A photographer friend of mine, the late Paul Dahlquist, once commented that there are two prices for a work of art, priceless or worthless. I agree, and I love the idea that a work either speaks to you and offers you something of unique value or it does not.

Speaking of prices, 50 or 60 dollars may seem like a lot to pay for a book. Books of photographs are expensive to produce, however, especially with small print runs. If one can afford to make editions of thousands, the cost per book goes down considerably and the book can reach more people. (But the market has to be there to justify such a large upfront investment, and nothing is less sure than selling art…!)

In my case about half of the sales price for my books is the per-book cost to produce and the other half is the distributor’s discount, so if the book is sold through a bookstore I can recoup my production costs. But if I sell a book in person or online there is no middleman to pay and what I save allows me to begin to cover other expenses.

The thing is though, photo books are considered works of art in themselves and they have become collectible. Viewed this way, 50 or 60 dollars is a bargain for an original, limited edition work of art that costs many times less than a single original print.