To celebrate the launch of FotoMarket, the first ever crowdfunded photobook store, we got in touch with some of the best photobook publishers throughout the world and asked them a few questions about the photobook industry, their approach to photobook making, and what photographers should consider when looking to make a photobook. Sign up to our newsletter to be sure you don’t miss any of the interviews in this series.
First up is Michael Mack, the founder of London based photobook publisher MACK.
Hello Michael, thank you for this interview. How would you define the photobook as a medium?
My interest in the book is making ‘bookworks’, by which I mean an object which is a translation of the artist’s ideas specific to the book as a medium.
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What qualities should a photographic project have to pique MACK‘s interest in making a photobook out of it?
Content over design. A strong concept related in powerful visuals suited to the book form.
Can you describe MACK’s approach to photobook making?
Our approach is one of collaboration and engagement with the artist and her/his ideas.
What advice would you give a photographer looking to make a photobook?
Start by working out if it needs to be a book – most series of photographs are not suited to the book form.
What are the most recent books in your catalogue, and what upcoming titles we can look forward to?
Most recently we have published 3 books with Japanese photographers: Mayumi Hosokura, Takashi Homma and Masahisa Fukase. I am very happy with a new project with the Norwegian artist Torbjørn Rødland which we will launch at Art Basel and the first English translation of the writings of Luigi Ghirri.
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Can you share any figures about how many copies you sell per book on average, and which sales channels have proven more successful for MACK?
The most successful books sell 5,000+ copies but average is 2,500-3,000. We need to sell through all channels – bricks and mortar bookstores, online shops and new boutiques which sell a mix of lifestyle.
Photobooks are often costly to produce and scarcely profitable. Is this the case for MACK, and if so, what strategies do you use?
I don’t believe any book should be published if it is not capable of being profitable. Too many books are made for vanity. Only a small number of the books we have published have not been profitable – it is the simple relationship between production costs + royalty, versus the return after discounts to retailers.
What other limitations or flaws do you find in the photobook market? What do you think the industry needs to grow?
It is a vibrant but very small market. Our interest is consumers beyond the photobook market.
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Does MACK accept submissions?
Yes, anyone is welcome to send their maquette to our office or via email.
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