The Carswell Book, Photographs

One of the early decisions I made in structuring this Dr. Jane Carswell book was to do it in full color. I tried to stay in black and white to keep the consumer cost down, but when I switched Jane's unbelievably beautiful nature photographs from vivid to drab, I knew I would regret it. I could see myself apologizing to people as I handed them the book, "I'm sorry, you should see it in color, but..."

See the difference? While there is a certain beauty in black and white, to be sure, in this specific book, color is everything.

Since I made that choice, then I had to use every nook and cranny on the interior to fill it with splashes of color. The printing cost is the same regardless of how many color photographs are included. It's page count that increases costs. But then the challenge became on how I could incorporate a selection from her thousands of pictures into the narrative that is her story. There are just so many ways a writer can talk about a flower or a hillside in a story about a humanitarian.

Then I had a light bulb moment. In the art of the bookmaking, the first letter or word of each chapter is usually highlighted in some way. Different font. Increased size. Fancy flairs. Anything to set a reader's mind into the newness of a fresh chapter.

What if, instead of that, I used a postage stamp sized photograph that started each chapter with beauty!!! Those daisies start chapter two. This mountain laurel starts chapter fifteen. I chose that flower because it was what she used with roses for decoration at the wedding, and that was the wedding chapter.

The majority of the sixteen chapter opening photographs are flowers, except for chapter ten. For that one I chose a photograph Jane took of a bird at Fontana Dam. When you read the book, you'll understand why.

Because of choosing color, I tripled my per book wholesale cost and will need to charge twenty dollars for each book when I'm selling out and about. The listed price on Amazon will be $22.50. 

But still, it will be so worth the difference to the reader.

I can't wait for you to see the rest of the pictures I selected. Your eyes are in for a treat.

Catch of the day,

Gretchen