, if it goes that way.

Thanks Kirk. My bad. I assumed wrongly that, while they print, it's only that which they publish.
 
P

paulraphael

Member
You're getting some good advice here. I'd also suggest picking up a copy of Mary Virginia Swanson's book on photobook publishing.

It's not a bad idea to attend the big portfolio review events, like Fotofest, Review Santa Fe, Photolucida, etc.. I haven't been to one of these in years, but it's still the way a lot of people I know hook up with their publishers.

It's helpful to reach out to photographers who have done books you admire. You can learn a lot from their victories and missteps (everyone who's done a book will have plenty of both). Joining the Flak Photo Network on Facebook is an easy way to connect with a community that has gobs of book experience.

Beware of unethical publishers and pay-to-play portfolio review schemes (Powerhouse books comes to mind). I won't go near these people.

Don't waste your time by approaching publishers who don't publish work like yours by people like you. For example, Steidl: if you're not already at least halfway famous, they're not going to be interested.

Be prepared to be asked to raise funds. Photo book publishing has generally been a money-losing enterprise. The difference today is that publishers expect the artist to share the burden. This is because crowdfunding has emerged as an efficient way to launch books. Very few photo books by non-famous people get published these days without a crowdfunding campaign. This is a whole nuther can of worms you'll have to crack when the time comes.

The good news is that printing technology is outstanding these days, and cheap. $45 books are being printed in China with picture quality that looks like $75 books from 20 years ago. (But beware of the temptation to save money by dealing directly with a printer in China. A middleman, whether it's a commercial publisher or a hired-gun printing broker will save your ***. They know the business, they know the vendor, they know the laws, they know the culture, they know how to negotiate and communicate).
 
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Pieter 12

Well-known member
Be prepared to participate financially no matter how you end up publishing your books. Printing a high-quality photo book is an expensive and labor-intensive undertaking. Unless you are an established, published photographer, a publisher will request you cover some of the costs of producing a book which can be many thousand dollars, euros or pounds. Besides the expense of printing the book, there is marketing, shipping, distribution and warehousing to consider, plus the fact that the publishers are expected to take back unsold books from bookstores. If you really want the best quality, you will also need to travel to the printing plant to approve the set-up sheets as they come off the press—something that can take several days depending on the size and number of books being printed.

Another caveat: if you choose print on demand, be aware that all those services print CMYK even if the book is all black and white. The slightest variation on press can result in a magenta, green or blue tint to your images. And worse, that tint can vary throughout the book.

Just as a frame of reference, I was an art director and graphic designer for 40 years, designing and supervising a multitude of printed materials. I have had a book published traditionally, plus several prototypes printed on demand by Blurb and Magcloud with varying results from barely acceptable to disasterous. Right now, I am pretty soured on the book experience and seriously considering the limited edition portfolio as a more satisfying and less expensive way to get my work seen.
 
D

Duff photographer

Active member
Pieter 12 said:
Right now, I am pretty soured on the book experience and seriously considering the limited edition portfolio as a more satisfying and less expensive way to get my work seen.
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Thanks Pieter.

In the 7 years since I posted this thread, I became thoroughly disillusioned with photo books. It seems every Tom, Dick, and Harry is "publishing" their own photo book, just as when the same lot were setting up websites as a certain route to photographic fame and fortune. Nearly all the books I've seen are quite poor, both photographically, editorially, and in their printing, even those produced by bona fide publishers. However, as with most things, it is marketing that is the most important, and if one gets the marketing right, such as encouraging a load of groupies to follow one's Youtube channel, then one has a good chance of getting one's money back despite producing a load of tat. That's not to say there are good photographers producing some excellent work, but the market appears to be saturated and standing out from the crowd on quality alone has become much more difficult.

I should counter myself to say that some photo books do have merit, but I'd limit those to the photo-journalistic type which tell a story worth telling, but by their nature, they are not truly photo books. They're a bit more than that.

I shall continue to go down the exhibition route as and when opportunity arises, and I think your limited edition portfolio idea has merit.


Cheers,
Duff (who continues to grow more cynical by the day, having passed the sustainable limit of disillusion some time ago).
 
P

Pradeep

Member
Gosh, what a story, Duff.

Posting on GDPI after what seems like ages. I've been busy trying to launch a second career after reaching the 'use before' age with my regular job. I have set up business now as a purely not for profit enterprise to promote and support wildlife conservation. I too am looking at having a photo book published, mainly of my blog, rather than a portfolio.

As I am sure you have learnt, it is never the quality of your work but how well you market it that matters. I've seen photo books by wildlife photographers on display in camps in Africa that have won 'awards' and such but are so poor in quality that I wonder how these awards are decided.

No matter, there is nothing to lose for me except my time - what I have left.

Curious to know what you mean by the 'exhibition' route. Somebody suggested that to me, but I am a little daunted by that.

Pradeep
Love your 'definitions' BTW


www.pradeepbansal.com
 
D

Duff photographer

Active member
Pradeep said:
Gosh, what a story, Duff.

Posting on GDPI after what seems like ages. I've been busy trying to launch a second career after reaching the 'use before' age with my regular job. I have set up business now as a purely not for profit enterprise to promote and support wildlife conservation. I too am looking at having a photo book published, mainly of my blog, rather than a portfolio.

As I am sure you have learnt, it is never the quality of your work but how well you market it that matters. I've seen photo books by wildlife photographers on display in camps in Africa that have won 'awards' and such but are so poor in quality that I wonder how these awards are decided.

No matter, there is nothing to lose for me except my time - what I have left.

Curious to know what you mean by the 'exhibition' route. Somebody suggested that to me, but I am a little daunted by that.

Pradeep
Love your 'definitions' BTW


www.pradeepbansal.com
Click to expand...
Hi Pradeep,

Yes, I too wonder how awards are decided. A think a lot of the time, it is the subject rather than the photograph that matters to some, which I don't agree with (I could cite some well known examples, but I'm sure you can too 😁).

What do I mean by 'exhibition'? Well, essentially it's getting in contact with venues which hold regular photographic exhibitions, or are at least able to to some degree, over a limited time period (e.g., two weeks). These might include venues set up for such things, e.g., good lighting and facilities for example, but it can include places such as posh restaurants, museums, and libraries. The former venues are usually booked up well in advance, and one will have to have some excellent photographs to be considered, and there is sometimes a fee to pay. Some are not too expensive and viable if one is able to sell a print or two. Fees are less likely for places such as posh restaurants, museums, and libraries, where they may ask for something once you sell something if at all, but many see such photo/art exhibition as a means to draw more people in to their establishment (particularly if they're going to spend money on their stuff) if they think you're good enough. Otherwise, it's exhibiting at so-called 'art and craft' fairs. Often these are free, but space is limited and due to the broad subject matter, not many people are there for the photographic prints, or be in a position to buy any. These are usually held over a weekend, or if one is lucky, an entire week. The third way was to actually have prints for sale in a gallery, but where I used to try this (in the UK), the gallery owners would charge a mark-up fee of up to 50% which would put the price of the print so high as to be unsalable. The first way is the best way, as the exhibition is yours and yours only, while a good restaurant, museum, or library, etc., not far behind. With fairs and galleries, one is competing with other photographers as well as other artists. That exposure is too diluted to be profitable. ...and yes, it can be daunting, but I think if you get your 'foot in the doorway' and effectively become a 'resident' artist, it should get easier from there on as you'll be getting a name for yourself which will hopefully spread.

By the way, I had a look at your website. There's some excellent work there. I think your only hurdle will be how to get to know the right people.


All the best,
Duff.
 
P

Pieter 12

Well-known member
Good points. Here in the US, galleries mark-up 100% (or charge a 50% commission, however you'd like to look at it). Plus, the artist is responsible for framing and shipping the art to the gallery in most cases. Cafés are a good option, too, usually easier to get into and better-lit. Another way to exhibit is the "vanity" exhibition, where the artist pays to have a show at a rental gallery or other space. And you have to provide the crowd, although some spaces do have a mailing list of sorts. But the point about getting to know the right people is paramount. Go to openings, meet other photographers and gallerists. Most galleries Stateside don't look at unsolicited work. Maybe in smaller towns, but those are smaller markets less likely to pay reasonable prices, too. A referral to a gallery or museum curator from a photographer or other gallerist they know is worth more than all the (paid) portfolio reviews in the world.

I looked at your work and it is quite nice and accessible, you should be able to get it shown without too many obstacles. Properly publishing a book might be more difficult because of the financial hurdles both you and the publisher have to get over. Wildlife is a popular category in contests. Do some research and maybe enter a few. Many are judged by professionals in the realm of photojournalism, publishing, gallery directors, and museum curators. They say that if the work is good, it gets noticed even if it doesn't win.
 
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Pradeep

Member
Thanks Duff and Pieter, really appreciate your kind words and your very good suggestions.

I've been consulting a well known and very successful landscape photographer. He told me two things which seem to make sense. One, as I mentioned earlier, it is not the quality of your work but your marketing which matters. Second, he said that if you price your art at say $20 each, everybody would assume that is its value, no more. Hence displaying at street fairs and such is not helpful. I've seen galleries of the top sellers in the world of wildlife and some of these prints sell for over $75K. Not saying I am aiming for that kind of fame or fortune, but perhaps there is a middle-ground somewhere.

You are correct, the most productive way forward would be to have an endorsement from an influencer or celebrity. Now to go find one :)
 
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