There is considerably less information on that link you've provided than within this posting - that's completely misleading. Perhaps I'm missing something, but the link page I go to seems to be only a solicitation for email addresses..?Originally Posted by FocusMag
Yes, we're going to send a press release out to everyone who signs up for a newsletter when we're 100% up and running. Right now, we're just put the finishing touches on a few things and then we'll have a website up and running along with the photobookconnoisseur up and running. Right now, all we're doing is just announcing the partnership.
That's about what I thought - so it's 100% misleading.
Uh, there's nothing misleading about it. I tell people for more information, visit the website. They visit the website, give us their e-mail address and we send them more information about it. So far, 150 people don't have a problem with this. Sorry, Don.
Well, this is the problem David, if it is not misleading it certainly is sneaky. I understand you are exited about this partnership, but maybe you should have gotten all the info set up and running on your web site before you announced this.
Nevertheless, I wish you luck. I don't know that there are many photographers out there who can afford Smith's and most likely your consulting fee...but hey, nothing wrong with trying.
I appreciate your input. I disagree with your assessment completely. It is not sneaky. If people are interested, they'll sign up for a newsletter. If they're not, they won't. I think there's a level of insecurity on the internet today whereas people don't want to submit their e-mail addresses for anything for risk of spam. As I've always done, any e-mail list that I collect stays with me and doesn't go to anyone else. I know the pains of seeing "Low interest rate mortgate, FINANCE NOW!!" among other more risque SPAM e-mails in the subject line.
And you see, the whole point of this business is to SAVE photographers money on something they would spend money on already. All we're doing is buying things directly from paper, printing and binding companies because we already work with them and buy products and supplies from them. This entitles us to a steep discount a photographer would not enjoy. As far as our fee on top of that, calculating the costs a photographer would spend with a printing company such as Stinehour press, a photographer would still spend less money working with us and receive quite a bit more in return. Any printing company you work with directly is going to markup paper and binding, plus there are a lot of ways you can save money by formatting the book to specific sizes and such. This is inforomation that a photographer could not, unless they have a lot of experience in publishing books, know on their own.
I don't want to go into pricing, but there is a significant cost difference between doing this on your own and doing it with us, plus every single book that's published with us gets submitted to a wholesaler who then submits the books to major chain and minor mom & pop bookstores all around the world.
quote Focus Mag
"Because I already use a printer for the magazine, I would receive a special rate from him, plus the bindery I use and the paper I would buy, I'll buy in bulk and we'll try to print the books at the same time as the magazine to save on setup charges with the printer and bindery."
Somehow what you have said above is at odds with what I know about MAS and his advertising over the years that I have known him. He has stated publicly that he goes to extreme lengths to see that his books are printed as well as humanly possible. I believe that he has his stuff printed in Europe for that reason. I just don't see Michael subordinating himself to your production regimen...I could be wrong since he apparently has gone to doing color inkjet prints lately...I think that every publication whether that is your magazine or someone's book incorporates it's own setup...so where is the savings in that?
As far as fees are concerned, one of the last times that Michael and I talked about this he was quoting $3500.00 per day for just the consulting and he did not indicate that he was giving the printing, binding and distribution away at his cost.
Please understand that I have never bought your magazine... in fact I don't recall it on the newstands in Phoenix...certainly not in Milano. You may very well have the best thing since sliced bread for all that I know. It would allay a lot of doubts if MAS would co-announce this joint venture with you. Good luck to you, no matter what...
I know that Michael just left Pennsylvania to drive Los Angeles for Photo LA and has several stops on the way. I doubt he'll have access to the internet for quite some time. However; I would not post this announcement without his blessing and encouragment.
Again, the entire purpose of this thread was just to announce that we're partnering up to create a company that will exist to help photographers create a very, very high quality book of fine art photography and offer consultation and other services that help take the book beyond the normal print, give away to friends and family and let the book sit in your office for a few years way of doing things. We're looking to start not only a publishing company that helps photographers with their book, but also looking to dramatically expand the book section to the magazine and offer a new online bookstore website that is dedicated 100% to photography books. We're not going to rush anything until we're both ready as I'm working on an issue right now and Michael is out in LA and won't be back until mid-late January. What we want to do, when we're ready to start working with photographers, is have a list of people who are interested in working with us and inform them of the rates and costs associated with this and how the process works.
As complex as all of this sounds, a photographer is mainly going to be working with Michael Smith on this project. I'll be working in some fashion on layout and design and of course business areas, but that's about it. This is going to streamline the process for a photographer a great deal and save a photographer quite a bit of money compared to using other printers.
This service is not, though, for photographers looking to print 100 or so books. In order for this to be cost effective, I think the minimum amount of books we're going to be doing is 500 or 750. Not sure yet.... again, this isn't an announcement that we're in business or that we're ready to work with photographers right now, it's an announcement that we're joining forces to produce what we hope to be some of the highest quality books, at a price that's less expensive for a photographer and an ability to market it. We'll have different packages available at different pricing levels... one size does not fit all.
David, this is why you get in trouble in this forum and why so many people have a hard time trying to trust you. No matter how you put it, when you state "for more information go to this web site....." You are supposed to HAVE information on the web site, not a request for an address.I disagree with your assessment completely. It is not sneaky. If people are interested, they'll sign up for a newsletter.
I don't see a problem with this other than the appearance of lack of organization and in announcing something you are not ready to explain. I guess there are other concerns as well, but I won't go into them or I am going to be accused of bashing you and Smith. Good luck in your venture, as I said, I am thinking this is going to be at least a 40k project for any photographer that wants to use you and there are no many of us that have that kind of dough laying around....I know I don't!
Uh, Jorge. Once again, I appreciate yours and anyone else's comments and opinions. There is no lack of organization. Our plan, which is much like many other companies' plans when they launch, is to make an announcement and create something for people to sign up for more information if they are interested. Then, when everything is ready, we will send information to those people. I also appreciate the expectance of some pricing, however; we are not ready to supply that pricing as of yet, although I will say this... if some people have a budget for $40,000 for a book of 1000 copies of a 96 page book this year, I know some great mutual funds that they can invest the difference between what it's going to cost them to work with us and what it would cost on their own. Hopefully within a decade or so, they can make the money back they spent on the book with the mutual fund. Or they can just donate it to charity... I am sure some charities would appreciate that large of a donation.
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