Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/08/15

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Subject: [Leica] WAS: mother... NOW: DOING A BOOK!
From: kididdoc at cox.net (Steve Barbour)
Date: Mon Aug 15 17:11:03 2005
References: <219.6e66a22.3030f9a1@aol.com> <002d01c5a123$fe142eb0$1ae76c18@ted> <430024B1.5050805@planet.nl> <a2f8f4470508150230fe2b580@mail.gmail.com>

On Aug 15, 2005, at 2:30 AM, Daniel Ridings wrote:

> Something tells me that one should start on a small scale. For
> instance, a weekly special in an in house journal or a local
> newspaper. It gives a feel for what the public is interested in and
> you'd have to face an editor every week helping get that feel. One
> thing could lead to another ... the public would get used to seeing
> the weekly special and start looking forward to it. It could grow, it
> could flop, but it would at least be a first step.


it's worth a try...and it has been successfully evolving on a  
limited  scale...

so thanks, Daniel...
>
> I'd love to see GeeBee's shots on a page in our paper once a week too.



me too....Steve


>
> Daniel
>
> On 8/15/05, Nathan Wajsman <nathan.wajsman@planet.nl> wrote:
>
>> Everything Ted says here is true. But I would also suggest that one
>> source of support, both in terms of buying the book and getting it
>> published in the first place, should be the medical profession. I can
>> think of no better advertisement for 21st century American  
>> medicine than
>> what Steve is showing us every week.
>>
>> So I would approach the AMA, the state medical association, the
>> specialty association that Steve is a member of, for financial  
>> support
>> in getting the book published. Once published, I think that besides
>> other photographers, doctors, nurses and other medical professionals
>> would be a good target market. I have given four copies of Ted's  
>> books
>> as gifts to doctors, both within my family and to our family  
>> physicians
>> as parting gifts when we were leaving Belgium in 2000 and  
>> Switzerland in
>> 2003.
>>
>> A final idea: does the state of Arizona have a department of cultural
>> affairs, and might such a body also be interested in supporting  
>> what is
>> a major home-grown piece of work?
>>
>> Nathan
>>
>> Ted Grant wrote:
>>
>>> Gene said:
>>>
>>>
>>>>>> Any publisher who would not jump at publishing your phots is  
>>>>>> crazy.
>>>>>> Hey Ted,
>>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> how about your publisher?<<<<
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Hi Guys & Gals,
>>> This response is for all the folks who are onto Steve about doing a
>>> book! At the moment he's amassing as much material as he can and  
>>> one of
>>> these days we'll be making a several hundred 11X14 prints to  
>>> present to
>>> a publisher.
>>>
>>> It isn't as easy as many of you think! Period!!!!
>>>
>>> The book publishing industry is some what in the dump due to the
>>> internet, video games and all those other electronic thingies people
>>> play with. ERGO! People don't buy the number of books they once  
>>> did. Yes
>>> it may look like new books are being published daily, they  
>>> are.... but
>>> would you buy most or any of them?
>>>
>>> Besides "photo books" are almost a non-seller to the everyday  
>>> public,
>>> but are predominantly purchased by other photographers.  
>>> Unfortunately
>>> most photographer's buy the books of long dead big name  
>>> photographers
>>> whose work has been brought to everyone's attention for the past 80
>>> years or so. New guys and gals? Don't hold yer breath unless it's  
>>> about
>>> sex, politics and Hollywood whores!
>>>
>>> If one has tonnes of money and can afford to do their own book,  
>>> as some
>>> wealthy photographers have done, it's merely a glorified  
>>> portfolio and
>>> not what Steve and his work is about.  But how many of you on the  
>>> list
>>> have the kind of money and distribution connections to do so? Not  
>>> likely
>>> too many.
>>>
>>> No denying Steve's pictures of kids in hospital aren't heart  
>>> warming and
>>> certainly emotional as they're the best I've ever seen. He is  
>>> amazing
>>> shooting in the hospital environment day in and day out. And what he
>>> produces is quite phenomenal under the circumstances with  
>>> children. When
>>> he has some connection in their care.
>>>
>>> But before a publisher gets wet knickers with excitement to  
>>> publish they
>>> want to see, in this case, probably hundreds of photographs and  
>>> everyone
>>> a heart moving image!
>>>
>>> But not every child picture works as much as many of you viewers get
>>> excited about and say so. The most important thing for the book  
>>> is...
>>> "they cannot illustrate a child in pain or showing any kind of  
>>> visual
>>> hurting because that's a turn off for most readers or viewers  
>>> when it
>>> comes to kids."
>>>
>>> One "negative emotion picture" when someone is looking through  
>>> the book
>>> before purchase and it can almost assure a non sale! :-(
>>>
>>> Now without knowing Steve and his work and you're looking at a  
>>> book in
>>> the store would you purchase a book about sick kids in a hospital?
>>> Careful now as it's not an easy question to answer when you know  
>>> him and
>>> his work on the screen  nearly every week.
>>>
>>> Not only that, look at the picture books for sale and ask  
>>> yourself why
>>> you don't walk out with an arm full because some are sensational.  
>>> How
>>> about the competition book to book? And think about the "would  
>>> you buy a
>>> book about sick kids in hospital" no matter how good it was? And of
>>> course you don't know the name Steve Barbour from a hole in the  
>>> ground
>>> as the book in your hands and it's Kids in Hospital subject. It's a
>>> tough call both for the publisher and book sellers when it's kids in
>>> hospital.
>>>
>>> We know they're smashing good photographs, but is it a topic the  
>>> public
>>> would rush to buy? Given the lousy book buying at the moment.
>>>
>>> However, one of these days when he has enough "Oh my gosh what a  
>>> great
>>> picture of that kid!" printed and your heart goes pitty pat with  
>>> emotion
>>> I'm sure there'll be a book. Of course everyone of you will be  
>>> sent a
>>> copy as soon as your cheque arrives for a signed copy! And he  
>>> expects a
>>> sale to one and all. ;-)
>>>
>>> Hopefully this explains a little about  "the life of a photographer
>>> getting a book published!" Another aspect is... they don't happen  
>>> over
>>> night because just in the shooting alone it can take 10 years  
>>> amassing
>>> the very best material for success. And yes my publisher has seen a
>>> presentation but for the moment has said... unfortunately...  
>>> "No." :-(
>>>
>>> I'm still hoping we'll turn him around with more material. Or  
>>> we'll find
>>> another.
>>>
>>> ted
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Leica Users Group.
>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> --
>> Nathan Wajsman
>> Almere, The Netherlands
>>
>> General photography: http://www.nathanfoto.com
>> Seville photography: http://www.fotosevilla.com
>> Stock photography: http://www.alamy.com/search-results.asp?qt=wajsman
>> http://myloupe.com/home/found_photographer.php?photographer=507
>> Prints for sale: http://www.photodeluge.com
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>


In reply to: Message from Grduprey at aol.com (Grduprey@aol.com) ([Leica] mother...)
Message from tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant) ([Leica] WAS: mother... NOW: DOING A BOOK!)
Message from nathan.wajsman at planet.nl (Nathan Wajsman) ([Leica] WAS: mother... NOW: DOING A BOOK!)
Message from dlridings at gmail.com (Daniel Ridings) ([Leica] WAS: mother... NOW: DOING A BOOK!)