Best BOOK self-publisher? Lulu/Blurb/Costco/etc?

photobug

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]My wife and I need to find a online book publishing site that allows one to easily:
[/FONT]

• [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] input scanned images (e.g. genealogy charts)[/FONT]
• [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]write and edit blocks of text -- anything from simple captions up through 2-3 pages of text
  [/FONT]
• [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]layout photos[/FONT]
• [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]with a high-quality cover, preferably eith the option of embossed leather
  [/FONT]
• [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]print up to approx 100 pages in the book
  [/FONT]

And it goes without saying that we want to see high quality (very good to excellent) results. (for example, I used Kodak Ofoto for a calendar before and was terribly disappointed in the quality of the printed photos; this time we have to "get it right the first time")

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]We'd like to publish a book including genealogy charts, family history, the wedding, and subsequent life and times of my in-laws' past years. This is for a gift for a "big" wedding anniversary of theirs. [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]It should be fairly easy to assemble, as my wife will be doing most of the work; she does well with a basic doc editor like Word but isn't familiar with full-blown publishing programs.

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]What web self-publisher could you recommend that can handle these requirements? We've heard of Lulu.com, BookSurge.com(Amazon), and Blurb.com. My wife hears that even Costco offers a photo album type of thing, but we're not sure if you can enter blocks of text or just captions, or how high-quality the finished product is. We have never physically seen a book published through any of these services.

Suggestions or feedback based on experience with any of these services is much appreciated! [/FONT]

ChatKat

Research
I've researched many books that allow for text in addition to photographs.

And I've played with some of the software.
I haven't done the Lulu but I've looked at it - neutral on it. Same wiht Snapfish books

I have done the Blurb and think it's close to perfect for what you want. The recipient can order them without your intervening - that is a biggie
Quality is very nice.

I've used Digilabs software - the books are printed by Digilabs.com and Mpix.com. They are really nice too.

I think the Blurb will work well and it coordinates with Smugmug so that will help ease the transtioning. And family can go on line to order the Blurb books.

photobug wrote:

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]My wife and I need to find a online book publishing site that allows one to easily:
[/FONT]

• [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]input scanned images (e.g. genealogy charts)[/FONT]
• [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]write and edit blocks of text -- anything from simple captions up through 2-3 pages of text
  [/FONT]
• [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]layout photos[/FONT]
• [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]with a high-quality cover, preferably eith the option of embossed leather
  [/FONT]
• [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]print up to approx 100 pages in the book
  [/FONT]

And it goes without saying that we want to see high quality (very good to excellent) results. (for example, I used Kodak Ofoto for a calendar before and was terribly disappointed in the quality of the printed photos; this time we have to "get it right the first time")

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]We'd like to publish a book including genealogy charts, family history, the wedding, and subsequent life and times of my in-laws' past years. This is for a gift for a "big" wedding anniversary of theirs. [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]It should be fairly easy to assemble, as my wife will be doing most of the work; she does well with a basic doc editor like Word but isn't familiar with full-blown publishing programs.

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]What web self-publisher could you recommend that can handle these requirements? We've heard of Lulu.com, BookSurge.com(Amazon), and Blurb.com. My wife hears that even Costco offers a photo album type of thing, but we're not sure if you can enter blocks of text or just captions, or how high-quality the finished product is. We have never physically seen a book published through any of these services.

Suggestions or feedback based on experience with any of these services is much appreciated! [/FONT]

Art Scott

I have been researching this for some time and came across ASUKA BOOKS...but I am still wioth out proper resources (computer wise) to work with any....I tried for the free book from Blurb and they had just updated their software and refused to allow me to download the older version to be able to see their quality and I know alot of people here use them but I prob will not even after a computer upgrade.....I have a mag that lists a lot of self pubs especially for wedding photog and I am trying to find it again..may have loaned it out.......

Will be watching this thread............

Kenny

Art Scott wrote:

I have been researching this for some time and came across ASUKA BOOKS...but I am still wioth out proper resources (computer wise) to work with any....I tried for the free book from Blurb and they had just updated their software and refused to allow me to download the older version to be able to see their quality and I know alot of people here use them but I prob will not even after a computer upgrade.....I have a mag that lists a lot of self pubs especially for wedding photog and I am trying to find it again..may have loaned it out.......

Will be watching this thread............

While I haven't actually used Asuka Books, I do have a book printed by them. The quality of the printing/binding/presentation is superb. They aren't cheap, but they are good! I know that you can download templates from their website that you use in Photoshop. So while there's probably no "text editor" involved, you can lay out whatever text you like in Photoshop.

Cheers,
Kenny

photobug

First, thanks everyone for the responses! Please keep them coming -- we'd love to hear from people with experiences with many of these services.

Art Scott wrote:

...ASUKA BOOKS...

I haven't even considered Asuka. I tried just to get a price list from them a year or so ago; they wouldn't even provide that without requesting an estensive pedigree from me (felt like they were nearly asking for a copy of our tax return!), presumably to prove that I was an active professional photographer. To be euphemistic, that really rubbed me the wrong way. If they've changed their attitude, we might take another look.

Kenny wrote:

...Asuka Books... I know that you can download templates from their website that you use in Photoshop. So while there's probably no "text editor" involved, you can lay out whatever text you like in Photoshop.

Photoshop templates are good; if I was doing a photo coffee-table book, I'd really like that. But they probably won't help in this situation, since my wife and sister-and-law (mostly my wife) will be preparing this anniversary book, and they've never touched Photoshop. I could help with parts of it, of course ...

photobug

My wife asks a couple of additional questions:

1. This album we're putting together for my in-laws will include contributions (photos, typed letters, handwritten letters, etc) from many contributors. Is there an easy way to let others deposit content to the book "project" on any of these sites? Or, for security, do we really need to collect all of it on our end and upload all content ourselves?
   
   
2. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Most of these web sites only have individual book page formats like "wedding album", "vintage", "modern", etc. Is there any way to combine all pages into one album? Or, do you have to select one type of pages only? Our book wants to encompass everything; for instance, a vintage format would look great for the genealogy part but silly for the wedding part. Maybe we'd have to do 3 different books to mix the styles?
   [/FONT]

Art Scott

photobug wrote:

I haven't even considered Asuka. I tried just to get a price list from them a year or so ago; they wouldn't even provide that without requesting an estensive pedigree from me (felt like they were nearly asking for a copy of our tax return!), presumably to prove that I was an active professional photographer. To be euphemistic, that really rubbed me the wrong way. If they've changed their attitude, we might take another look.

...

They musta step off the high horse ...another euphemistic statement:D....cause I was on their site...asked a ? gave email addy and I am still getting little ad emails from them and no pedigree ask for from this Heinz57:D:D

Good luck and as soon as I get that mag bak with tons 'o listing I will share them here........................

ChatKat

Um...their market is the Pro
Asuka doesn't sell to other than Professional Photographers. It's not their pedigree - that is their market. There are many album companies (and other suppliers, labs, framers, etc.) that only sell that way. Personally, I would not want my client to be able to duplicate what I can sell to them. It's one more thing that makes my service more valuable.

If you were a doctor, would you want your patient to be able to buy a scalpel?

Art Scott wrote:

They musta step off the high horse ...another euphemistic statement:D....cause I was on their site...asked a ? gave email addy and I am still getting little ad emails from them and no pedigree ask for from this Heinz57:D:D

Good luck and as soon as I get that mag bak with tons 'o listing I will share them here........................

photobug

Asuka's market=Pros. No problem.

ChatKat wrote:

Asuka doesn't sell to other than Professional Photographers. ... that is their market.

That is completely obvious, and I have no problem with that, per se. But I don't understand how that is supposed to work in practice -- someone starting out their business has to buy albums from Asuka's competitors for a couple of years, until Asuka is willing to talk with them?

Also, that implies that the higher cost for Asuka's products is not so much for higher quality, but for exclusiveness, because only well-established pros can buy from them?

I do completely understand the Pro customer's point of view, wanting access to unique/exclusive album products. But something about Asuka's attitude (I can't quite put my finger on it) comes off in an unnecessarily snobby or elitist manner. Perhaps it would help if Asuka re-worded some of its web pages, to "position" itself in a positive way as still Pro-only, but that reads less offensively to semi-pros and advanced amateurs. I'm sure that's what it really intends, although the way it's worded, it comes off negatively to some.

Have you ever seen the scene in the hilarious movie "L.A. Story" where Steve Martin is trying to get a reservation at the latest "hot" restaurant, and the maitre d' (Patrick Stewart) requests a copy of Steve Martin's tax return before he can accept a reservation? Bingo. That's my experience of Asuka.

..Let's get back to the original question -- what album companies can you recommend that fit the needs expressed in the original posting in this thread?

p.s. the references to "pedigree" were to the pedigree that Asuka expects its customers to provide (not to Asuka's pedigree).