Another Blurb Book

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No, not mine this time. I've made several print-on-demand books using the Blurb service and blogged about it here. About this time the past two years, I've been busily finishing my entry to Blurb's annual photo book contest but decided to stay away this year (not that it would matter). Instead, I'm working on a book for the Louisiana Photographic Society.

I've been a member of the Louisiana Photographic Society for several years now. Our club is very active and it seemed a good idea to make a brag book. Blurb offers many book sizes and formats. The best size book for this project seems to be the 8x10 inch landscape format. An 80 page book would cost about $30 in soft cover or $45 in hard cover. This price includes a quantity discount and shipping based on an initial order of at least ten copies. That price does not include any profit for LPS. After the initial order, the book can be made public and additional copies ordered directly from Blurb.

In our 80 page book, 6 pages will be used for title, introduction, LPS history and LPS group scenes. This leaves 74 pages for LPS member photographs. Each participating LPS member will be allowed at least 2 pictures so up to 37 LPS members can participate. The acceptance criteria is simply “First offered, first accepted.” We have about 100 members and I'd consider a 37% participation rate to be very good.

Although the Blurb quality is pretty good, there are sometimes complaints about black and white photos so our book will have only color photos. Even though the format is called “8x10”, the landscape photos are really 7.6x5.3 inches (actually 2271 x 1588 pixels); portraits are 5x6 inches (actually 1500 x 1796 pixels). The book design is very simple: Each photo will have only a caption and photographers name.

In addition to the picture size and resolution, all photos must be in the sRGB color profile in order to have some hope of reasonable color management. I've asked that files be submitted without final print sharpening so that I can add print sharpening consistently.

This is meant to be a fun project and not a fund raiser although everyone participating must purchase a copy of the book. We'll make the book public but don't expect to sell many (any?). As the project progresses, I'll post updates and links for a preview.
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More Preview Pages at Blurb

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I've made several Blurb books, learned a lot in the process and (I hope) am getting better at both editing and book design. Previously, Blurb allowed 15 page "previews". Now, a Blurb author can choose to allow unlimited previews. I've opened my Swiss Army Knife book and my dad's autobiography to full previews.

Update: Just like last year, my entry to Blurb's Photography Book Now (Swiss Army Knives at Work and Play) did not win, place, or show -- or get mentioned at all. Oh well, I like it and voted for it. Wait 'til next year!

Lessons Learned: Not all, but a significant number of the winning or mentioned books in Blurb's Photography Book Now contest used a very simple design: blank page on the left page, one large print on the right page. Sometimes the left hand page includes the caption or a comment about the right hand page. This is especially interesting considering that Blurb offers so many page templates and variations on design. No doubt I've been using overly complex designs and layouts.
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Swiss Army Knives at Work and Play

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Swiss Army Kni...

by

By Gordon S. Buck

Book Preview

A new book is on my coffee table: Swiss Army Knives at Work and Play. Of course, it's my own book, published at Blurb. So far, it is a, uh, very limited edition. The book has been entered in the 2009 version of Blurb's book contest.
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My Story

My Story

The Life and Times ...

By Gordon S. Buck Sr.

Book Preview

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After some years of researching Buck family history, my dad, Gordon Sandlin Buck Sr., wrote his own memoirs, which he called "My Story". I promised to get his memoirs published and have (finally) done so. "My Story" is available at the Blurb website for print-on-demand self publishing.

My dad's memoirs begin with his early and fond memories of his grandfather, Matthew Masterson, in Decatur, Alabama. He wrote about growing up in Decatur and then being drafted into the army. In the army, he learned electronics and especially the details of radar. During World War II, my dad was installing and maintaining radar stations in and around Central America, especially the Panama Canal. After WWII, my dad eventually returned to radar as a civilian instructor for the Air Force in Biloxi, Mississippi.

The book is really a family book but I'm making it available on the Blurb website just in case someone else is interested. The first ten pages of the book can be previewed.

This was a good project and I hope seeing this book and realizing how it was done will encourage others to do so as well.
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Blurb Book Contest: People's Choice

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In a previous post, I asked for your help
in a book making contest at Blurb. This is one more request for help.

The Blurb contest has drawn in over 2000 contestants from around the world. Apparently Blurb thought there would be several hundred instead of several thousand entries. Blurb has decided to add a "People's Choice" category and allow registered Blurbarians to vote for their favorite. All the contest entries are at this link; my own entry is here.

You can only vote once and must be registered at Blurb to vote. Registration is relatively simple and if you are inclined to make your own book I can recommend Blurb having done three personal books there with a fourth in progress.

Voting ends on September 10 and the winners will be announced September 19.
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100th Post!

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I just realized that the previous post was number 100!

LightDescription usually has about 350 hits per day and, every now and then, about twice that many. Thanks to those of you who've made compliments and suggestions. I've certainly learned a lot about photography in general and the Canon G9 in particular while writing this blog. Thanks also to those of you who've previewed my Blurb book.

I'll soon have a few more comments about face detection and outdoor flash at a family reunion before shifting into an update on my approach to noise reduction for the G9.
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Shameless Plug

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In keeping with the saying "He that tooteth not his own horn, the same shall not be tooted." – usually attributed to John L. Lewis – please take a preview of my book, “My Best and My Favorites” over at Blurb.

Blurb.com is a print-on-demand service that my wife and I have used several times to make a few copies of personal photography books. The basic procedure is to download the Blurb software and then, working offline, assemble a book using the Blurb templates. The completed book is then uploaded (takes a while). The software is fairly simple to use although a bit quirky sometimes (especially with text). We think that the Blurb quality is good. The price is, well, expensive at first thought but actually not too bad.

Anyway, Blurb is having a contest and I’ve entered it – along with about 1500 other photographers. The judging is by a panel of experts but it seems that Blurb does track the number of previews so please preview my book and give it a boost in the ratings!

And if you have entered the Blurb contest, well … OK, fair is fair. You look at mine and I’ll look at yours – just leave the link in a comment here and we’ll all take a look.

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