How to Publish a Coffee Table-Book, According to Interior Designers

Blakeney also recommends taking the time to research and find the right publisher and editor that fits for you. “Go to bookstores and pull all your favorite books,” she says. “Start a list: What do your favorite books all have in common? Is it the production value? Is it the beautiful cloth binding and metallic lettering? Is it the group of designers that work with that publisher or editor? Then peek inside the books to see who the editors are, look for them on Instagram, give them a follow, and start relationship building.”
Consider the copy
Some designers are comfortable putting pen to paper, while others prefer to leave it to a professional, hiring either a ghostwriter, author, journalist, or critic with whom they work closely. Hoerr, for example, hired Douglas Brenner, an author who was “already fluent in architectural language,” which was critical to the process, he says.
Likewise, Salvagni worked with design writer Pilar Viladas in several rounds of interviews to produce the text for his tome. “That teamwork is what really made this book a successful and satisfying endeavor,” he explains.
When it comes to photography, think ahead—way ahead
As noted, photography is typically a major expense in producing a book, and all of the design professionals AD PRO spoke with, along with Jayes, stressed just how important it is for designers to capture their projects as a matter of course. “Invest in photography from the very start. I’m constantly shocked at how few people spend money on great photography until they want to do a book,” Hoerr says. “It would be very hard to come up with a book without great photography.”
“The very first task for my book—once we all agreed on the concept—was to go through my work and start looking for images that would accompany the themes,” Salvagni says. Managing and arranging for additional detail photography, he notes, was one of the most time-consuming aspects of the project.
To this end, Furth suggests, start early: “In my earlier years, I didn’t always photograph my projects as soon as I completed them, and I wish I had,” he says. “For some projects in the book, we had to go back to past clients to photograph older work. This meant not only restyling, but also rethinking about where my head was with some years’ old decisions.” Moving forward, Furth photographs each project as he completes it and takes thorough notes too, “when my ideas for the project are most potent.”
It may be published, but the work isn’t over
Even after your book is published, you still need to get it into people’s hands. That means a commitment to promoting the book—from book tours to lectures to magazine interviews. “Basically the more exposure, the better,” Fine says. Having a strong preexisting social media following is “a must” for such exposure, Jayes adds. In order for a book to succeed, she says, “it’s critical that people know how to connect with their audience.”
Furth recommends a certain emotional preparedness too. “Publishing a book means really putting yourself out there. I’m so proud of what I’ve accomplished, and I am proud to share all this with the world,” he says. ”But it’s a vulnerable position to put my life’s work, my process, and my philosophies in printed pages for everyone to read. There’s an intimacy to decorating, and it took me a minute to wrap my head about what it meant to share this in such a public way.”
Ultimately, publishing a coffee-table book can be a valuable—however demanding—experience for any designer committed to and ready for the challenge. “After working on it for three years, I can tell you there is no easy part about writing a book. It’s like a child!” Salvagni says. “But it is gratifying to look back at your completed work, to see projects that you are proud of, and to be able to trace your stylistic development and inspiration.”
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