Market research: Would you buy a book on local wedding photography?

[ckuang]

Agree with cosycactus. Did my market research about a year back and did not find a Singaporean Wedding Photography book very lucrative and hence dropped the idea. Maybe you will have better luck.

First, the economics.
Market is small la.
Printing books on a small scale with lots of photos is not cheap. And if price is high, there is no point as no one will buy. Your market is basically singapore and perhaps malaysia with a market of perhaps 500 will be freelancer wedding photographers.
Say u can sell at $50 per book. That is $25000 IF everyone buy. For $25000, u have to

1) pay pple for their photos
2) pay pple for their tips and contribution
3) pay pple to design and arrange the book content
4) print the book( most exp part..trust me)
5) distribute the book

6) and make a profit. ( will a profit of $5K even be worth the effort and time? It's not easy to produce good material)

Kinda hard outright isn't it?
( think how u can actually teach pple photography NOT from a book instead....catch me?)


Besides that, i really dun see how u can really teach wedding photography from a book. I've read my fair share of overseas wedding books, and after the first few, i only end up lookin at the pictures for the rest. And somehow all the pics look the same after that.

The second best way to learn is thru looking at other pictures and learning how they take.The best way is to actually take the photo after remembering how other take.
For photos, we have a lot in clubsnap.

Pricing and business strategy? If you are good and value for the $ you charge, pple will come to you naturally. That's the law of business, ANYWHERE, anytime. IF you are no good, u can advertise in tens of magazine and no one will come once word of your lousy skills get around.

Photoshop? Aiyoh, u can pick up many of the photohops book around from our national lib. There are also good resources from the internet.

There are many way to make $$. Publishing a book on wedding photography in SINGAPORE is not the way

I'm blunt here. But i'm also considering the harsh fact.

 

[contaxable]

Good coverage, but at S$50 a book, point 5 won't lead to point 6. Distributors and book resellers will cut at least 50% from selling price. With only $25 left, it remains quite impossible to pay printer, pay designer, pay photogs royalties, pay for logistics, pay oneself for the efforts.

Well unless if it was a book written by a great political figure (ahem).

Only better way is to print large quantities for international markets. 500 copies on hardback and full color (picture qualities) are usually meant to be given out foc with some big sponsors.

Hence it is no surprise not many local writers are keen to write books targetted for local market.

I, too, would love to get hold of one such book especially on Singaporean customs of different dilect groups in different races.

First, the economics.
Market is small la.
Printing books on a small scale with lots of photos is not cheap. And if price is high, there is no point as no one will buy. Your market is basically singapore and perhaps malaysia with a market of perhaps 500 will be freelancer wedding photographers.
Say u can sell at $50 per book. That is $25000 IF everyone buy. For $25000, u have to

1) pay pple for their photos
2) pay pple for their tips and contribution
3) pay pple to design and arrange the book content
4) print the book( most exp part..trust me)
5) distribute the book

6) and make a profit. ( will a profit of $5K even be worth the effort and time? It's not easy to produce good material)

Kinda hard outright isn't it?
( think how u can actually teach pple photography NOT from a book instead....catch me?)


Besides that, i really dun see how u can really teach wedding photography from a book. I've read my fair share of overseas wedding books, and after the first few, i only end up lookin at the pictures for the rest. And somehow all the pics look the same after that.

The second best way to learn is thru looking at other pictures and learning how they take.The best way is to actually take the photo after remembering how other take.
For photos, we have a lot in clubsnap.

Pricing and business strategy? If you are good and value for the $ you charge, pple will come to you naturally. That's the law of business, ANYWHERE, anytime. IF you are no good, u can advertise in tens of magazine and no one will come once word of your lousy skills get around.

Photoshop? Aiyoh, u can pick up many of the photohops book around from our national lib. There are also good resources from the internet.

There are many way to make $$. Publishing a book on wedding photography in SINGAPORE is not the way

I'm blunt here. But i'm also considering the harsh fact.

 

[TrailsofLife]

If you procrastinate, nothing will be done.

 

[David]

I agree with cosycactus. There may be many in CS interested in photography. But considering the market in the whole of Singapore, I think it is very small. Maybe u can sell to CS members, but to general public, unlikely. Now, if you go into something more specialized, like wedding, it's even worse.

Also, I don't think established wedding photogs here wanna be so "generous" and share their personal tips and pointers, if that is to be included in the book. Some very general stuffs perhaps. As it is, there is so much talk about their trade being threatened by so many other photogs. Such a book will be more feasible in bigger countries where photography is more appreciated, like in the US or UK.