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Publishing/Selling a coffee table photo book
Posted on 7/6/20 at 7:01 am
Posted on 7/6/20 at 7:01 am
My idea is to market a low-run (500-1,000) hard-cover coffee table book highlighting local points of interest. The book would be in fine art style in its look, feel, and content. Currently, I'm thinking about 50 physical pages, back & front. 100 total page count.
My strengths: photography, the time and desire to do it, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom (I have the entire Adobe Creative Cloud Suite), writing skills, online and grass-roots guerilla marketing skills, and a **perceived** demand for the book.
Challenges: startup capital; lack of knowledge about the process and related costs, margins, and logistics. The price-point I currently have in mind is $39.
If anyone has practical advice about small-batch book publishing and the inherent pitfalls (and opportunities), it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance...
4
Posted on 7/6/20 at 7:11 am to tigerpawl
This is only a good idea if the coffee table book is about coffee tables.
Posted on 7/6/20 at 7:29 am to tigerpawl
Hate to break it to you but no one buys that type of stupid shite nowadays.
Posted on 7/6/20 at 7:55 am to BuckFama334
quote:and actually Turns into a Coffee Table!
This is only a good idea if the coffee table book is about coffee tables.
Genius!
Posted on 7/6/20 at 8:13 am to tigerpawl
Unless you are outsourcing production to SE Asia, you will not be able to sell a full color coffee table book for $50, especially if it is a low volume run. Wouldn’t it be cheaper and easier to sell giclee prints of your work rather than a book?
Definitely get some actual production quotes in this one. You’re leaving out the prepress costs, for sure.
Definitely get some actual production quotes in this one. You’re leaving out the prepress costs, for sure.
Posted on 7/6/20 at 8:37 am to tigerpawl
quote:
If anyone has practical advice about small-batch book publishing and the inherent pitfalls (and opportunities), it would be greatly appreciated.
How much room do you have in your garage?
Posted on 7/6/20 at 8:53 am to InThroughTheOutDore
LOL at the garage comment.
How is OP gonna get this into the hands of booksellers, gift stores, or other sales outlets? Books are heavy, so shipping is going to cost. Unless he's envisioning driving around in a van delivering them, LOL.
You are also likely wildly overestimating the market for a hyper local coffee table book. Unless it has some kind of built in nostalgia audience (like the LSU themed coffee table books), you're going to be selling these over a period of years....not quickly.
If you've got great local pics, consider notecards, holiday cards, and t-shirts, all of which are easier to merchandise than books.
How is OP gonna get this into the hands of booksellers, gift stores, or other sales outlets? Books are heavy, so shipping is going to cost. Unless he's envisioning driving around in a van delivering them, LOL.
You are also likely wildly overestimating the market for a hyper local coffee table book. Unless it has some kind of built in nostalgia audience (like the LSU themed coffee table books), you're going to be selling these over a period of years....not quickly.
If you've got great local pics, consider notecards, holiday cards, and t-shirts, all of which are easier to merchandise than books.
Posted on 7/6/20 at 9:42 am to hungryone
quote:
How is OP gonna get this into the hands of booksellers, gift stores, or other sales outlets?
He isn't if he is self-published, barring some personal contact with/ownership interest in a local bookstore.
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