four note friday 2.31 | Photovoice Field Notes in Book Form
I am pleased to share that Photovoice Field Notes: Volume One is now available as a paperback and an ebook. Back in June of this year, nearly a year into this online writing project, I decided to move some of the posts into a short (self-published) book. Perhaps this could be a way to reach another audience.
The book is available through Amazon now, with other vendors on the way soon. While I have dabbled in self-publishing in the past, way-way back, like pre-doctoral studies, this is my first go at a serious self-publishing venture.
So in what follows, I share four notes related to what I have learned through the process.
Not all posts are evergreen.
As I went through the process of curating the book, I had to make some decisions about what exactly to include. All the posts? Some of the posts? Which posts?
I had to think about the work as a reader, perhaps someone coming to photovoice for the very first time. Which posts would work outside the context of the website? Which posts would work without the temporal contexts of the week-to-week posts? I included posts that could sensibly stand alone. I also included a handful of posts that were part of a series. Posts with strong references to time were excluded. Post that offered something I could not provide through a book were also excluded.
For example, I did not include this post about a workshop I gave at Western Michigan University or this post focused on takeaways from the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) Conference. Also, posts showcasing free digital downloads were not included.
Once the contents of the book were decided, I then had to figure out an appropriate order and organization strategy. So, the book starts out with some posts about photovoice basics and gets more complex as it progresses. I start with the eight steps involved and end with (not really) photovoice apps.
As I think about Volume Two, which is already unfolding, it is clear to me that not all posts are evergreen. And that's okay. The experiences and expectations of week-to-week readers are likely much different than the experiences and expectations of book readers. As a prime example, this post will not likely appear in the next volume.
Matters of formatting.
Because I draft, edit, and publish directly within the Ghost platform when writing these posts, there was a lot of formatting to do when building out the book in its two formats (paperback and ebook)—which I eventually learned would have to be/look much, much different.
I am thankful for YouTube because Microsoft Word formatting is not always intuitive to me. Working on the paperback version was a lot easier than the ebook version.
Paperback = WYSIWYG
ebook = not WYSIWYG
Because readers have a lot of control of how they consume ebooks, you cannot depend on the way things look on your page. Theirs will be different. So, I had to remove all the formatting from my paperback book and rebuild it based on a preset configuration of headings and regular text, which would then inform an automated table of contents.
This video was super helpful in understanding all of this, which represented a huge learning curve for me.
Let me back up for a moment. I first published the book through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). And, currently, the book is in processing with IngramSpark. More on all this below. I want to note, however, that IngramSpark requires you to upload your ebook as an epub file. Word docs and pdfs? No worries. An epub file? Huh? I had to download Calibre to make the conversion. The learning curve curved yet again.
When I first hatched this idea, I had no clue about the intricacies related to matters of formatting. It's been an uncomfortable yet ultimately fun learning process.
Buy your own ISBN.
First, what is an ISBN? The acronym stands for International Standard Book Number. It's like a social security number for books. See here for some reasons whey they are important.
When you self-publish, you have to figure out how to get one for your book.
So, let's consider the publishing platform. When you self-publish with KDP, the platform gives you the opportunity to secure a free ISBN for your book. Importantly, however, if you accept the free ISBN from Amazon KDP, you cannot publish (or sell) the book on any other platform. Amazon will be your forever publisher-selling platform. And the publisher of your book will be forever listed as Independently published.
If you buy an ISBN number (or a bundle of 10 at a major savings), you can also publish and sell your book on other platforms and designate a publisher or imprint—Aesthetic Eclectic Press in my case.
It's more money up front, but securing your own ISBNs is worth it in the long run for book/projects like this one. It will take me quite a while to make my investment back, but it's a vital investment to make.
Revise, revise, revise.
Lastly, the importance of revision has proven itself to me once again. When moving from web to Word, I found errors. When I reread within Word, I found errors. I hired an editor, and she found errors. And when I received my very own print version, I found more errors.
Getting something right and error-free is hard. Really hard. I am thankful for the ability to iterate within the platforms (i.e., uploading corrected files post-initial publication) and the anti-perfectionism stance I have had to work hard (and very seriously) to take on as an academic.
Writing is rewriting (attribution not mine). And rewriting. And rewriting some more. And this project, which has been largely solo and outside the peer review process, has reenforced this axiom again and again.
Through Volume One, I have developed a process, which I can refine as the larger project unfolds over the years—if I keep it up, that is.
This book process-project has been a highlight of my summer—one that will become easier and more streamlined over time. I would LOVE any and all feedback on the book if you are so inclined. You can check it out here—with more options coming in time.
🥹 Thanks for spending a moment with me this Friday.
💌 If you’re new here, welcome! I hope this space becomes one you look forward to each week.
📖 Interested in an analog or differently digital version of these posts? Check out the paperback and ebook.
📬 Have a question you want me to answer in a future issue? Reach me at photovoicefieldnotes@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you.
Thanks for being here.
Warmly,
Mandy
photovoice field notes
photovoicefieldnotes.com