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 :)
Wah, earning money! :D
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) :D
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
s:( At least not now :(You 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 ;)