Lydia Inglett describes books as a “visual and tactile experience” and says books are “more than just words and images.”
Participants in Lydia’s online class learned quite a bit about books and the publishing process yesterday. The most important skill participants learned is how to view books as two-page spreads instead of as single pages. A lesson in book anatomy quickly turned into a lesson in design as participants learned how dust jackets, endsheets, book covers, and paper type work together to create a book readers will want to pick up.
When Lydia talked about the publishing process, she gave attendees a lot of solid information to think about. Often in conversations about self-publishing, people use phrases such as “it doesn’t cost as much as this process” or “it can be expensive” when the subject of production costs is discussed. Instead of speaking in generalities, Lydia provided real examples (and real numbers) about the costs associated with publishing an art book. She compared the costs of creating a book using consumer bookmaking services to the costs of creating a book on a commercial level. The examples she provided were enlightening. The self-publishing option isn’t as expensive as you might think, yet it could be if you do not think through all of your options and do not weigh the return-on-investment (ROI) of one option to the ROI of other options.
Do you think about publishing a book someday? You’ll have to get organized. Participants learned exactly what they need to do to create a book about their art. Lydia discussed requirements for digital images and provided suggestions about how to organize a body of artwork and how to take the first step in organizing this work into a book.
In addition to providing invaluable insight into the bookmaking process, Lydia discussed how to market an art book by providing examples about how her authors have promoted their books successfully.
Participants left class with a lot of information and an actionable list of tasks to start them on their book projects. Thank you, Lydia, for teaching us so much!
Botanical Art Books Printed & Published by Lydia Inglett, Ltd.
Response to Nature: Botanical Watercolors 1972-2010
Fundamental Graphite Techniques
ArtPlantae Today 