[Leica] WAS: Nathan's Book List NOW: BEING PUBLISHED REAL TIME!

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

A history lesson real time on being published and or getting published!

 

My first book happened long before what we can do these days. So I thought 
you might like to know the realities of then, now and how!

 

A couple of friends, a husband & wife photographer team who had several 
books published previously happened to see an A/V production of mine in 
Ottawa using 16 projectors at the same time on ?cowboy life!?  All 
Kodachrome colour slides. 

Later unbeknownst to me, they told their publisher in Toronto about the 
images and the potential for a book.  Publisher phoned and asked me to fly 
to Toronto at their expense for a meeting and would I bring a selection of 
mages for the editorial staff to have a look. 

 

We had the meeting, they looked at the images, they decided to ?publish a 
book!? It was as simple as that!  ?Men of the Saddle, Working Cowboys of 
Canada.?  I believe it?s on used book internet sites and still found, maybe 
tattered and rumpled, but it?s still a neat book. Colour and black & white 
images. I believe some on the list have copies?

 

The next book occurred because a publisher in Toronto wanted to do a book on 
the Leader of the Opposition, as in Leader of the Opposition to the 
Government, Mr. Joe Clark and they?d like to send a Toronto based 
photographer to do so.  The Leader?s Director of Communications said? ?No 
way, we have a photographer who is the only one allowed behind the scenes 
for in depth photos. And your stranger photographer will never have that 
kind of access! Use Ted Grant or you don?t get the coverage.  Now that?s the 
kind of people you want on your side for promotion. :-)

 

Publisher said ?OK have him send a selection of prints so we can see whether 
he?s any good? I did, 200 11X14?s and the next day I was on the way to the 
second published book by a publisher who?d never heard of me, neither I of 
them.

 

The first medical book was a near disaster even though the medical world 
from coast to coast thought they were the most revealing and interesting of 
anything any had ever seen. One publisher shot it down on a first look. Had 
a bad taste for anything medical. I could never figure out why he even 
bothered to have a look in the first place! But then publishers aren?t known 
for their abundance of brains! 

 

Next publisher thought it was fantastic and encouraged me to continue as 
they were very very interested. I did so. Three years later with everything 
ready to go to press, their marketing manager quite pointedly offered? ?It?s 
all B&W, nobody buys B&W photo books!?  BAM DEAD IN THE WATER!  Later there 
was a large gallery showing of the work for the public where a visiting 
publisher approached me with, ? This is the most fantastic medical related 
photography I?ve ever seen and it should be a book!?  In my mind the 
reaction was? ?hell man I know it should be a book, so do it!?  :-)

 

Three days later on the phone? ?We?re sending you a contract to publish your 
wonderful photographs.?  another one on the way.  , ?Homes?Mean while 
another publisher producing a book of Canada?s Leaders.? As in the home of 
the Prime Minister, two of them. And the official home of the Leader of the 
Opposition wanted me to shoot the material for the book. And the next was on 
the way. 

 

Then a re-make by a different publisher of the first medical book entitled, 
?Doctor?s Work. The Legacy of Sir William Osler.? Then came ?Women in 
Medicine. A Celebration of Their Work.?  A collaboration with 
Photojournalist Sandy Carter creating another smash hit if you haven?t seen 
it. The very wonderful thing about this book is, two photographers worked in 
different locations and hospitals and in the finished book you can?t tell 
who took what pictures we we?re so evenly matched in how we observed and saw 
the subjects. Quite amazing really. And extremely rare! 

 

In any event that?s some real time at being published.  Combination of highs 
and lows unimaginable, unless you?ve experienced it. 

Cheers,

Dr. ted