How to self publish a photo book guide


Momento Pro has spent 15 years immersed in photo book printing, learning about people’s publishing experiences in Australia and New Zealand, and making friends with all the services that can help make your book a success. We’ve also hosted photo book awards since 2011 which give us unique insight into antipodean photo book publications.  Below we share our findings in a simple guide that includes data, questions and topics for you to consider before publishing your photo book.

For more invaluable advice watch our webinar on How To Self Publish a Photo Book.

 

Publishing options


There are various publishing models available to artists and photographers in Australia and New Zealand today including:

If you can attract one of the top three listed above, then hats off to you, but the reality is that self publishing is the most viable option for Australian and New Zealand artists in 2019, and that’s where we can help you. Self publishing may also be your ticket to gaining the attention of a publisher, and potentially scoring a deal at a later stage.

While the information below focuses on the process of self publishing, we don’t recommend you ‘do it alone’. One of the most valuable lessons we’ve learnt is that books produced with input from experts in editing, design, distribution, sales or marketing are more successful in achieving their purpose, finding their audience and attracting sales.

We’ve also learnt that if the creator does their research well, spends time considering all the factors involved in bringing a photo book to life and taking it out into the world, that self publishing can be successful. To help you get started and assess whether you’re ready to publish, we encourage you to write down answers to the questions below.



Why publish a photo book?


There are so many reasons to publish a photo book! Whatever yours is, just be clear, as the purpose of your book should guide every decision you make along the way.  Here’s a few options to consider:

To get your book project moving, start by answering these questions.

The purpose of my book is ________________________________.

The audience for my book is ______________________________.


How to fund a photo book


Unless you’re lucky enough to have personal savings, an Arts grant, or you’ve won Lotto, funding is one of the major obstacles for self publishers.  If you have a solid network of supporters and fans however, crowdfunding and pre-orders are increasingly popular methods to underwrite your book project.

Our analysis of Australian and New Zealand photobook crowdfunding campaigns over the last four years, confirm the average successful campaign attracts AUD$20,000. That’s a healthy budget! To find out more about crowdfunding see our dedicated blog post here.

Mapping out a budget is of course essential, as you need to know how much money you’ll need to stump up. One factor that is often forgotten but can have a major impact is the cost of shipping your books post-printing, as well as getting them to your interstate or international purchasers. And do not underestimate just how expensive this is from the southern hemisphere! So consider lighter and smaller formats to make this affordable.

Make sure you have a clear idea of the budget you’ll need for these items:

 


How to design a photo book


Design is a deal maker (or breaker) in photo book publishing, and don’t be lulled into thinking that because you’re an expert in ‘images’ that you’re also expert in selecting your best photos, and laying them out across a series of pages. We seriously advise that you research photo book design and/or work with experts:

And before you start designing, identify what your print supplier’s file format and colour requirements are, or there could be tears. Ensure you know what colour space they require you to work in, and download the appropriate ICC colour profiles for your intended paper stock, so you can softproof your file prior to submitting it for print.

When it comes to the process of selecting and sequencing your images, take a leaf out of the book of American photographer, Ralph Gibson:

“By placing a picture on the right and a picture on page left, something must transpire in between the two page spread, the mise-en-page. The essential principle is that the sum will equal more than the total of its parts.”

You’ll find more from Ralph plus valuable tips on photo book editing and design in our dedicated blog post. It features input from local and international experts on:


What format for your photo book?


This is the area that we can offer plenty of advice on, care of our 15 years experience in printing photo books, and chatting with photographers who’ve trade, self or indy published publications of all sizes, formats and quantities.

To request a quote for 25 copies or more book from us, any other local print-on-demand digital printer or an international traditional offset print house, you’ll need to be able to provide these details for your book:

Whatever you choose, ensure that your decisions match your book’s purpose, your budget, your audience’s budget and your printer’s requirements. And heed the wise words of Bruno Ceschel from indy publisher, Self Publish Be Happy:

“Key aspects to consider before making a photo book… your knowledge of bookmaking, your budget, and the reason you are doing it.”

Our advice is that you produce a softcover edition to minimise production and shipping costs, and/or a hardcover limited edition with premium materials to generate more prestige and profit. Producing both is also quite common and rewarding.

At Momento Pro we’ve curated a range of volume hardcover and softcover options suited to, and affordable for, self publishers wanting to produce books in batches of 25 copies and more. Just give us a call for guidance and advice.


How many photo books to print


This is one of the most important questions you’ll face on the road to self publishing, as your answer will define how much money you need, and how much effort you have to put into ‘moving them.’ Do you need one, 25, 100, 250, 500, 1000 or more copies? And more importantly how can the market you’re targetting actually bear? Why print 1,000 if you’re only likely to sell 250?

The minimum for a traditional offset print run has been reducing over the last decade, and now sits around 500 units. If you don’t have an audience of 500 to buy your book, approaching a print-on-demand service might be more economical. This is where we can help. You can print a single copy with Momento Pro, but our best prices kick in between 25 and 250 copies.

To give you an idea of what quantities other local creators are printing, our analysis of the 117 entries from the 2018 Australia and New Zealand Photobook Award identified an average edition size of 115, ranging from one up to 1,000 copies.


Where to sell a photo book


In the same way that the music world and recording industry has undergone massive upheaval in the last two decades, so too has the book publishing industry. Books are no longer just accessible by purchasing at a bricks and mortar bookstore or a major book retailer chain. The options have expanded. Here are a few to consider:

Our experience tells us that most sales come from direct sales where the creator can look the buyer in the eyes, and tell them about their creation and the story behind the book. While a bookshop is a great way to get broader exposure and sales for your book, they take a financial cut for every sale and may be hesitant to stock your book unless it’s well suited to their customers, or you have a reputation that will help it sell.

We’ll expand on this with a list of photo book friendly sales channels in a future post.


How to distribute a photo book


Distribution is without a doubt one of the biggest issues facing any book creator or publisher in the antipodes. There are relatively few that are focused on illustrated books (this category includes art, photography and design books). For their part in helping get your book out into the world, a distributor is also likely to take 40% of the cover price.

There are a few photo book friendly distributors in Australia and New Zealand who we know and respect:

We’ll provide more details on what they are looking for, their distribution terms and how you can submit to them in an upcoming blog post.


How to price a photo book


Aha! This is the million dollar question and there’s no single or easy answer, but here’s what you need to consider before deciding on a price.

Photobooks can sell from $5 up to $5,000 depending on the photographer’s profile, the publisher, the edition size, the quality of production and the sales channel.

While most traditional book retailers and publishers aim to sell a photo or art book at a recommended retail price of $30 to $80, our research suggests a growing acceptance for higher prices for books that are made locally, to high production standards, and published in limited editions by smaller or self publishers.

Data from the 2018 Australia & New Zealand Photobook Award also identifies the average RRP as $74 – calculated from 50 of the 117 entries that were available to buy (excluding two with a sale price of $1995 and $600 respectively).  While the average for the 12 finalist books was $76 – ranging from $30 to $250 for a book that also included an 8×10” photographic print.

All prices are AUD.


How to promote a photo book


Many people believe that designing and printing a book is the hard part, but the reality is that unless you’ve done your homework, promoting and selling your book can be the hardest part. Planning in advance will however make a big difference. Here’s a few ideas that we’ll flesh out more in a future blog post:


In summary
 

So here’s what we think you should know before venturing into self publishing a photo book:

 

What next?


Our big tip is to do some serious research and planning, and to give yourself time.  Publishing a book may take months even years to come to fruition, depending on your project, your purpose and how well you want your book to be resolved.  But self publishing a photo book is possible and rewarding if you can answer most of the questions above, and stick to your plan. Good luck!

If you’re ready to make a move, we’d love to help make your book a reality, so contact our Volume Order Manager to get started.

 


For more inspiration

 


Now go forth and publish your bloody book!