I am sorry to continue this thread this late, but I have not been on able to
reply until now.
John P wrote:
> When I first joined this wonderful list, a similar idea was bounced around -
> only the subject then was a calendar instead of a book. The problem then,
> should my failing memory serve, was cost. Even for a minimal copy run, this
> is quite an expensive proposition.
And then Denton wrote:
> As much as I love to see my photos in print :-) this is not the recipe for
> a financially successful project. If it was to work, it would have to be a
> 'vanity' publication, where each contributor paid a portion of the
> publishing cost.
[snip]
I will come back to that down below, as I think it relates to John P's comment.
> A book that sells needs to have a theme and the theme of photos taken with
> a camera system that is seen by the general public as obsolete is not going
> to sell well. Would you buy a book that was about 'Photos Taken with a
> Nikon'? 'Photos Taken with Minolta SRT101?' No, I didn't think so :-) No
> matter what the quality of the photos, it will be assumed that the book is
> just advertising underwritten by the manufacturer. Which of course is the
> other way to get a book out... I bet if we all were using Oly digicams they
> might actually be interested!
Okay. I know that the money question is a big issue, the biggest I would say.
Now, as I see it there are two ways to go:
1. Trying to let Olympus pay for the books by insist it is only good
advertising for the company. I am *very* aware it might be a naive attitude of
mine, so you really don't need to comment that.
As Denton says, no one would buy a book that officially include or in any other
way says anything about the OM system in the title. The title could be as
innocent as "Pictures of the World" or something. That sort of title would
anyway tell anyone interested that the book contains pictures from different
parts of this planet.
But, to still let Olympus understand it is a book taken by Olympus fans and by
Olympus cameras, as well as let people in general know this, the foreword could
tell that "the pictures in this book is taken by amateurs that have been using
the OM system of Olympus", or something. It must not necessarily be *very*
clear in print, just so that people notice it and perhaps remember the name
when they hear it again.
2. As for every kind of book one have to convince a publishing company that it
is a great book. Think about it. How many books have you not read, that has
been taken by photographers not too well known? I have read a few myself. But
as for any book, one have to try and convince a publishing company, unless the
person is famous or well known that is. I don't see the hard thing in this. I
mean, if the book is good, and the publisher likes the idea and the contents of
pictures and so on, it may very well be that the publishing company goes for
the idea and then pay the cost. This is how it works for anyone who are trying
to let a new book be published. It also might be that one have to try many
different publishing companies before succeeding. It might never succeed and
get published, but one has tried anyway.
As the first way above, the title probably must contain anything than "Photos
taken by cameras of the Olympus OM system" or something. A neutral but
eye-catching title is the answer I think. Still, for each contributor's chapter
the text could tell that the photos has been taken with "OM-**, and with..." so
that the camera, lenses and accessories are mentioned. No problem with that I
think.
If all the effort of let this kind of book be published fails, there are still
the possibility to make a calendar instead. But I would vote for try a book
first.
Denton again:
> Or, maybe we should just accept the new paradigm; publishing on the
> internet is cheap to free!
Yes, one could keep it as it is today. It would not be a bad idea, but I would
like to see something more come out of these photos, that is why I (and
obviously others before me) had this idea.
--
Regards/
Ingemar Uvhagen
Gislaved, Sweden
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