POD Photo Books

July 15th, 2020
I'm looking into creating a photo book not only for personal use but to offer to friends and others who'd like to purchase it. I want to do it through a print on demand service as I'd rather not be responsible for printing & distribution.

I've narrowed my search down to Blurb or Lulu, which both provide a service of making your book available for purchase, giving the author a percentage of the earnings. Does anyone have any experience with them or have any other suggestions or advice? Thanks in advance! :)
July 16th, 2020
I haven't used them but the book I did publish was done through Kiindle. I didn't even want to hold product and have to deal with shipping so that made the best sense. People can buy it and download it without me having to print or ship it. I'm guessing that you could probably do that with Blurb and Lulu too.
July 16th, 2020
I have used Blurb a couple of times but only for my own use....not to sell. I will say that one time some of the photos were way less that acceptable when printed in the book but when I contacted then about it they reprinted and resent the books no questions asked once I showed the them quality I had received. It has been a while but l recommend them based on that interaction!
July 16th, 2020
I've had good experiences with Blurb, but also only for my own use, at least up until now.
July 16th, 2020
@olivetreeann - Good to know, I'll look into Kindle too but yeah it seems like the same principal. Thanks much, Ann.

@grammyn - That's great they easily reprinted your book with no hassle! Thanks for the recommendation, Katy.

@spanishliz - Thank you for sharing Liz! Glad to know many have had good experiences with Blurb.
July 16th, 2020
I think with Blurb, you have the option of letting someone who wants the book to pay for reproduction and shipping, or getting some percentage out of the sale. But you know that already. And I have only used their service for my on use, or to give to friends.

You might want to investigate what percent you ask for and how much does Blurb take out. I have not used them recently so my opinion/comments may be out of date. But you might want to look into that.

I like Blurb because there is a desktop application that you can work with while not being in an area with internet connection, or poor connection.

Good luck on your search.
July 18th, 2020
I have used Lulu. Easy to use and had no problems. People who have ordered the book (my family history, so all family members) have had no issues.
July 18th, 2020
@byrdlip - Thanks very much for the information! They look to a base price for every book and you add the markup for your profit. It seems to average around 30% or so.

Yes, I do like that there's a desktop application. Also I use Lightroom which has Blurb integrated in the book module which is really convenient.

I might try using Lulu for one project and Blurb for another and compare the two.
July 18th, 2020
@timerskine - Thanks very much for the feedback, Tim. I've been on the fence about Lulu as I haven't heard others mention them all too much. I'm very glad that yours and your family's experience has been good. That's very helpful to me. I'm closer to giving them a try!
July 18th, 2020
@cjphoto Let us know who it turns out.
July 20th, 2020
@byrdlip - Will do! ;)
December 7th, 2020
@olivetreeann @grammyn @byrdlip @timerskine

Just wanted to give a quick update. I went with Lulu Press for my photo book. Their printing is quality but not as expensive as Blurb. That helped me keep the price of the book down while still getting a small cut.

Blurb has a few more bells and whistles when it comes to types paper and covers. I have another project that I'll test out with them.

Even still, I'm very satisfied with Lulu and with how well the book came out. The photos look good and it's very sturdy.

Thanks again for the feedback you all gave me back then!

The book is here for those who haven't seen it: https://365project.org/cjphoto/365/2020-12-04
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