Joshua
Turner reports back from Rob Hornstra’s DIY Publsihing Masterclass

Introduction

The
International Anthony Burgess Foundation was recently host to a collection of Redeye
members for Rob Hornstra’s DIY Publishing
Masterclass. As the title of the event suggests, this had the scope to encompass
a huge range of topics, to cover all in a single day would have allowed a mere
glance at each topic. Hornstra’s approach to this conglomeration of topics was
to have an audience-led discussion, during which he would delve into his rich
experience of self-publication, exploring the ebb and flow of audience interest
as the day went on, allowing for an in-depth look at subjects relevant to the
audience. Hornstra’s no-nonsense approach to the whole event was a refreshing
take on photography, which can be a particularly tricky medium to navigate at
times; he certainly didn’t beat about the bush. This article highlights, in a
whistle-stop tour, some of the most interesting and applicable aspects of
self-publishing covered during the talk.

Elevator Pitch

Hornstra
preceded the open discussion with an introduction that focused on the importance
of pitching your idea, or more accurately, pitching the idea in a confident,
succinct and enticing way.  It can be
argued that this is the first point of contact your concept for a photobook, at
any stage of creation, will have in the world; stressing the importance of a good
elevator pitch. Essentially your pitch should establish that if your work does
not exist in the world, then this is considered an injustice to the photobook
community. This pitch, if successful, will convince people to give you money to
create the work; though sometimes considered an uncomfortable subject,
externally funding work is nothing to be ashamed about. Successful crowd
funding shows that your work has an audience before it has been finished. You
can afford to be subtle in your work, but it is important to be explicit in
your elevator pitch. As Martin Parr put it, “If you can’t explain what you’re
doing in one sentence, it’s hardly worth doing.”

Audience & Relevance

There
was a significant contemplation on the photobook as a medium for presenting
your work. The reason for contemplation is to ensure your work is best suited
for final presentation in a photobook, depending on what your work is about. If
you intend to create a powerful response and commentary on a social issue, for
example, then the suitability of a photobook is questionable because this
audience is narrow in the larger context of how media is consumed; photobooks
are not the optimal output method for social activism in photography, consider
the possibility of an online exhibition. However, if your intention is to use
photography to portray a narrative, not to change the world but to convey a
story that is engaging and informative, then a photobook could be relevant; is
you work aimed at the photographic community or a wider community? Production of
a photobook does not need to be inspired by a passion to change the world, the
process of expanding your practice is a totally credible reason for doing so.

Collaboration

The Jack of all trades is a Master
of none, the well-known
allegory comes to mind as Hornstra expresses the necessity of collaboration in
the process of producing a photobook. To undergo an extensive photographic
project is an intensive task in and of itself, from exploring initial concepts
to shooting cohesive narratives through the use of images is not a simple task,
not to mention all that happens in between. From this to then fund, process,
edit, design, print, bind, advertise and distribute the entire photobook
yourself may be something you have convinced yourself to be manageable, but
consider the vast improvements that could be made to your work with fresh eyes,
alternative methods and new ideas. Photography and photobooks thrive on a
collaborative practice.

Crowd Funding

In
2004 Hornstra had a problem. The decision had been made that he wanted the
final piece of work produced on his degree to be in the form of a book, yet the
price of a professionally printed book was simply too expensive. When considering
the number of books he needed, it was established that he wanted more than one
copy, and after mentioning this to family members they also wanted copies. A
friend in a bar encouraged him to advertise the book for pre-sale, asking for
the money now and the book would be delivered at a later date; the book, Communism & Cowgirls, was
successfully funded. This was 5 years before the arrival of Kickstarter (2009),
yet Hornstra considers Kickstarter to complicate the process of crowdfunding.
By knowing your audience from most to least invested in your work by location,
he says you will find most of your audience is local to you; as the distance
from you extends, the likelihood of someone buying your photobook diminishes. Though
personally, I find Kickstarter to be a great platform on which you can expand
your initial audience and extend your reach.  

About Donators

Crowd
funding is an essential part of self-publication, without which the independent
production of books would be much more difficult to fund. The most important
aspect when crowd funding a project is trust, this is especially relevant if
you are funding independently of online platforms such as Kickstarter;
Kickstarter introduces an aspect of insurance for backers. It is essential for
your audience to trust that you are going to carry out the project as promised
once they have handed over their money, if they have an inkling of doubt, it is
less likely for you to receive funding in the first place. There should be
total clarity with your supporters throughout the process of the project, updating
them with key information about the specific stage of the work. Yet a personal
touch can also work, during The Sochi project, Hornstra updated his supporters by
sending post cards, this held no crucial information, but it would have
reminded them of what they are supporting and reinforced the knowledge that
there was a photographer in the field. Photography is no secretive endeavour,
especially when it is being supported by so many people, share you experiences
and engage your audience for a personalised campaign.

End Note

Self-publishing
can be highly beneficial to the photographer wanting to expand their practice
into publication whilst having total control over the final outcome. An
understanding of self-publication as a concept opens up a new world of possibilities,
as the intermediary of a publisher isn’t necessary for the production of a
photobook. The photobook is a wonderful medium as it enables control over the
sequencing of imagery out of the context of a gallery space, holds material
qualities that can reflect the narrative it encloses, makes photography
accessible to the masses and encompasses a variety of execution methods from handmade
zines in the tens to large print runs in the thousands. Self-publishing makes
these methods accessible to photographers, and once you establish this medium
is relevant to your practice, there are countless ways of using the medium to
present your work.