Week Eight
Lecture Notes:
Lecture Summary:
Really useful lecture to hear about the publishing techniques from someone that has used crowdfunding but also made his own publishing company swell as a book. I think one of the main points that stood out for me within the lecture was the ending words, ‘be really precious - you only get one shot make it great and make sure you love it’ I think that one of the problems these days is there are a lot of books being published but not enough people really like what they are publishing, so it was really nice to hear about how he has been successful in his production and selling. Then the next lecture, again useful to show some examples that I would like to research later on this week.
Broken Screen - Penelope Umbrico
Google Book -
Self assembling book
Resource Notes:
Resource Summary:
Nice to see the continuation of the book from last week - again some really interesting chapters particularly focussing on the money and the publishing side of how you get a book out there but also how you are able to fund your own book yourself. Ive not really heard any of these techniques before as I thought you just simply went to a publishing how but I quite like the way of doing this yourself on crowdfunded way or even one of the ways that was spoken about during the lecture. I do see why a lot of people do decider to self fund.
Research:
Broken Screen - Penelope Umbrico
I was really drawn to this book during the lecture of this week, I love the colours and the random kind of effect that is used throughout the book and I thought it was interested that she chose to take something that is a Digital outcome and make it so paper orientated.
“ll images in Out of Order: Bad Display are cropped from images found on eBay, Craigslist, and Alibaba of used TVs and computer monitors sold for parts between 2008 and 2016.
Umbrico cropped the screens from hundreds of images of computers and TVs she found for sale on these websites, giving a second lease on life to these worn, obsolete and sold for parts objects.
Out of Order: Bad Display is a negotiation of the screen as a threshold that sifts and registers the result of the sift; a mid-point between reception and emission, here and there, concrete materiality and digital ephemerality. Neither here nor there, dead or alive, the screen is invisible until something goes wrong.
I find thousands of them used, unwanted, obsoletein a kind of purgatorial state, sitting waiting- for sale on the web. Waiting to be wanted, recounting the failure of their own promising technology. Emitting some chemical light, they hum, but tells no story. What invisible signals do they receive and emit; and what signals are sifted out by way of their inability to register the sign. Descended from order, now out of order, muted voiceless, guts and peel, marked by flaw or by hand, point or puncture, with unruly liquid chemical flow.
Bad Display reproduces images of these obsolescent screens using a process that is on the verge of obsolescence itself (perhaps the result of the very objects it is reproducing). A materialization of ephemeral images found online - digital signal transcribed to ink. The pathology of the ghost in the machine; the messiness of matter.”
http://www.penelopeumbrico.net/index.php/books/out-of-order-bad-display/
Google Book
Graphic designers Felix Heyes and Ben West have been collecting images for the first result for every word in the dictionary. I think the outside of the book is so beautiful because it kind of has a darker version of all the colours that are within google but at the same time I think the Inside is clever and fascinating especially because google change their search engine around at different times but it looks like a really Nice book from the outside and with in is some really bad photography and a really thick book to read and carry.
Self assembling book
An automatic book - Challenging the capabilities of the Google Vision Intelligent service. In a collaboration with the professors, Demian Conrad and Piere-Alain Giesser, they analysed an online algorithm and obtained an image. A collection of these themes were detected by the machine. They were then able to create an automatic layout from the words in relation to the images.
I think this is such an interesting workshop due to the random-ness of the outcomes. I also loved the simplicity of the whole images and the themes within, it feels very controlled.
Methods to launch, market and promote - self publishing
I’ve decided to just look at some blogs to see how people say to launch, market and promote.
Launch
Essentials -
Completed Text
Professional Review
Copy editing / Proofreading
Quality Cover
Description
Keywords
End matter
Front Matter
Free download
Launch with a price promotion
Launch at free to score reviews
Reviews ready to go
Announce book launch Schedule features on book promotion sites
Pick a launch date
Hire a cover artist
Identify bloggers
Captivating book summary and ad copy
Promote Book overtime.
Launch Calendar
Ive also researched and found out that you can launch your book on amazon for free, so I think this would be a great platform although i’m unsure what percentage amazon would take from you.
Marketing
Record yourself opening your first author copy and flipping through the pages
Share why your wrote the book/why it’s so important to you
Record yourself signing books for your advanced readers/bloggers
Host a giveaway of your book on social media to build hype and see the type of people interested in your book (this can help you identify your target audience when creating social media or Amazon ads)
Social media
Defy the Digital World
Newsletter
Google Analytics
Amazon Marketing services
Facebook Ads
Get People competing
Don’t stop
Promotion
Have your own blog
Increase your online presence to spread the word
Use social media
learn from the most popular books in your genre - what helps them sell
Get reviews for your books
Write an enticing book blurb
Invest in professional cover design service
Maximise your distribution channels
Book Promotion and Marketing
Quality is really important
Brand yourself this enables you to be known
know your limits
get your print materials out there
https://99designs.co.uk/blog/book-design/book-promotional-materials/
How to self publish
I found this particularly useful article which is about how to self publish with some really good advice.
choosing to self publish
do your research
be professional and use professionals
shop for help
selling your book
Visibility !! - put your book on sites that allow it to be recommended.
Take responsibility for your books.
Analyse successful methods
To analyse some successful methods that have been deployed my designers i’m going to look at the different websites that have these kinds of publications; Behance, Crowdfunder and Kick Starter. I will choose a couple from each and analyse what they’ve done well.
Kickstarter
This is such a cute little book that stood out to me straight away. The overall layout and the colours all make the identity of the book look really good with the interior being black and white. Then in the same font of the book he’s done what you would receive if you donate a certain amount of money. Then he has done some goals to what people would receive if he he hit certain money targets - again with the yeti characters and the same font and colours. I think this illustrator and writer seems to know what he has been doing and has definitely been here before as everything is very cohesive.
Gentlemen’s Club - the book
Another one that was really different to the previous but seemed bright and interested was this book that looks at taking images of the American culture and urbanism. Trying to understand the American landscape through a new angle. The form of the book takes as a kind of travel guide to the American landscape. Again it has been clearly laid out within he campaign section, awnsering all the questions that you would think to ask. The writer is a graphic designer as well as a photographer so he has the inside knowledge to design a cohesive book. I love the red or the pink for the cover and the imagery that looks at the graphics. Again it also lays out what you are able to receive if you get the right about of money but I also think because of the interesting nature of the book, they have already gone over the target. He also mentions how photography is a niche market and how the books can’t be printed in such bulk. I think the quality looks great too.
STORIED: Sharing Stories from Japan
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/retd/storied-sharing-stories-from-japan?ref=discovery_category
This kickstarter is a magazine that wants to celebrate slow and sustainable journalism with narratives and considered recommendations for each explorer. They decided to launch on the kickstarter because of the sense of community it encourages but also means they can pay everything up front to make sure they’re as sustainable as possible. The first magazine that they have going is about Japan and the stories about Japanese. they talk about the founder but also the journeys that they have been on to create the work. They’re photograph skills are amazing and so clean although only one example of how the magazine is laid out inside. I think they’ve done such a great job at already meeting their money target. All he questions are laid out really clearly and then answered and if you donate a lot then you can even become a brand partner.
Crowdfunder
Coalesce - Book
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/coalescebook
This book although they already completed their target goal, I really like the narrative behind their story which is looking at the project telling of the Cornish coastlines and promoting a sustainable lifestyle. All of the imagery is done by a Falmouth Graduate which looks great and really clear but also relates to the narrative. The layout of the book looks really clean lay out but also I love the font and the natural look of the book. They also have the amount that you donate with what you receive, the branding and the typography of the website also matches the imagery. They also have a video to go along with it if you weern’t sold already! I love this whole concept especially having knowledge on the amount of pollution that is dragged onto the Cornish beaches each year.
NOW YOU KNOW - Sound Advice
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/sound-advice-now-you-know
This was another one that really stood out to me, it looks on the reflection from architects and urbanists of colour address the spatial inequality and discrimination in the built environment industry. I think this is such a great concept especially as there was a lot of talk and information raised about this during lockdown. I think the advice within sounds really great but also the typography and the publishing aspect also really stand out as something thats really different. Every contributor writes a bit of a poem or an essay or an interview. Which is a really interesting way to put together the book. They have clearly laid out how you are able to receive the book due to donations and I think all of the wording about the book is really to the point.
Silver Surfer Journal
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/silver-surfer-journal
This is about an unique surfing journal by a 70 year old surfer. “Andrew’s surfing journey serves as inspiration for every level of surfer – from grommets to pros and everyone in between (including me). We can all relate to the different stages of his progression, learn from his achievements and mistakes, and – hopefully – absorb some of that relentless determination that has kept him going well past retirement age.
Andrew, in his introduction, refers to his journals as ‘vivid reminders of a life well-lived.’ They are also, I hope, a source of inspiration to anyone reading this book who feels a longing to do something they’ve perhaps been putting off too long. It really is never too late. The right time to start is right now. However old you may be.”
I think he overall construction of the books is so consistent and the way that they have laid it out not the website so you also know what money you re putting in. The photography of the book is so beautiful and the journal has been done in a way that kind of makes it trendy. The typography prints that you can also buy in the same colour of the typography within the book its just so cohesive. I also love the black and white imagery. I think its been so cleverly marketed aswell as its about his life swell as the addition of the the videos and all the updates and also all the social media links that really connect the story to real life.
All of the above books has shown what great illustrations and imagery can really do for a launch of a book. If it looks professionally made and is about something that is niche and a bit different then people are going to be interested in the marketing of it. I think I would also take the book to popular places around the area or make sure it can be known on any graphics website thats available for the self publishing.
Workshop:
Research methods to launch, market and promote a piece of self publishing.
Analyse successful methods, deployed by designers to promote and launch a publication, to inspire the launch of your product.
Deliver a short 100-word description to outline how you might fund, promote, market and launch your publication.
To fund this magazine, Reimagine, I thought about having a community fund raiser at the site, where I could sell the magazine and any money that was left over could then go to the regeneration of the park itself. I would also like to start a kickstarter page as over this week I have learnt about the truly giving platform that kickstarter is, again any excess money being donated to the regeneration of the park. I am hoping that the promoting my magazine on social media but also to the local arts university will allow for interest in the development but also the history of Southampton once more. Im hoping that I can also market the magazine in the local newspaper but also around the community to help with the funding. The magazine could also be sold to visitors of the park when they visit and buy tokens.
Complete your essay and design a visual synopsis of your publication, to include the following:
Front cover (with title and your name)
Chapter opener
Two double page spreads
Back cover (using your previously written short synopsis)
I began with a couple of mindmaps for this weeks output purely because I wasn’t really sure how to start.
I also drew out a couple of layouts and how I wanted them to look but also what I wanted the magazine to be called.
Again a couple of layouts but originally I only thought about doing 2 outputs.
I wanted the layout to be clean but also in a design and architecture style that could be adaptable for each issue that was released. I want the issues to be of good quality and to be printed on recycled paper but also be something that people can hang onto in the area or the community to see the development over time.
Synopsis:
Funfairs were first developed in the United Kingdom in the 18th century and have evolved into pleasure parks. The Southampton Pleasure Park near my home was built using construction methods by a local family and continues with its original values as a children’s play park. The research have not survived the passage of time being replaced by expensive theme parks with electronic rides. The research into the pleasure park has revealed the simple colourful rides are as popular today with young children as ever. The proposed development of The Southampton Pleasure Park to include better flood prevention and a colourful graphic identity would allow a new life for the park.
Process
After doing the mind maps and the sketches, I began with this idea that I had in my head about having the plan on the front cover which developed after I had critical feedback later in the week.
Within my feedback I was also told to focus on the plan and design aspect that had be so crucial within the story that I had told. So below is the original drawing that I did before I photoshopped it.
I then went onto photoshop it and then took this to the editorial to add on the labelling and everything else so it felt completed.
Final Outcomes
This is the final of all the pages put together in an order that you could find them within the book. I wanted it to be a very 70s colour scheme but also with that modern twist that brings it back to the current times. I also like the minimal aspect that allows for the image to speak for themselves.
Weekly Summary:
This week has been probably the most enjoyable week, particularly looking at kickstarter and crowdfunder at project that started online and have been funded and grown so big. I think I’ve enjoyed the creation side of this week particularly, its really taken me out of my comfort zones in ways that I never thought it would, from starting with a pretty full pages, I really tried to strip it back to allow for the words and images to speak on each page, if I was to complete the whole magazine this would also be clear.
I’ve also realised the amount of work that goes into each publication from this week alone, which is outlined in the resources this week. I never thought about how magazines were funded or how they would be marketed or published. Its such a huge industry so if you are relying on someone like kickstarter to get known then you have too make sure that your magazine is amazing. The crit was also really helpful for me this week enabling me to get out my head and see it from another perspective.
Ideas Wall Posts:
Reference list
Davies, R. (2021). STORIED: Sharing Stories from Japan. [online] Kickstarter. Available at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/retd/storied-sharing-stories-from-japan?ref=discovery_category [Accessed 13 May 2021].
Herbert, J. (2019). Silver Surfer Journal. [online] Crowdfunder UK. Available at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/silver-surfer-journal [Accessed 13 May 2021].
Prost, F. (2021). Gentlemen’s Club - the book. [online] Kickstarter. Available at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/francoisprost-gcb/gentlemens-club-the-book?ref=discovery_category [Accessed 13 May 2021].
Saddall, L. (2012). Ben West and Felix Heyes’ Google Image Book – someone had to do it. [online] www.itsnicethat.com. Available at: https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/google-image-book [Accessed 13 May 2021].
Sound Advice (2020). “NOW YOU KNOW”, the publication. [online] Crowdfunder UK. Available at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/sound-advice-now-you-know [Accessed 13 May 2021].
Stelzer, V. (2019). Coalesce - Book. [online] Crowdfunder UK. Available at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/coalescebook [Accessed 13 May 2021].
Umbrico, P. (2016). Out of Order: Bad Display : Penelope Umbrico. [online] www.penelopeumbrico.net. Available at: http://www.penelopeumbrico.net/index.php/books/out-of-order-bad-display/ [Accessed 13 May 2021].
West, B. (2012). Google (2012). [online] vimeo.com. Available at: https://vimeo.com/42481397 [Accessed 13 May 2021].
Witter, J. (2021). Yeti Friend (a small story) by Jason L. Witter. [online] Kickstarter. Available at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2102736007/yeti-friend-a-small-story-by-jason-l-witter?ref=discovery_category [Accessed 13 May 2021].