Blurb.com certainly has been on my radar for sometime now. The idea of on demand publishing is a powerful idea that is executed very well there. Although there is still a stigma attached to the idea of publishing your own content without the guidance of an editor or the backing of a huge publishing house it exists only as a remnant from the dinosaurs. Like my wife says- we are a generation that demands to have what we want-Now. Photoprenuer just ran an article on the promotional contest by blurb.com to give $25,000 to the person that submits the best designed photo book.

I had already planned on publishing a book to coincide with the release of my new abstract work in May. The contest brought some interesting things to mind, first the offer of $25,000 certainly encouraged me to download the blurb software and sign up for an account. However, I ran into a time crunch of sorts– the need to learn how to manipulate another application built to be simple to do something complex (iweb comes immediately to mind) always becomes a time sink that threatens other priorities. That coupled with the pressure to compete as a designer when my real passion is photography has effectively put this project on hold.

My first inclination was to collaborate with a designer but after checking the rules only entrants solely responsible for the design and content are eligible. This seems a little backwards to the trends in art and in commerce lately of using the power of collaboration to create projects. I know I am a great photographer and I could crank out a good design for a book but I also know I am not a great designer. My address book is full of great designers and that is what they do, it is their life– just like photography for me.

My prediction is that photographic content will take a back seat to book design and a designer will win the $25000.

• What is your prediction?
• Do you agree that collaboration should have been included?
• What should I name my new book?