Lobotomy Lab: Where Fools Dare
Lobotomy Lab: offering piercing insights into photography
Back in 2015 I had a self proclaimed “Self Publishing Misadventure” and in 2025 I can say that was a lesson I did not learn from. Recently I decided to make another self published work, this time a zine rather than a book.
A while back I was discussing photo publications with a friend this prompted me to look at some collections of images I had from the last few years and soon I decided to make my own zine. This was my 2nd attempt at the self publishing artist endeavor. I learned a lot from the first time so I tried to employ some of those lessons when I made the second book. The newest book was not a true book (nor was the first truth be told) but a smaller zine produced by a new low cost printer. This meant it was much cheaper per unit. I also went with a smaller run, 1/2 the size of the previous book. I addition I tried to make the books unique by making each issue hand numbered and also modifying each of the 25 editions with a small note glued on the interior of the front cover. I always love small touches and unique features like these and assumed others would as well.
The photos were a done deal, I had most picked out before the idea of making zine entered my mind. The selection was easy for me as I have seen and owned a fair number of photo zines and more traditional photo books. The same goes for the layout. I had experience making trade magazines in the past and was familiar with a few different forms of layout software. The challenge (as was last time) was going to lie in selling issues. I would need marketing.
I have since had it featured on Ted Forbes YouTube channel, Japan Camera Hunter and the Aphotoeditor IG feed/website. From all this I have made extra 2 sales one from Ted one from Aphotoeditor.
This lack of sales did raise a few question. Are there any Facebook groups or other websites that are better for advertising? Is trying to make money off books just a fools errand in this day?
I posted the information above to a discord managed by photographer and industry insider Daniel Milner. He had a lot to say this was a portion of his response: “Some books sell and sell in the tens of thousands, but that's rare. Just like photographers getting advances for photobooks. It happens, but it's rare. Books are as much, or more, about placement as they are about selling. Who are you? What is your real audience? What is that audience willing to pay? Who ends up with your book in their hands? A stranger or the curator at The Tate? But it all starts with self-assessment. If you are attempting to sell your books or works, then you need to engage with a real audience, like what I just came from at the New York Art Book Fair. Thousands of people coming to buy books by independent artists and small publishers. New York, London, SF, Sydney, etc. All the major cities have art book fairs. There is the online world and the real world. The real world is where shit happens. Selling books is a long-term situation. An excellent photographer with a unique history just approached me in Seattle and said, "Okay, my book is two years out, so can we have a conversation about how I start my marketing now?" The goal is to have your books pre-sold before you do the print run. This means building a real audience long before the book is complete.”
While I would admit this is partly a rant on the industry and not a direct answer to the question and not at all applicable to hesitation of the average person. Casting aside all those caveats I think it is still a somewhat valuable insight. Milner has a lot of experience in the industry going back decades and still has a lot of exposure to the inner workings of both the photography world and the publishing world. While his situation is not mine I think he right about things not getting accomplished online. People are almost always wasting time on these online platforms there are 30 grifters for every one person offering real advice. Accelerating your art requires more than one aspect of the craft and a lot more than a few likes and shares. I was hoping he could offer some of that advice and I think book fairs are a decent start, thought actually getting to one and setting something up will not be easy. But one thing I have learned is that success never comes to those who take the easy path.
On a personal note, seeing my zine featured along side the latest work from Shinya Arimoto, a photographer I have long admired, seemes like the biggest accomplishment of the whole process. Even though the Japan Camera Hunter post does seem to be the only one of the three promos that did not materialize a sale. Small tradeoffs and unexpected happenings like that are often the most valuable aspect in learning and building a lasting reputation.