Daniel Couch
@d_couch27 Jul
Zines!
Hi all, I’m working on 2 projects which I’m looking to self publish an ongoing series of zines. I have a cost for the logistics etc so I’m ok on that front. I’m hoping some of you more experienced photographers can help me with understanding when to do this in my journey as I don’t have a huge following on socials or anything.
I'd say: Whenever you want. I don't have any following but still I published multiple zines (and postcards) already in my own online-shop. Maybe people will buy, maybe not. But it would be a shame to rob the world of the possibility to experience your work.
(Okay, I'm not the most experienced here by a long shot, I only started my journey a bit more of a year ago... so, keep that in mind)
I’d say don’t wait until you have a big social media following. If you’re happy with the work and have a project that feels complete, just go for it. As long as you are happy with the work
I don’t have a huge online following, but I’ve recently self-published my first zine. I kept the print run modest and my aim was simply to break even. I looked at it as a learning experience, and there’s something really special about seeing your own work in print.
One thing I learned during the editing process is that less really is more. Be ruthless with your image selection, it’s better to have people wishing there were more photos than feeling there are too many.
A good project and a well-produced zine will always outlast chasing follower numbers. Start small, learn from the process, and if it resonates with people, you can always print more.
Thanks David, I’m going to go for it regardless. I’m looking at a 30 print run with most in a couple of local galleries and artsy coffee shops.
Sounds like you have a plan, good luck
I’ve done a few, both small runs of 50. And priced them at basically double the cost to make so I could give plenty away for free. Giving away is the fun part.
I’ve found a site called Mixam who do a zine self design and print service, for 30 prints at A5 it’s about £40 so that’s not bad at all to me. I’d sell them for £5 each at 16 pages. I’m actually really looking forward to it. I have an A3 printer at home I just need to print more work. It’s genuinely magical seeing your work printed.
I’ve used Mixam twice. Good quality and prices. If you are printing b/w photos, make sure you screen proof them as cmyk. I didn’t and they got kinda washed out. Once I calibrated my monitor and used their printer profile, the images were spot on.
Ah thanks I’ve been wondering why mine looked blue and washed out when I printed them!
edited
A humbling reality about photo books: At a workshop, Brad Feuerhelm of Nearest Truth said that you can 50,000 Instagram followers and count on that to sell fewer than 50 photo books. He says a lot of people can sell a couple of hundred copies the first time they publish a book because all of their friends and family will buy one. But they won't be there for your second book. ;-)
Yeah I’m expecting to sell a few to friends and family, I hope I can just sell 1 to an admirer. That would make me incredibly happy. I only have 150 followers but I’ll be posting these for sale on my website too.
Honestly, my advice is to go for it. Just jump in with the mindset that it’s purely for the fun and the learning experience.
There is so much value in the process itself: editing your work, learning layout and sequencing, and finally holding a tangible product in your hands. As @andybosselman mentioned, conversion rates from social media are tough, and you'll typically sell to less than 1% of strangers following you, so making money off small self-published runs is rare.
But if your goal is to grow as a photographer and make something physical you're proud of, you definitely don't need a massive following to start.
Yeah I’m just gonna do it, see what happens. Nothing ventured nothing gained. My ultimate goal is to display some of my work in a gallery or be featured in a magazine *cough* Framelines *cough* 🤣