i have a great idea for a photo book......

But now what do I do? Who do I contact?

If it's a specific genre, I'd research who publishes in that catagory.

Quick trip to Barnes & Noble or a little Google with a pen and paper (or copy/paste) should help you generate a list of prospective publishers.

Or, you could self publish via Blurb or similar.

DonJuan. Checked your site out. Great. A local paper might be able to help. They may know some people who can print or publish some stuff for you.

Ah right cool. You ever done anything like that Jay?

DonJuanMair wrote in post #9200174
Ah right cool. You ever done anything like that Jay?

No I haven't.

That's an area I need to investigate further myself (thinking calendar here) but I need to "screw on a pair" and start getting more aggressive in asking potential aviation subjects if they'd be willing to sign a property release.

jbradfordphoto wrote in post #9200161
DonJuan. Checked your site out. Great. A local paper might be able to help. They may know some people who can print or publish some stuff for you.

Thanks! Yeah that's an idea also.

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #9200190
No I haven't.

That's an area I need to investigate further myself (thinking calendar here) but I need to "screw on a pair" and start getting more aggressive in asking potential aviation subjects if they'd be willing to sign a property release.

Very true, your aviation shots are great I'm sure a lot of ppl would like to see them on a calendar.

I'm wondering say if I go to a publisher, what's to stop them using my idea and justdoing with a photographer they already like and stealing my idea?

DonJuanMair wrote in post #9200211
I'm wondering say if I go to a publisher, what's to stop them using my idea and justdoing with a photographer they already like and stealing my idea?

Thanks very much for the compliment. So I can put you down for a 2011 FlyingPhotog Calendar then?

I wonder if doing a "one off" Blurb yourself would serve as both proof of concept and a way to prove (if you needed to) that you did in fact have the idea first.

You must have one heck of a good idea if it hasn't ever been done before!

I would support the cause of course

I just googled my idea and nothing came up!

DonJuanMair wrote in post #9200298
I would support the cause of course

I just googled my idea and nothing came up!

Your idea can't be any good, no one has used it before. I'm kidding you but that's an actual quote from an account exec to an art director in a meeting at an ad agency. I've worked on several books in the past by people who self published, they were successful but there are problems going it alone, cost of pre print and printing, cost of warehousing, arranging for distribution and the logistics of distribution and lastly and most importantly collecting money from the sellers.

You can avoid a lot of that by finding someone to print and distribute it for you but they will want a substantial cut. You also can go with Blurb or something similar, it has much lower upfront cost and all the distribution and collection problems are solved. The only other associated cost would be for intense promotion, website, internet and print ads, etc. I know someone who has a project underway, he is definitely leaning toward Blurb.

Best of luck to you.

Here's my view.

Ideas with nothing behind them don't sell. Show you can do it. A one-off book is not too difficult to make. In fact, here's one I did this spring for the SoFoBoMo (Solo Photo Book Month) project. In one month I created the entire book and coordinated with the operations folks at National Airport (DCA). I then got the book printed.

http://sofobomo.org …ks/graham-glover/airport/
http://mathogre.blogsp​ot.com/

Your one-off doesn't need to be the complete, final book. However, again it should give evidence you have the ability to do it.

The responses to my book from others who were involved in the SoFoBoMo project were almost nil. However, I put a copy of it on our intranet at work, and now they're using some of my photos in air traffic control training courses at work.

Go for it. Do it. Show that you can do it. Then go sell it. Good luck!

Oh, and btw, some of the photos in my book were done with the G9. I bought the XSi just before I started the project and switched to it after one or two photo sessions. It was also my first experience in really using RAW. Just because you haven't done something before doesn't mean you can't do it now. Your only limitations are you.

I just use Blurb and self-publish my books. They're about events that typically have a very niche market. Unless your idea is one that can sell thousands of copies.

You could use Blurb & use the layout to illustrate your idea, like this:
https://photography-on-the.net …hp?p=3370487&po​stcount=15

I don't know if an idea like that can be copyrighted, but here's my experience with publishers.
There's a book publisher just a few miles from me, so I set up a meeting just to see what they'd say about mine (Blurb published).
After telling me just how great they are & looking the book over (see my Sig), they said "Of course we'll have our staff completely redo the layout, but we can get started with an investment of only $20,000!"

Some great advie here, so frank you had to invest $20,000?

I can save you some trouble. Tell me what your idea is and I'll tell you if its any good.

irishman wrote in post #9206391
I can save you some trouble. Tell me what your idea is and I'll tell you if its any good.

Hey, I jumped in first. Besides, you guys up in Scottsdale already have money. Leave some for us poor, helpless slobs in the SE Valley!