Publish Yourself - Photobooks Intro

Want your own photo book? It’s easy now, it’s been easy for the last ten years. Because of the phenomenal improvements in print-on-demand (POD) technology, books can be printed in quantities as small as one. While print quality has not quite reached offset levels, it is often difficult to spot the print-on-demand books.
POD photo books aren’t just for one-offs to sit on the coffee table. I use them as portfolios. For events I shoot regularly, I create photo books that show what I am doing at these events. I use them with promoters, to get a media pass when I don’t have a magazine sponsoring me, I use them with participants, so they know what I am doing, and I use them with galleries and buyers, to show them what I can do. Others I know use POD photos books for fundraisers, with a book that can help a non-profit. And sometimes a book printed in small quantities can be used for advertising.
Getting Started
So if you haven’t put together a book before, what does it take?
First comes the most difficult part, where first-timers and veterans alike can get hung up and frustrated. It’s what you do before you even start with the tools, when the book is in the conceptual phase. Now what is that concept? And how many photos should it take? Which photos go in and which don’t? And how should the photos be laid out, one to a page, two to a page, facing pages with a photo on one page and text opposite? Full page photos or set on a black or white background? Selection and design really is the hardest part with today’s publishers and tools.

Self-Published Magazine - Provided by Brad Evans

One recommendation I always make is to ask some friends, hopefully ones that will be critical. It helps if they’ve put together a book or a web site or a gallery show before, because the choices are similar. The more feedback before committing it to print, the better it should turn out. Just don’t pick friends or family that will tell you everything is great.
If you really can’t get through this part, there are professionals. Most POD publishers can refer photographers to book designers in their area. The drawback is that the cost will be far more than the cost of printing the book, but it may be worth it.
Once you have your photos, and it doesn’t have to be a final selection, you can start putting together your book. Some of your ideas will shift as you lay it out with design tools, and your selection may change. New ideas may just pop up as you look at what you are putting together.
Picking the Right Tool…