You know, those paper things we run into the house to save after you leave the stove on. You know, those things people burn when they are trying to send some misguided message. You know, those things that cause so much uproar in the classroom. You know, those things that get certain artists banned only to make them even more famous. Ya, books. Books people, books. In our case, photography books. The unicorn, the white elephant, the golden goose of acceptance when it comes to being a pro. But books create their own weather system, one which can go from sunny day to CAT5 hurricane in one short meeting or call. Best to be prepared and cast a wide net when it comes to knowledge of just what "doing a book" actually means. There is more than one answer, thankfully.
And before anyone gets prickly, I LOVE traditional publishing and traditionally published books. In fact, I have hundreds and hundreds of books and this is after a major downsizing. I see superb books being produced on a regular basis, so by no means am I down on publishing or publishers. But, like all other businesses, there are somewhat predatory things happening. It's our job as the artist to wade through these situations until we find something that makes sense. Saying "no" can often be the best decision you can make. (I learned this the hard way.)
1. 6:13, This should be FUN!
2. 8:07, If you are angry or feeling like you are doing a book to prove everyone wrong then stop immediately and do not attempt to make a book.
3. 9:39, Photobooks are for the 1% of the 1%. Keep things in context.
4. 12:15, Books are not easy.
5. 14:56, Artist driven book vs story-driven book
6. 19:09, Most common book deal I see and hear about.
7. 22:48, If you are paying a publisher to do your book, in my opinion, you are self-publishing. Get over it.
8. 26:55, Publishing cycles, twelve to eighteen months
9. 27:20, The ingredients of the majority of books I see
10. 29:10, If you have a real following you can sell a great book or a subpar book, and sell it out.
11. 31:00, KZfaq is better than IG because it supports long-form content.
12. 32:30, Does the world need your book?
13. 36:58, Always err toward weird
14. 39:00, You dont' need much. One copy of one book is often enough. Not every book needs a publisher.