Note: This is a sticky post.
So, the good news is that my Supervisor has roped me in to work with the State Government on the production of a coffee table book on turtles.
But the bad news is that I do not have much experience in terms of putting together a coffee table book. Class magazines, yes. A Biodata magazine for all Chinese juniors on campus, yes. But not a coffee table book.
The good news is that the State Government will be paying me to work with them, as well as to put together the book (because I am just as under-qualified to actually write a book as the girl-next-door). I would be in charge of bringing forth my Supervisor’s knowledge, experience and ideas and putting them on print.
But the bad news is that I only have 2 months’ time!!
Would you like to share with me on what YOU understand about coffee table books? I thought it should have more pictures than words. Should it be like a pictorial essay? What size would be appropriate, A4 or A3 or square? How thick should it be? Font size?
Updated: Apparently, somebody has budgeted for a 128-page coffee table book (don’t ask me from where the money comes, I don’t know). And yes, we will be hunting high and low for lots of pictures 
If you think this post might benefit other bloggers:
Wah, earning money!
pelf: No big deal. Have been earning my own money eversince I came to university
Errmm….
A4 size, horizontally,
left side picture, right side text.
Pictures lots of varieties, as for text, straight to the point and not too long (will bore ppl).
Heh!
How thick? Say 40 pages?
pelf: Thanks for your suggestions
Not 40 pages, but rather 40-50 sheets of paper. (which is about 4 pages)
Total of 160 - 200 pages.
pelf: OK, your suggestion tallies with the proposal somebody submitted to the State Government for funding
Write in an easy-to-read and light manner. Keep sections short, so it can be picked up and put down easily.
That said, I don’t know what else to include.
pelf: Thanks heaps
When I think coffee table book, I think photo books with minimal writing and lots of pictures. Think photoblog in print haha
30 glossy pages is more than enough in my opinion.
pelf: 30 pages only?
i agree it should be quite similar to photoblog, example the pixart album . while no. of pages will depend on the budget of this project, no?
pelf: Well, I thought the number of pages depended on the budget of the project too, but when I took over this project, somebody proposed a 128-page book, and I was wondering whether it is too thick..
Huge, huge pictures, not much words. So, photographs are more important than everything else. Glossy & shiny. Eye candy.
pelf: Yes, that’s why we’re looking for first-hand-pictures. We will not be using pictures taken off the internet
So browse in your local bookshop - you’ll get plenty of ideas.
pelf: Unfortuntely, I don’t have time to browse in our LOCAL bookstore
At least not now 
sYou need my help? I am good at Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop and Quark Xpress? Doubt my words? Go read my blog.
pelf: Err.. I went to your blog, but didn’t see anything spectacular la..
Get some pro photographers in to take some photos in Underwater World or something la.You can Photoshop the background to make it look authentic.
pelf: Err.. We try NOT to Photoshop our pictures la. We would like to portray the truth
Hi, I actually left a msg here a few days ago.. and thought it went tru…
Anyway.. as i said, this Coffee Table book thing reminded me of an Episode in Seinfeld where Kosmo Kramer came up with a crazy idea of doing a Cofee Table Book on Coffee Tables! and it worked!
Today, almost all books are judged by its covers - because there are so many of them and its littered with titles that titillate in a background of attractive colours. So, my suggestion is do a the whole book in a shape of a PENYU. Make the paper cover, in penyu-shell like colours and cut the book in an odd shape (PENYU) and You got a winner!
U can credit me then if you want.
pelf: Oh sure, thanks for the info
Your thingie won’t let me comment
pelf: AARGHH! The Spam catcher!! < -- or whatever you call it.
Oh it worked! Here’s the original:
Hi Pelf,
This may turn out to be a long-ass diatribe, so my apologies first. Coffee table books (over here) are literally those hard-cover, giant sized books that are on coffee tables and on shelves in living rooms/home office rooms/home study rooms that are meant to look pretty for deco purposes with little depth of content. Though Josh’s idea of making the book into a shape of a penyu is rather interesting, coffee table books are usually all the same size (because uniformity for deco purposes is better ma…).
As for the content, it is generally true that coffee table books are just loaded with pictures, pictures and more pictures with short, descriptive (sometimes factual) passages about the pictures - especially with books that are centered around art or an artist. Coffee table books are meant for perusing and not studying but I’ve seen a few where the books become a huge history lesson filled with words from page to page.
IMO, coffee table books are like childrens’ learning picture books but for adults. Large pictures. Small font. Informative, but not overloaded. The first few pages should be mostly text, being a description of your subject, like an Introduction, etc. The better half of the book should be a little lighter on text. Having quaint anecdotes or facts (like a “Did You Know….?” box) about turtles on each page might be a good idea.
I could be totally way off course though ^_^.
There are a couple good photos on Flickr (see here.) that you could probably get for cheap, or even for free. Same goes for free image sites (see here). Otherwise, good luck! It sounds like a really good opportunity, and a good challenge to work with!
Much love.
pelf: WOW. The “Did you know” box idea sounds good to me, thanks heaps
You’ve got me into perspective now 
30 glossy pages would make up for the lack of pages. Me is a minimalist haha.
Oh, read your comment to your sis. OMG. I swear I laughed my head off! Haha
pelf: Err.. What was so funny leh?
Hi Pelf,
Thanks for visiting my blog.
pelf: No prob