Re: self publishing

**Saxon Holt s*@saxonholt.com**

I recently attended a seminar about self publishing sponsored  by my 
local chapter of ASMP.  Intended as a way for photographers to 
economically publish short run portfolio books it can just as easily 
work for writers.

The presentor was Prepress Assembly (www.prepress.com) which has found 
its traditional prepress work for publishers being eaten up by overseas 
printers.  With the newest digital printers which are actually very 
high end color laser printers, short run books (100 - 500 per run) are 
economical, fast, and beautiful (assuming due care is taken in layouts, 
separations, etc).  I saw a number of books they have done in the past 
18 months and was amazed with the quality.  They are not technically 
"published" and an individual would have to go through the copyright 
process for a ISBN number but I suspect this technology will make, and 
should make, every serious writer a published author.

Anyone who makes speaking engagements or websales can sell their book 
and it is not vanity if we are doing it to make a living.  The Prepress 
folks were very vague about the actual costs because every customer has 
widely different needs to prepare digital files and designing layout 
but I suspect 100 books of 100  pages might cost $3-4K to set up then 
$6 -10 each there-after.  Costs drop with quantity and if one were to 
want more than 800 - 1000 at once it would be cheaper to find a 
traditional printer.  A prepress company could probably even find one 
for you.

Every major town has these prepress companies who are used to doing 
mock-up prepress work for catalogue manufacturers, advertising 
agencies, and local publishers.  Most of them will be adapting to 
digital printing.  Food for thought.

Saxon Holt
Saxon Holt Photography
Gardens and Ornamental Horticulture
www.saxonholt.com
415.898.8880

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