Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/05/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Is it possible some of you are missing the point of economics? And confusing "doing your own to that of a commercial publisher?" Publishers only produce a book simply because "they are going to make money selling books!" They don't do them just to be nice guys! Best books that sell? "SEX, POLITICS, PARTICULARLY POLITICS AND SEX! ROYALTY AND SEX! HOLLYWOOD REVEALING ALL! Photography books as in, just photography without a topic of major interest are a tough sell, it's a limited market. Put a beautiful photography book by anybody up against a reasonable "COOK BOOK!" And the cook book will sell far more copies hands down 99.99999% of the time!! Unless the photography has a solid topic like medicine or other subjects of mass interest to a large market. The cook book will out sell the other subjects, but by a smaller margin. If one is a highly recognized "Super Known" ( sure as hell not me) photographer and the first photo book sells well, sometimes a second will be published because a market has been established. But this only because the publisher perceives it will make a profit... not because they're good guys and do it for fun! If you haven't gone through the routine of printing several hundreds & hundreds of 11X14 wet tray darkroom photographs, researched the subject endlessly and prepared the copy, then with loving care take it to a publisher while you're pumped too high heaven with excitement. Then the publisher looks at all your beautiful material, you in your heart know the world can't wait to buy a copy of this great book!!! Then the publisher... in particular their marketing manager looks at it and says. "It's all in black and white!!! Nobody buys black and white picture books! "FORGET IT! GAME OVER!" Devastated to die, hardly meets the criteria of disappointment! :-( All your dreams shot down! Trust me after 9 years of shooting, printing, travel and supply costs, compliments by the hundreds about the quality of images and concept of the book as material evolved for what you thought might be a Pulitzer winning book? Forget it; all the dreams are out the window!! :-( :-( But sometimes at your lowest a "Guardian Angel" reaches down and touches you and it becomes a reality. See my medical books all in B&W shot with Leica's! ! Many on list have copies! However, now with self publishing, many can fill their dreams if for no other reason than.. they will have their book in hand. Even if it doesn't go anywhere. But they are published and in their hearts a book is a book! So when you show friends and folks! It's "your book!" And that in itself is the joy of pure satisfaction of.. .. "A self BLURB published book!" And that my friends is how and why "REAL PHOTOGRAPHERS SHOOT B&W some times colour" came about! :-) Cheers, Dr. ted .