Kickstarter "Catching the tide" photography book sale - an interesting approach

myotis

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I have no connection with this, other than hoping it reaches its target so I get the book and print I’ve ordered, but Colin McPherson and Dewi Publishing are kick starting a book of Colin's 30 years documenting salmon netting in Scotland. It's nice to see such a long-term project potentially being published.

On the link there is a short video about Colin and the book, and obviously the pricing options.

I've bought his work before, but I think the kicks tarter idea of getting photography books published is a good one, and maybe essential, if we are going to get to see books from less famous photographers being published and distributed.

For those who haven't been involved in a kickstarter project, you need to give a pledge to buy one of the options, which means giving your credit card details, but you aren't charged until the product is available. If they fail make the target and the books aren't published, your credit card isn't charged.

EDIT: I am wrong about this. Your credit card is charged when the pledge target is met. in this case the 17th March. If it isn't met by the 17th March, your credit card isn't charged and the kickstarter closed down.

The link is below and whether you are interested in buying a copy or not, it's worth a look just to see how it works, and its potential for photographers selling their work.

 
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Thanks for that. It's my kind of book so I've backed it. (y)

It looks like the seventh book I've backed on Kickstarter since 2017! One failed to meet its target. As you say, it's a good platform for niche publishers doing fairly short print runs to use.
 
Ed Sutton said:
Thanks for that. It's my kind of book so I've backed it. (y)

It looks like the seventh book I've backed on Kickstarter since 2017! One failed to meet its target. As you say, it's a good platform for niche publishers doing fairly short print runs to use.
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I hadn't come across Kick Starter being used for this, but obviously it's not that uncommon. I will need to keep my eyes open.

I hope this one reaches its target, especially as my wife has now decided to give me it for my birthday.

Although trivial, I have a teenage memory of the salmon nets he photographed.

I was brought up close to where the photographs were taken, and I can clearly remember a landscape full of salmon nets (I'm a few months off 70).

When I was 13, a female eider duck, on a rising tide, had become entangled in the nets, and without help, it was obviously going to drown. Without thinking it through, as the tides were dangerous and the water very cold I stripped off and swam out to rescue it.

The bird was less than appreciative of my help, and between its aggressive behaviour and the amount of entanglement, I couldn't free it. This forced me to swim back to shore for my pocket knife, before swimming back to cut it free. Ungrateful to the end, she hit me hard in the face during her struggle to escape my helping hands.
 
myotis said:
I hadn't come across Kick Starter being used for this, but obviously it's not that uncommon. I will need to keep my eyes open.

I hope this one reaches its target, especially as my wife has now decided to give me it for my birthday.

Although trivial, I have a teenage memory of the salmon nets he photographed.

I was brought up close to where the photographs were taken, and I can clearly remember a landscape full of salmon nets (I'm a few months off 70).

When I was 13, a female eider duck, on a rising tide, had become entangled in the nets, and without help, it was obviously going to drown. Without thinking it through, as the tides were dangerous and the water very cold I stripped off and swam out to rescue it.

The bird was less than appreciative of my help, and between its aggressive behaviour and the amount of entanglement, I couldn't free it. This forced me to swim back to shore for my pocket knife, before swimming back to cut it free. Ungrateful to the end, she hit me hard in the face during her struggle to escape my helping hands.
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That sounds like swans and ducks I've dealt with! :D

Colin Wilkinson, founder of Bluecoat Press and now publishing as https://www.imageandreality.co.uk/ has used Kickstarter a lot. It's worked well for him. The key, I suspect, is using social media to get the word out.
 
myotis said:
I hadn't come across Kick Starter being used for this, but obviously it's not that uncommon. I will need to keep my eyes open.

I hope this one reaches its target, especially as my wife has now decided to give me it for my birthday.

Although trivial, I have a teenage memory of the salmon nets he photographed.

I was brought up close to where the photographs were taken, and I can clearly remember a landscape full of salmon nets (I'm a few months off 70).

When I was 13, a female eider duck, on a rising tide, had become entangled in the nets, and without help, it was obviously going to drown. Without thinking it through, as the tides were dangerous and the water very cold I stripped off and swam out to rescue it.

The bird was less than appreciative of my help, and between its aggressive behaviour and the amount of entanglement, I couldn't free it. This forced me to swim back to shore for my pocket knife, before swimming back to cut it free. Ungrateful to the end, she hit me hard in the face during her struggle to escape my helping hands.
Click to expand...

When Bluecoat Press was run by Colin Wilkinson, all his titles used Kickstarter, I must have a dozen of them, I've also bought other Kickstarter photo books

Colin sold Bluecoat Press on retirement, but obviously coouldn't keep away as he recently luanched another succesful Kickstarter title.

It used to be harder to find Photo Books, as photography didn't used to have its own menu shortcut
 
I've seen this pop up elsewhere and looks a great body of work - I'll think about backing, but I need to deal with my now full photobook bookcase

Kickstarters are also a great way to buy prints because of the rewards..
 
benc98 said:
I've seen this pop up elsewhere and looks a great body of work - I'll think about backing, but I need to deal with my now full photobook bookcase

Kickstarters are also a great way to buy prints because of the rewards..
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My bookcases are still predominantly full of Ecology, Animal Behaviour and Data analysis books, which half of me wants to clear out (now that I'm retired) but the other half, can't bring myself to admit those days are over.

My photography books still fill a third of my available bookshelves, but just think of how photography books I could buy if I could bring myself to have a clear out.
 
myotis said:
I have no connection with this, other than hoping it reaches its target so I get the book and print I’ve ordered, but Colin McPherson and Dewi Publishing are kick starting a book of Colin's 30 years documenting salmon netting in Scotland. It's nice to see such a long-term project potentially being published.

On the link there is a short video about Colin and the book, and obviously the pricing options.

I've bought his work before, but I think the kicks tarter idea of getting photography books published is a good one, and maybe essential, if we are going to get to see books from less famous photographers being published and distributed.

For those who haven't been involved in a kickstarter project, you need to give a pledge to buy one of the options, which means giving your credit card details, but you aren't charged until the product is available. If they fail make the target and the books aren't published, your credit card isn't charged.

EDIT: I am wrong about this. Your credit card is charged when the pledge target is met. in this case the 17th March. If it isn't met by the 17th March, your credit card isn't charged and the kickstarter closed down.

The link is below and whether you are interested in buying a copy or not, it's worth a look just to see how it works, and its potential for photographers selling their work.

Click to expand...
quite a few have gone down the kickstarter route offering various package contributory levels: the book, signed copies, copy and tuition etc
 
jamesev said:
quite a few have gone down the kickstarter route offering various package contributory levels: the book, signed copies, copy and tuition etc
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Yes, so I have discovered ;-)
 
I don't really want to clog up this thread with non 'catching the tide' chat - so a generic kickster chat might be cool / needed, anyhow..

Basically, a lot of (or some) photobooks that are published via reputable publisher have been going down the kickstarter route because the publisher is expecting the photographer to front up the cost of getting the book to press (if that's the right phrase) - probably around £15k. thus minimising the risk to the publisher.
 
benc98 said:
I don't really want to clog up this thread with non 'catching the tide' chat - so a generic kickster chat might be cool / needed, anyhow..

Basically, a lot of (or some) photobooks that are published via reputable publisher have been going down the kickstarter route because the publisher is expecting the photographer to front up the cost of getting the book to press (if that's the right phrase) - probably around £15k. thus minimising the risk to the publisher.
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As the OP, assuming this gives me any privileges, I don't mind if this becomes part of the discussion.

I think it's a good way of getting books published that might not otherwise get published: possibly at a higher quality than if the publisher had to carry all the pre-publication costs.
 
benc98 said:
I don't really want to clog up this thread with non 'catching the tide' chat - so a generic kickster chat might be cool / needed, anyhow..

Basically, a lot of (or some) photobooks that are published via reputable publisher have been going down the kickstarter route because the publisher is expecting the photographer to front up the cost of getting the book to press (if that's the right phrase) - probably around £15k. thus minimising the risk to the publisher.
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and doing the marketing of interest in the book
 
droj said:
Where's this figure come from?
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A good friend is in the process of publishing a book about the regeneration of the South Bank in London (photo and text) and has approached 3 publishers to see what the interest is. All 3 have said they are willing to take on the book and are confident in its potential, however they want 10k, 14k and 18k respectively upfront from my friend.
 
My guess is that inside such an umbrella figure, production cost could be just circa 4 - 5k - and to this could be added pre-press design cost (if a press-ready file can't be provided), followed by inventory management & marketing if that's to be done by the publisher rather than the author.
 
Small Town Inertia 2 also crossed the Kickstarter line & has sold out an edition of 400! I wonder if it'll reappear at some stage in another edition?
 
droj said:
Small Town Inertia 2 also crossed the Kickstarter line & has sold out an edition of 400! I wonder if it'll reappear at some stage in another edition?
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400 seems an unusual number, although as a '2' it might not have as wide an audience as the original. I've certainly given it a miss.

Judging the market is a tricky one, and can change as tastes and prices alter.

benc98 said:
Some really great british documentary photography there, saying that, I do prefer a monograph
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Another I'm skipping. I also prefer monographs.

Mostly because I've filled my book shelves are overflowing and am trying to stick to a limited range of subjects!
 
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