Products: Self-Publishing Books

“I can’t find a publisher for my photography book. Can I publish the book myself? How do I do that?”

I self-publish all my books and I think it’s a great way to go. Self-publishing takes a lot of effort, time, skills, and money, but it is rewarding. You get to make the book you want, rather than the book some publisher wants.

Publish It Yourself

When I first had my idea for PhotoSecrets I approached several guidebook publishers. They were all very friendly but had the same response: “nice idea, but color is too expensive to print.” So I chose to publish the books myself. My first book, PhotoSecrets San Francisco, won the Benjamin Franklin Award for Best First Book and my second project, PhotoSecrets San Diego, won the Grand Prize in the National Self-Published Book Awards. Just tooting my own horn there!

Start With Postcards

Self-publishing is an increasingly popular way to go. It requires investment capital and a lot of work but I highly recommend it to anyone with dedication and determination. A low-cost way to start is with notecards. You can just paste prints onto cards and sell them to giftstores. This is a good way to experience the market and build relationships. Think of a subject that is undersold in your area and go and talk with suitable store owners. My bank considers publishing a “high-risk” business (and they’re probably right) so It’s a good idea to start small and minimize your risk. Turn your photos into greeting cards. You can move on to custom-printing cards, selling slides, creating posters, etc. as you learn more about your local market.