tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654754338632526091.post8079951342479660199..comments2024-03-27T00:32:29.877-07:00Comments on Photos and Stuff: The Ugly: Why Care?amolitorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15743439184763617516noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654754338632526091.post-83553080107546400372017-06-26T11:48:03.139-07:002017-06-26T11:48:03.139-07:00I think the lawyer is mandatory for the neophyte, ...I think the lawyer is mandatory for the neophyte, at least, simply to provide a baseline for what's normal. The language of contracts, while boring, doesn't phase me. But, every contract ever is offered with airy handwaves of "Oh, this is all just normal boilerplate" with a heavy implication that even reading it isn't necessary.<br /><br />Sometimes they are, sometimes they are not.<br /><br />An interesting note in this book I am currently reading, is a switch from computing author royalties based on gross revenues (roughly) to computing them (at a higher percentage) based on net after expenses.<br /><br />This is the oldest trick in the book. Newbies in music and the movies are routinely ripped off, because expenses seem to track revenues almost exactly dollar for dollar, no matter how much money is made. It's *weird*. Now, publishers may not be there yet, but how am I to know?<br /><br />I guess another advantage of paying the expenses is that then you get to know what they are, and decide on them!<br /><br />Hence the lawyer.<br /><br />Is hybrid publishing essentially self-publishing, but with the assistance of a publisher's team working for you, on some predefined payment scheme? (hourly? project-rate? something like that)<br /><br />The reasons I have not bought your book are at least twofold. In the first place, I am really very strict about what books enter my home. I have too many books already, and I have children and a dog. The the second place, books that are largely decoration are simply not my thing. I have owned a few over the years, and they mainly languish on a shelf, making me feel vaguely guilty, and then I sell/donate them at a staggering loss.<br /><br />I *want* to like coffee-table-ish books, but apparently I just don't!<br />amolitorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15743439184763617516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654754338632526091.post-20336198404694930942017-06-26T00:26:36.050-07:002017-06-26T00:26:36.050-07:00The value added by a publisher is certainly variab...The value added by a publisher is certainly variable. It could be that in some cases, they are not much more expensive than self-publishing if one is going to finance the whole project and requires professional help.<br /><br />Increased royalties against financing by the author/artist is certainly a reality. There is even a name for that in the industry. It's called hybrid publishing, and is increasingly popular, for good reasons in my opinion. I don't think it is so difficult to understand as to require a lawyer. <br /><br />In the extreme case, when the author pays for all the production costs, the books belong to him and he earns all the royalties, minus the distribution fees, which are generally in the 25%-35% range. The other important advantage of financing the project is that many of the decisions are back in author's control. <br /><br />Out of curiosity, if you are a huge fan of the national parks, why wouldn't you buy a book about them? QT Luonghttp://terragalleria.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654754338632526091.post-91671036912036173242017-06-24T14:22:08.858-07:002017-06-24T14:22:08.858-07:00I really don't want to argue this point, but i...I really don't want to argue this point, but it seems to me it depends on what you mean by 'is.' <br />Seriously though, I think appeal and merit, while not always, can be quite different from each other. That is, I can have a body of work that is tremendously appealing and be lacking merit [whatever that means] or vice versa. The book containing appealing images, appealingly presented, can be extremely successful, while on the other hand, a collection of photographs having great merit, by perhaps being ahead of their time, would be a dud. So, I could believe that my work has merit, but is not appealing or commercially viable, and yet, I would want to see it published. <br />christianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05057172033456543944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654754338632526091.post-52802659823353135382017-06-24T14:17:32.117-07:002017-06-24T14:17:32.117-07:00Thanks, QT, this is really good stuff to hear, to ...Thanks, QT, this is really good stuff to hear, to know. <br /><br />I hope I didn't actually say that a publisher, or designer, doesn't bring anything to the table! But, you know, I do write incautiously sometimes. <br /><br />I think, for the record, that they do. The question is whether it's worth it, and that is going to vary. Designers especially. Colberg won't tell us what they do, but I actually do know, and it can be very valuable.<br /><br />The question of increased royalties in the case of upfront payment was one that has occurred to me, although I don't think I posed it out loud. It seems reasonable, certainly. Do you think it happens?<br /><br />In general I am interested in these contracts. A lawyer with domain expertise is a clear necessity, but it's got to be tough to mentally justify a couple thousand bucks for really good counsel on a deal you're likely to lose money on anyways. <br /><br />I am delighted that you are doing well. Your book isn't the kind of thing I buy, but I am a huge fan of the national parks, and have great respect for your project.<br /><br />Having sailed the channel islands, I can attest that some of these parks are not so easy to get to.amolitorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15743439184763617516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654754338632526091.post-56076421764952436502017-06-24T13:58:14.073-07:002017-06-24T13:58:14.073-07:00I generally like your iconoclastic analysis of pho...I generally like your iconoclastic analysis of photobook publishing, which exposes quite a few uncomfortable facts. However, consider the following points. <br /><br />The highly acclaimed project Touching Strangers by Richard Renaldi apparently needed a Kickstarter in order to be published by Aperture. Even a "real publisher" does resort to those tactics. Richard Renaldi created the imprint Charles Lane Press in 2008 to publish his book Fall River Boys. So we have a fairly well established artist (he had an Aperture book in 2006) who is able to raise the money and has the know-how to self-publish preferring to go to a traditional publisher. They must bring something to the table. <br /><br />From my own experience of publishing a quite successful photography book using what you call the "pay-to-play" model, I can tell you that's it not necessarily a one-way street. If the author puts money upfront, he should be able to negotiate a larger share of royalties, and therefore potentially much greater financial rewards than with a traditional contract. Since my book is going into a third printing within a year of publication, that translates to a venture that actually makes good money. Also, I thought that my own preliminary design was quite good, but that was before I saw what a seasoned book designer was able to do! <br /><br />The drawback is that the financial risk of publishing is shifted from the publisher to the artist. But if one doesn't believe enough in the appeal of their work, why try to publish it in the first place? <br />QT Luonghttp://treasuredlandsbook.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-654754338632526091.post-20381116197714660652017-06-18T15:11:32.494-07:002017-06-18T15:11:32.494-07:00The 'pay-to-play' aspect of photobook publ...The 'pay-to-play' aspect of photobook publishing has never particularly bothered me, I guess because I just never participated. What continues to bother me a lot is the 'pay-to-play' aspects of magazine, gallery, and competition submissions. It certainly now seems the standard practice of all submission guidelines to demand a review fee. While I don't know, I suspect that many of these events actually use the fee as a profit-making tool, and as the primary reason for even having the 'event.' I have totally stopped submitting work if there is a fee involved. I might be shooting myself in the foot, but I am pretty happy with my decision.christianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05057172033456543944noreply@blogger.com