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Your book(s) on Blurb used for examples of your work for future commerca...
Tips and Tricks
It would be more professional if I spelled commercial correctly :-)
Marj
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Your book(s) on Blurb used for examples of your work for future commerca...
Tips and Tricks
I ask Blurb whether they sell books to commercal publishers at the authors request of course. Obviously the answer was no, since Blurb makes their money from your published books. However they pointed out that you can save your book to a folder and use it as an example of your works to impress..
What better idea if you are looking for increased fame in your field of expertise!
Marj
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Suggestions for signing books and sending them to your clients
Ordering and Shipping
When free shipping is available it is a great time to get several books shipped to you, sign them for your special clients and then send them out to your clients with a billing adding on your markup and shipping if applicable. Many authors are just wanting to order for Christmas gifts. This is a great way to have them sent to you and do a special signing in the book before sending them of as a Christmas gift.
Marj
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Link to my book doesn't work for some people I invited to take a look.
BookSmart
I sent the invitation to look at my book to several people on-line. Some tried it and couldn’t get through to the book sale. They were able to get to blurb and my book but when they clicked on it to purchase they weren’t able to get the price page to order. Could it be that some providers are blocking the page or…????
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Mark up to find out your sales
Tips and Tricks
I forgot to mark-up my book on the third edition. I canceled my first and second aditions because I added more and lightened up a couple of photos and brought one bleed page to fit on the page on the third edition. I didn’t realize I hadn’t marked up the third edition for a few days. There is no way Blurb can keep track of your sales if you do not do a mark up on the price. If you aren’t concerned about making a profit but would like to see how many books you haved sold, mark-up a dollar just to track you sales. You won’t be able to find out who bought your books but at least you will see that you have some fans! Also their is a drop down screen for each month so you can check from month to month on the sales screen. Marj
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Is anyone happy with the result of your book?
Book Printing
Thank you so much Blurb!!! My first printing had several problems (mine) but I was very happy with it. I made changes to some photos which appeared a little dark or in one case where I had not set the bleed far enough from the edge of the page. I changed some photos I didn’t like and cleaned up some problems with my text. I also added a hard copy edition too. Yes, I too feel the first copy is a proof. I am very pleased with the quality and quick turn around. The book is The Manx Cat in case you would like to take a look.
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Problems may be user error
Tips and Tricks
When uploading pictures check to make sure they are within the quality, size and pixels required by Blurb. Photoshop is an easy way to increase your photos to 300 pixels. The quality of the picture makes a huge difference. If you are uploading a picture from your camera phone at 2 or 3 MGP your photo may have errors because the quality is not what is required for the print quality of Blurb.. These photos will show up on Blurb software with a warning that the photo is not large enough for the space you are putting it into. If your photo is out of focus, it will not show up in your book in focus. Your monitor may show great colors but that does not mean that your photo will reproduce with the same colors in your book. There is a bit more to adjusting on the side of the user than may be apparent at first glance. Please read and understand what is needed and requried by Blurb first. As for the binding process problems that has come up in the forum, the problem appears to be with a book of large size. Perhaps Blurb might require a smaller size book until larger book page bindings are more stable. I believe that Blurb is doing a wonderful job. Perhaps we should give them more credit. Printing books is not an easy process. Printing photos is even more complicated. If you have ever struggled with the print process at your local printers you can understand the complexity . I have not see any complaints about text if the wording or spelling is not correct. This is up to the user. The photo process is also in most part up to the user too. Using a great service like Blurb doesn’t mean that you will have great photos from poor photos. I have not yet published a book with Blub which will make you all laugh because I given you all such great tips and tricks!! So I may need to take my own advise after my first printing. Marj
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Flickr
BookSmart
If I add my photos to flickr which I have should they be shared in order for them to be uploaded to Blurb when I publish? Or can I keep them private and allow them to be uploaded to Blurb? Marj
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Authors, photographers, journalists: Is the line blurring between amateu...
General Interest
If a line could be drawn between professional and amateur, the line would not be a straight line. Simply selling your work does not make you a professional. Background such as schooling, years in the profession, creativity, qualitiy of tools used in creating work, contacts in the world of your chosen nitch, money required for advertising, printing, framing and other materials all have a place in the discussion. We as consumers and we as producers will need to depend on our own sense of what is good and what is not. It all comes down to agreement anyway. Techniques due to technology both digital, computer, and higher quality materials have incouraged many people to share, bluring the lines, making the lines squiggly, jagged, or transparent. Learning is easier due to the internet, books and people willing to share their expertise. What creative work appeals to an individual or group is their agreement. I agree with this artist that his/her work speaks to me, we agree as a group that the artist speaks to us. Yes, the lines are being blurred between the amateur and the professional and that I think is a good thing. Marj
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