Checking interest in Album Design to 3rd Party

wildviper

Hi All,
My wife and I have decided to start a business designing Coffee Table books. The custom ones and not "templated" ones. We did one book as a gift to someone, and everyone that has seen it were just amazed.

So I am checking in here to see if there is interest to a photographer for custom designers for coffee table books?

Our idea is to pitch to photographers to take over this task while they go out and shoot. They can pitch it as their own work and charge whatever they want to the end-clients. We just do the designing and printing if needed.

What do you think? Is there a need for such a service to a photographer?

JimM

I would think such a service is of interest to a lot of people. I know a lot of wedding photographers outsource their album design.

Depending on pricing, I might be interested.

wildviper

We are coming up with the pricing right now. It is hard since a lot of people I have seen charge per "picture".

My wife and I both do not agree with this. We like to have our creativity open and not restrict anyone(within limits of course).

Currently we are looking at designing costs on a package basis. So for example:

Design Only - 40 pages (20 spreads) - $X

• 40 Pages (20 spreads) - $X
• 60 Pages (30 Spreads) - $Y
• and so on.

If needed, we can have books printed for additional $ and so on.

There is a lot of specifics that need to be figured out..for example,

• Do we have creative freedom?
• Can we also decide which pictures to use (say out of 2,000)? Of course family + Friends would have to be identified if they are going in.
• Do you need Proofs?
• How many revisions?
• and such things.

Also, our website is not up yet. We are in the process of finalizing the logo.

Jim, thank you for your answer. Is it ok if we contact you later once we finalize a lot of these things?

Also, what is the typical charge that you have paid if you do not mind me asking?

anwmn1

I would be interested as well.

Couple of questions-

1. Is there a difference between a coffee table book and a wedding albulm - in you designs?
2. Are you using printed photographs and matting or printing directly onto the pages themselves?
3. Hardback, leather, or bound?

Do you have pictures of any that you have already done that we can see?

Thanks-

Aaron

cmason

I have an idea for a coffee table book about coffee tables...what do you think?




rofl

wildviper

Well, the ones I am talking about are the ones that are actually printed on the pages.

I do not have a website yet...still figuring out the logo and other details.

But, I am attaching a page from a book that we are currently designing for someone's 15th year Anniversary. This page is not totally complete and I need to fix the color and erase a lot of dust & scratches...but you can get an idea.

Also, I have blurred their faces since I do not have permission from them to put them on the web yet.

As for the finishing...it is upto the photographer. We can just design for whatever size and number of pages they want. So, if you have a book publisher you use already..you can just send them the final pages.

Alternatively, we can get the books printed by Asukabook, pictobooks and so on. CHoice here is quite a few, but we intend to narrow down our choices. Probably just Pictobooks and Asukabook.

When the website is up, I will announce it here...that will have samples.

JimM

I have not paid for these services yet, so I can't help you there. Once you get things worked out, please contact me, yes.

wildviper

Rather than starting a new thread, I figured to revive this one again. I know its been sometime, but we are officially open for business. (mods: we can promote right?)

Here is the website link: http://www.fotomango.com

Please let me know if you would be interested to knowing more.

THank you

Moogle Pepper

This sounds neat! Please do keep me updated on what you are looking for towards the coffee table book, submission reqs, and payment, among other thigns.

wildviper

Moogle Pepper wrote:

This sounds neat! Please do keep me updated on what you are looking for towards the coffee table book, submission reqs, and payment, among other thigns.

Our idea is to market to photographers mainly for the design side of things for the albums.

We have noticed that photographers are spending time designing or even using a template based service to just get the albums done.

That typically leads to two things: 1. You are not shooting when you are designing and 2. Your template based albums may generate the initial "wow", but it doesn't really leave an indelible stamp in their mind of that "wow" feeling.

Our goal is to not only create a design that will have that "Wow" feeling, but that it leaves an impression of amazement. (after all that is what will create the referrals for you)

We are not tied to any particular album company and thus can design based on your specs. What we have done so far, has been on Asukabook albums.

So, you can tell us to design for GP Albums and we would do just that. You can handle the printing on your own if you wish, or we can upload the files and place the order for you. Printing cost is what they would charge anyways.

As for our charges, there are multiple ways of getting things done. I will PM you and then can email you a price list we have.

One more note: though the site mentions for "consumers" as well, we are not really marketing to them. Friends and Family are the typical consumer for us or anyone they refer to us.