Self-Publishing a book on the cheap

[Jeremy]

Does anyone have any experience with the online self-publishing companies such as www.lulu.com?

I have always wanted to add a book of my own photos to the bookshelf and if I could get quality equal to that in a magazine like View Camera I would be happy.

Just curious....

[Jorge]

I tired a similar company, they sent me samples and the picture quality left a lot to be desired. The pictures looked like bad xerox copies.

Brooks has a blog on a small quantity printer, but you need to pay at least $8500 for a run of about a 100 books if I remember correctly.

Mike Pry published his book I beleive, drop him a line and ask him how he went about it.

[Peter Schrager]

That's funny Jeremy because I've been perusing that site now for awhile. I have a beautiful little book selfpublished by Doug Beasley. His handle is www.VQPhoto.com The book is called Japan -A Nisei's first encounter. He made the original prints then had them scanned as Tri-tone images. Then the book was published in Hong Kong by Norman Graphic Printing Co. It has two covers but it is held together by an outside stitch. Simple yet elegant.
I bought it directly from Doug. Go to his website and you will see an accomplished photographer. I bought the book firstly because I like photo books but also because I try to support other photographers in their endeavors.
Regards, Peter

[Peter Schrager]

Jeremy-you could always run off 20 or so copies each of your Platinum prints and then find yourself someone who does binding with a saddle stitch or whatever. I was going to take a class in NYC onetime to learn how to do it but I'm busy enough with what I do.
I was personal friends with Leonard Baskin-truly one of the 20th centuries greatest artists. Google his name and you will be enlightend. Leonard had THE premier fine art press: THE GHENNA PRESS and made the most beautiful books in the world with his artwork inside. He used only the finest handmade papers from Italy and ran his etchings through his own press. Then they were bound and he used a gentleman name Grey Perot to make the outer coversand slipcases.Absolutely exquisite! If you go to one of the bigger art libraries at a major university you might find one of his books. I have some so when we meet I can show you.
With all your computer knowledge you might be able to at least produce something resembling a book-no?And then find someone to bind it up. Think creatively! Just a thought.
Regards, Peter

[resummerfield]

check out "www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00Bwxm "

[lee]

Jeremy,

here is another of the "fast" printers. http://www.fastbackbooks.com/ I have seen one of the books and they look pretty good.

lee\c

[lee]

Peters,

thanks for the link to Doug Beasley. I really liked his website and his vision.

lee\c

[jnanian]

jeremy -

if you have a little patience and time, you can hand stitch your own books.
i have been making hand stitched books of my photographs since the early 1980s. i worked with a bookbinder when i was in high school to learn the craft of bookbinding with signatures + spine, and then since i couldn't afford thousands of dollars in binding equipment i learned other simple and elegant ways to make books. a few books to get you started are:
http://www.keithsmithbooks.com/mybooks.htm
and http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0830...00#reader-link

supplies are pretty cheep ( string, paper, bookboard + leather/cloth, PVA and flour/wheat paste ) --- you can get some of them at places like http://www.paper-source.com or http://www.gaylord.com.

-john

[Jim Chinn]

Just my 2 cents. I think a more elegant solution if you only want something for yourself is to mount the images and design a portfolio box that would look attractive on a coffee table or shelf. You could include a seperate text in the box with the image titles, narrative etc.

I have been doing something similar for my two daughters. I have a pair of boxes a friend made from mahogany that hold an inside archival box. Each one holds about 16 images. Some images are unique for each girl, and a few are the same. Sometimes I add new images and take others out. All the images are matted the same and I will get a couple of frames made that can be included with each box so they can display images when they want.

It just seems that for what you will spend to make a single book, you could put together a portfolio of actual prints and box that would elegantly display your work and passion.

[mikebarger]

I agree with Jim

I have a boxed set of Fred Pickers photos from Iceland and really enjoy the format rather than a book.

Mike