Scubaboard Book: will you contribute?

[mjh]

For $14 each we could have our own “ScubaBoard” coffee table book. The key is we need 300 people to buy one.

My company recently shifted the majority of our printing of catalogues etc… to Shanghai. Yes, I am one of those bast***s exporting jobs; with that out of the way…

I’m thinking if we let people contribute 1-2 photos we could cover the costs and give as many as possible motivation to participate.

Here is a very ROUGH breakdown of Specs/Costs

Trimmed Page Size: 10”x8” Oblong (binding on 8” side)
Extent: 64 pages + 4 page cover
Stock & Printing: Text printed 4cx4c on 128gsm glossy artpaper (equivalent to 80lb glossy)
Cover printed 4cx0 on 12 Pt. Glossy artcard plus 1/s gloss laminating
Binding: Perfect binding, trimmed to size
Materials Supplied: All arts and high rez images supplied ob CD’s by client, we support Quark in Mac/PC format
Quantity & Prices: 300 copies at US$10.50 per copy = US$ 3150. 1000 copies at US$5.30 per copy = US$5,300.

(THE ABOVE IS DIRECT FROM PRINTER)

Cost Breakdown FOB Seattle (my warehouse)

300 Pcs
Printing: US$3150
Shipping: US$500
Customs Clearance: US$300

Cost per book US$13.16/FOB Seattle

1000 Pcs
Printing US$5300
Shipping US$1100
Customs Clearance US$300

Cost per Book US$6.70/FOB Seattle

I am heading back to Shanghai April 11th and have some time to kill, I can check out other printers, firm up costs. Obviously, I know NOTHING about this kind of thing. Those of you who do can supply me with the questions I should be asking and the answers I should be looking for.

I am happy to organize the printing, shipping, etc… Clearly there are a ton of other issues that would need to be discussed.

Just a few that come to mind are:

1. Title
2. How to organize photos? By region? By photo type? By species? Blah, blah, blah
3. What type of text to accompany pictures?
4. Photo submission format?
5. Panel to choose photos?
6. Someone to proof

So what do you think????

[alcina]

Not to be mercenary, but you've gotta give something to the photographers so add that to your costs...

[louisianadiver]

Not to be mercenary, but you've gotta give something to the photographers so add that to your costs...

Excellent point. -Clay

[nshon]

I'm sure some people (myself included) are willing to allow images to be used as long as they are limited to the coffee book free of charge.

[alcina]

So you'd be willing to have others profit from your work with no compensation to you? I assume that someone would be selling this book and that seller would want to make some money on the endeavour.

The whole should I get compensation decision is a topic for another thread - a very good topic for those who are interested. There are more facets involved than one might think "off the cuff"

[justleesa]

.

[Wolverine]

Think its a good idea. If the idea takes off, we could actually commercialise it. Who knows, it could finance Scubaboard.

[alcina]

If the idea takes off, we could actually commercialise it. Who knows, it could finance Scubaboard.

And this is where compensating the photographers will come in

[sshelfor]

And this is where compensating the photographers will come in

Call me crazy, but I bet there would still be a number of people willing to donate their photos... hell... if I had a proper setup I'd be offering my photos... even if profits went to scubaboard, as I believe scubaboard is a non-profit entity, and thus, why should I be greedy about it all. On the plus side, I get my photos developed and put in a pretty book -- sounds like a good deal to me.

Perhaps some will want money, but the qustion is, are there enough people, with good photos, willing to give them up for free.

Btw, I'd buy the book.

- ChillyWaters

[alcina]

Call me crazy, but I bet there would still be a number of people willing to donate their photos... hell... if I had a proper setup I'd be offering my photos... even if profits went to scubaboard, as I believe scubaboard is a non-profit entity, and thus, why should I be greedy about it all. On the plus side, I get my photos developed and put in a pretty book -- sounds like a good deal to me.

Perhaps some will want money, but the qustion is, are there enough people, with good photos, willing to give them up for free.
.

- ChillyWaters

Hmmm....I am not sure about the non-profit thing, you'd have to ask NetDoc.

Also, compensation for photographers is a huge issue and probably should be it's own thread. I will say that photographers (artists, writers, builders, designers etc) should not give their work away without some sort of recompse. Remember there are those out there trying to make a living and if the market gets flooded with freebies why would any publisher pay? And your equipment, time, diving etc are all worth something - payment forms vary from use to use as do the amounts.

If anyone does want to explore this area, please start a thread and we'll all weigh in