| A Deep Dive Into Publishing - Online

NOTE: This Class will meet in a live, online format using the Zoom Platform
Class meets on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 3:00pm-5:00pm ET for four sessions

This four-day workshop is for advanced amateurs and experienced photographers who seek to publish a larger print run publication. The course will be part lecture/discussion and online participatory workshop primarily for those who want to work with a publisher or self-publish a title for a wider audience.

The first class will start with participant introductions and review of a completed or nearly completed project ready for book form. Students will be asked to present 20 images that they want to be in the book along with an introductory statement and bio. Students must be able to share these images over Zoom. The first and third class will be dedicated to student work, so be ready to present and offer comments to your peers. Depending on time, we may launch into some of the materials for the second class.

In the second class, Melanie will introduce the materials for approaching publishers, and we will also examine other alternatives for the book format. Melanie will give an overview of the contemporary photobook publishing culture; and show some great examples of artist books, limited editions, small publisher editions, and a few more mass-market titles; and look at what contemporary publishers and self-publishers are producing. We will look at the financial considerations for book publishing, preparing proposals, and marketing materials; examine ways to tell your story in images; and explore how to use cleverly edited and sequenced images and words to tell your story in book form. We may watch one or two short videos on the topic.

For the third class, we will look at final edits of students’ projects and review examples of artist statements/project descriptions. By the end of the class, students should have a solid edit of their work – possibly a digital or physical mock-up depending on the expertise of the student – and marketing materials for a publisher submission or self-publishing promotion. They will also have established a working knowledge the contemporary photobook publishing world. 

For the fourth class, students will have the opportunity to answer questions and we will review how to proceed once the photographer is selected and choses to work with a given publisher, and the considerations with budget and review some contract considerations.

Students will need to prepare 30-50 images for the first class and 30-70 for the third. Melanie would like to receive the final edit of up to 100 images after the second class to review before the final class. Participants should also begin work on a statement/artist proposal. Melanie will share the proposal format and budget format after the first day of class. We will have one guest lecturer and students may have outside assignments related to their personal project or photobook publishing.  Detailed instructions will be provided by the faculty  prior to the first class