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I’ve been culling my craft book stash lately, and thinking a lot about Japanese craft books.
I should say right up front: I receive a fair number of review copies from US craft book publishers. So I’ve been in the fortunate position to see a lot of the new titles that have come out in the last few years.
Still, as I weed out my craft book collection, I’m noticing that my little stash of Japanese titles always makes the cut. Every one of them feels as useful and relevant to me as it did the day I bought it, and some of them are years old now.
…But increasingly, I don’t feel the same way about all my US craft books. More of them (and especially, more-recently-published ones) seem to make the Goodwill/Giveaway pile. So I thought I’d look at what makes my Japanese books feel so much more valuable. And I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject, too.
I certainly don’t mean to “bite the hand that feeds me free craft books” here. But I know that many US publishers are struggling right now. I think there’s something to the way Japanese publishers approach craft books, and it isn’t just the aesthetics. I thought maybe we could open a discussion here about what we crafters would like to see in US craft books, and maybe this would be of some use to publishers.
…So, when I look at my Japanese titles, here’s what stands out:
Slim, Well-Curated Volumes
One thing I notice right away is that most Japanese craft books are fairly small books. The project collections are often fewer than the seeming US standard of 20-50. But what’s nice is, those slim books are very rich in content.
There might be only twelve projects in a Japanese book, for example, but they’re all really well-designed things I want to make.
I tend to think that this comes from careful curating of project sets, and maybe from a willingness to appeal to smaller audience segments. In so many Japanese books, the project set seems to be oriented to one skill set, and one design sensibility. Whereas US craft book publishers often seem to take a “something for everyone” approach, hoping to attract larger audiences for their books.
The problem there, of course, is that when I page through many US books, I find myself interested in only some of the projects. Some are too beginner for me, and some aren’t my style. And if I only like half of the projects in a book, then I may not make the decision to buy it.
But of course, I’ll willingly plunk down a much higher price for a Japanese book that’s designed around my tastes.
Project-Based Focus
In US craft books, I often see chapters about the histories of various crafts, or the obligatory “Materials” chapter that describes every last morsel needed for the projects. Don’t get me wrong – I get that these chapters are meant for beginners in a craft. But as someone with more intermediate skills, I often see them as pages I have to pay for, but rarely get much value from.
In Japanese books, they tend to get right to the projects. And I find that I rarely miss those developmental chapters. Wouldn’t it be great if US craft books were more targeted at specific skill levels instead of trying to appeal to everyone at once?
On a related note, Japanese publishers also put out this little format, which is something I’d love to see US publishers emulate. It’s a cross between a zine and a book – a small number of pages, simply staple-bound, with a small project set focused around a nice, tight concept. These little books seem to be budget priced – although, as a US buyer, I gladly pay a premium for them.
If anyone working in publishing reads this post, I’d love to hear from you: how expensive is this form to produce? And readers, would you buy these if US publishers made them?
It rather seems to me that, as budget-conscious as we all are lately, these small-format books could find an audience.
Educational Quality
Here’s where, to my mind, Japanese craft books have it all over their US counterparts. I have yet to pick up a Japanese craft book that doesn’t contain clear and thorough step-by-step visuals for every single project. Sometimes they’re process photos, and more often, diagrams like these.
In US craft books – and especially those published in the last few years – this kind of educational quality is pretty rare. I’ve looked at so many US books where there’s a lavishly-styled photo of the finished product, and the steps to make it are expressed only in text. (Or, in text with a few key diagrams.)
I totally understand that photographs and diagrams are more costly to produce than text. But it seems to me that crafters are a pretty visual audience. And text just doesn’t seem to be much of a visual teacher – especially for crafts like sewing, where placements and measurements are crucial.
Interestingly, despite the fact that I don’t read Japanese, I can generally easily follow the process photos and diagrams in my Japanese books. As a craft book buyer, I would love to see this kind of educational quality in US books. Because frankly, right now I can often get better, more visual learning on the internet, either from free tutorials or in the burgeoning market of self-published ebooks.
I want to support US craft book publishers, but I also need to get good value for my dollar. Beautiful finished-project photos are nice, but the craft books I keep around year after year are the ones with great educational quality.
…But this is all just my opinion. What do you think? What would you like to see more (or less) of in US craft books?
One thing I would love to see more of in US craft books is *real* instructions! I'm with you, Diane… getting from text directions to the lovely finished product that's supposed to come from those directions is too often an uphill battle. What the thing *should* look like along the way is just as important in my process as the finished thing… if I can't get to B from A, I'm sure as hell not going to get to C or D either!
One thing I would love to see less of is “granny projects”… Granted there are quite a few really awesome, stylish, and hip crafty books out there… I love them and I often buy them. But they all seem to be in the jewelry/sewing/amigurumi/green-craft departments. I mean, I crochet, but I'm trying for all I'm worth to get the hang of knitting… I'm not finding it difficult, but dammit if the patterns in books and magazines aren't the most godawful, uninspiring, dated crap. They remind me of the patterns in my mother's craft books from the 80's, and of the fear I always had that she or my grandmother would make me something from one of those books and expect me to wear it. (Nevermind that, out of love and respect for labor and skill, I would wear the horrid thing, just once.) I guess what I'm trying to get at here is that US publishers are, well, American, and most Americans still seem to think that “crafts” are for tiny Girl Scouts and elderly women.
Ooh, that's interesting. Thanks for adding that perspective, Lena!
What a great post, Diane. I agree with you pretty much entirely. As an author, I've certainly been pressured (sometimes strongly and sometimes not so strongly) to widen my scope or put in filler. But often what I *want* to do is put together a dozen outstanding projects for non-beginners, or a dozen outstanding projects for beginners that aren't the same-old ubiquitous beginner projects. I want not to have to pick which technique *needs* an illustration because only one illo fits into the budget for that design. And for goodness' sake, I'd rather *not* take up a third of a page with a fatuous introduction to the project! That 1/3 page could include two or three process photos!
Anyway. I think we certainly do have a lot to learn from Japanese publishing conventions. Thanks for bringing this up!
Wow, great post! I have never seen a Japanese craft book in person, so it's cool to hear more what the appeal is- beyond the lovely aesthetic! I just culled my craft books and concur with your thoughts on newer US titles. As someone who self-publishes knitting patterns, I think it's instructive to hear what you have to say from that standpoint as well. My pattern booklets have very photo-heavy “how to” instructions, and it's neat to see that I am not the only one who likes that.
To answer your question though, I agree on the “materials” sections of books. Also, do we really need more directions for checkbook covers, re-usable shopping bags and knitted dishcloths? I love all these things, but I don't think that stuff like this really needs to be in a book anymore. Some craft books I've seen lately bug me because while the books look just amazing, the authors are using lovely fancy-designer or vintage fabric and the photo is styled within an inch of its life- anything can look great under those conditions. I am more interested in seeing projects that build my skills or can be made by anyone and still look as great as the one in the book photos. Ugh. I sound negative! But it's a toss up. There are many craft books that I use and love and hold on to- and you are right- the online learning world is a huge boon to today's crafter. I look forward to seeing what other folks have to say!
You said it, my friend! Less is more. Well edited, well chosen pieces illustrated beautifully (and fully) trump 36 patterns jammed into one book any day.
I never really thought about it that way, but I’m inclined to agree with you. I definitely like the idea of well-themed, well-curated books with the educational diagrams. Good idea. Can’t wait to read the rest of the comments.
Sister! Thank you for validating my new project! As a publisher, I can validate that it is more costly to product a print book with lots of photographs. As a teacher, I know that many, many people are visual learners, and photographs often convey what words cannot. As a writer, I know that my first book on soapmaking is VERY well-received, mostly because all of the steps are outlined via photos.
I am taking your post to heart–luckily, most of what you say is what I am doing already at Craft e-Revolution. I am launching this website soon, and I’m currently looking for more authors to write focused, photographed tutorials.
Of course, this new project is for ebooks, not print books. Ebooks are much more frugal to produce and purchase, of course, which is why we can load them with photos. Also, 2010 should be the year of the full-color eReader (Apple iSlate, anyone?), so folks can have all of their crafty books (craft ebooks?) in one place.
Thanks again for the validation! I’m very excited about this project.
Wow – what an incredibly well thought, brilliantly presented post. Thank you, Diane, for always bringing such good food for thought to the table. :)
I agree with all you’ve presented here – especially this part:
“Interestingly, despite the fact that I don’t read Japanese, I can generally easily follow the process photos and diagrams in my Japanese books. As a craft book buyer, I would love to see this kind of educational quality in US books. Because frankly, right now I can often get better, more visual learning on the internet, either from free tutorials or in the burgeoning market of self-published ebooks. ”
And I agree about the discussion of how so many projects in US books feel more like filler or are repeats of the same old projects that seem to appear in craft book after craft book. Recently, a friend and I decided that we wanted to get together once or twice a month and make something (a bit of a New Year’s Resolution). Like you, I’ve been lucky enough to acquire loads of craft books over the last few years. However, I’ve not made things from them. We decided that we’d go through my stash and pick out projects from these books to do in the new year as a way of putting them to good use. I was really surprised at how many of the same projects showed up from book-to-book-to-book. And that’s not to say that these books were “bad” but I kept wondering … “why?”
You hit the nail on the head here with showing how brilliantly the Japanese craft books give us exactly what we want and don’t bother with filler. So many of the books I flipped through last week would have been much stronger if they’d been able to let their star projects shine without being buried among other filler projects.
And maybe it’s because it’s dinnertime and I’m hungry right now, but doesn’t it almost feel like the way American’s consume food? We think bigger is better! Give me more more more! And then I find that I’m just shoveling food in my mouth that really doesn’t have much flavor and I’m missing a small something that could be really special. Make sense? Maybe I just need to go fix dinner now. ;)
Diane–I *love* your idea of producing more small volumes with a narrow focus. I've actually been thinking about it a lot lately too. Ysolda Teague's Whimsical Little Knits series comes to mind as an example of this in English. Your question about price is an important one. I do think that its probably cheaper to produce saddle-bound (stapled) books that are magazine hybrids and I think crafters like the small format because it fits in project bags, etc. But I wonder if publishers shy away from them because they're hard to “merchandise” at bookstores–they're tiny and they don't stand out on shelves, etc…
I'm surprised nobody's yet mentioned some of the examples of this move towards smaller pattern collections like Ysolda's well-received Whimsical Little Knits, and its sequel, Marnie MacLean's Manzanita Collection, or the many designers I've heard talking about releasing small collections of patterns in multiple formats which are also available individually. Combining the mini-collection with electronic publishing seems, to me, to be the smart move for independent designers.
That's a great point – small-format books could be harder to
merchandise in bookstores. Although online sales wouldn't be a
problem…
I must say, I’m a collector of Japanese books, at first it’s because of the topic (all things Hello Kitty craft), then it became more and more because of the crafts I’m interested in doing (i.e. crochet motifs, needle felting).
I agree w/ your assessments that even though I don’t read a lick of Japanese, their step-by-step instructions leaves no room for error. Even their black and white guide pictures gets the job done. They leave room for creativity, but they still properly guide you thru your projects. I love it for that reason. Plus, even if I don’t make anything out of the book, their photography is so well done that I’m proud to display them as coffee table books.
Another thing, which I think US publisher will have a hard time to catch up w/ the Japanese publisher is their approach to the subject matter. Everything the Japanese do are clever and efficient (hello to Magic Ring ~ if you crochet), the projects are cute and beautiful. So, until we highlight the clever artists out there and recognize them in the books here in US, I will have a hard time buying a US craft book.
Thanks for bringing a publishing-industry perspective into this
discussion, Jessica. I'm very curious to hear what the industry's take
is on the Japanese approach.
Japanese books employ the “less is more” concept across the board. The school textbooks, for example, are also thin and thorough and students master the material while U.S. textbooks are thick, wordy, and students rarely get through the whole book in a semester.
You have an excellent point regarding styled vs. practical photographs in US publications. While the wonderfulness that is the internet makes it a bit easier to puzzle out what a pattern writer means when they present an unfamiliar instruction, it's still irritating to have to stop what I'm doing, dig around via Google, and check various sites for illustration of a particular technique. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who gets tired (amused, but tired) of purple prose introductions to projects.
Admittedly, I know very little about Japanese craft books. However, from my experience with US craft books, you are dead on. I particularly agree with you that I would like to see more books published for certain skill sets with more projects that I actually want to make. Especially because there is so much free information available on the internet, I feel that a book truly has to stand out either in the way it presents the information or the content in order for me to shell out the money. Consequently, I rarely do.
About the small, stapled format, it is personally something I would not be interested in. If I am going to spend the money on something, I would prefer something more substantial with a hard cover. I realize that this might mean a slightly higher cost, but it would be worth it for a book that had value to me that I would keep for a very long time.
I agree with every point, Diane! And I would also emphasize the photography isn't just present, it's VERY well lit – I've never had a picture in a Japanese craft book/mook that had difficult to make out details – I can see exactly how they go together.
Thanks for starting the discussion. I know very much what you are saying. I think it's interesting how many Japaneses craft titles are being translated into English. I think one thing about the US publishing industry is the resistance to bring in to NA good products and translate. This practice happens all the time in other countries in Asia and Europe. ex. French quilters also love Japanese quilting books. We really should be looking at bringing in the best of the world and be more overall inclusive.
When I was in Japan shopping for craft books, I could find little pocket books that are very very inexpensive ($3 or so), making craft a lot more accessible to all price points. That's a model we don't see here either.
Exactly! Thanks for such a thorough review. If I still worked in publishing, I would print this out and hand it to the CEO along with a proposal. I worked in the publishing industry for 7 years, and I tried in vain to get my company to adopt the Japanese model for their craft books. The publisher didn’t understand crafts, saw that their craft titles weren’t selling well, and figured it was the genre, not the way they were producing the titles or the projects that were in those titles. Many publishers who only dabble in the genre look at craft books as a huge risk because they’re so costly to produce and have historically small returns.
Also, there’s always pressure to put out the next big thing, and to do it better (and in the US, this often gets confused with bigger). Some publishers think: “well, the Japanese already do that. Why would I spend all this money to produce the same thing?”
That's funny! A group of crafty gals and I headed out to Uwajimaya (local Japanese superstore, I'm sure you have haunted the book aisles, Diane!) to check out the crafty books and were overwhelmed with the inventiveness of the projects found in the books. Maybe a part of it is that the styles and projects still feel fresh and new to us? And possibly they view the projects in our craft books with the same amount of awe?
Well, probably not… I think the Japanese just have an aesthetic that simply resonates very powerfully with us now. It's possible that in 20 years, simple, clean and adorable might look as tired to us as those geese in bonnets do now….
Thank you for adding your perspective here, May. I'd love to see a pocket-book style product here. And I'd love to see more craft books from other countries being translated. I have a French jewelry-making book which was translated to English. I've held onto it for a long time, too – it's a very different vision than I'm used to seeing from US books.
I agree, Justine – my feeling is, if I'm going to spend $20 – $30 on a book, then it should be a very complete learning resource. And, I do adore the phrase, “purple prose.” :-)
Great Post!! I have no experience on the Publishing side of things, but it seems to me that creating a more “beginner” craft book (that appeals to a wider demographic) would make sense from a business point of view. In the US we are all about the profit!! If you were to propose a very specific, advanced level book idea, I'm not sure anyone would be interested. You've narrowed your target market down to such a small number that it might not be profitable.
With that said…. I like the idea of Self-Publish Zines. There are many emerging independent publishers out there. i.e. – this is how many Comic Book artists get their start.
I wanted to give my 2 cents on this topic cause my dad has been bugging me about looking into writing a book on Felting. I love to make very picture oriented tutorials on my blog! I agree that the more visual the better! But as you can tell I need a lot of practice with the writing part!!!
I don't own any Japanese craft books – yet! – but my husband brought back a lot of origami papers for the kids. And despite not doing anything but some basics in origami, I was able to figure out the complicated projects very easily because of the super fantastic pictures!
I agree with the pictures vs text as far as instructions too. My Mom and I have been devouring craft books from the library and finding great projects we want to do – only to have to read the instructions over and over until we have that “oh THAT'S what it means” moment.
I also don't like the “here is what a needle is!” that so many craft books seems to put in. I'm beyond the basic basics and wish half of the book that was full of what the basics are was taken out. It really is half the book!
Really great post! My DH finally found a craft store last weekend and bought me some fabrics, but man I wish he were better at picking stuff out because I know it's like a five story tall store! I would love some books! We may go visit him this summer and I'm already thinking of what I want. LOL
i totally agree! i’ve used both us and japanese craft books. and, though i don’t often think to seek out new japanese books, i find myself referring to the ones i have more than their us counterparts. i’m going to pass this on to a pub rep i know. maybe she can bump it up the chain.
You are 100% right about the photo’s and diagrams. I look at a lot of items from Japan during my work day and can almost always understand despite the fact that I don’t read Japanese.
And I think you’re right about the skill level- I think beginner, intermediate or expert I’d prefer a book that’s targeted more to my skill level than a “general” level.
I would desperately love to see craft books with a 6-12 projects that I actually *want* to make. I own only a few of the genre, because most of the books I run across have two or three projects I really want, another two or three that are okay but I probably won’t do, and a dozen (or two dozen) that don’t interest me at all. The ones I want are, inevitably, the ones that had to be shorted on diagrams… and it is *not* worth paying $40 for poorly diagrammed instructions on the four projects that I’d do. Especially when I can find well-photographed instructions for those projects for free or $5 e-book online.
I would dearly love to see zine-hybrid craft books with 6 projects that I wanted to do, stripped of an extraneous “stuff,” and geared to niche markets. Seriously, “something for everyone” means “huge book with one or two appealing sections that no one actually wants to buy.”
I love Japanese craft books and patterns; I taught myself origami at age 7 with Japanese origami books because the pictures were so detailed. I also love the mini-book format, I think that would be great for North American craft publishers. Patons and Bernat have done this for years with their mini pattern books for knitting and crochet; I'm currently buying up their knitting series for designing your own sweaters and other patterns because of the small size, the lower cost, and good basic instructions for us budding Norahs and Cookies.
I'm also a fan of the e-books that have been self-published by folks like yourself, Interweave, and Ysolda Teague (just to name a few) as it provides another option for both authors and readers.
And your points about the design & layout aesthetics are exactly how I feel sometimes.
Lots of ideas to discuss! Glad to see someone raising this issue!
“Because frankly, right now I can often get better, more visual learning on the internet”
Wow, you know how to give publishers a wake-up call. And you’re exactly right! I know from my own writing that doing a detailed, illustrated and photographed DIY is a ton of work. But the reward is a much higher interest by your audience. If I can quickly skim a project I can easily see if it’s interesting, what skill level it takes, and what I’m likely to learn. A block of text is impenetrable. But cheaper for a publisher.
When I lived in Japan I was pretty impressed with the DIY culture there. The Tokyu Hands chain of “Creative Life Stores” have to be visited to be appreciated. It’s like an urban hardware store collided with a craft, art, fabric, stationary, cooking supply and sports store. It’s always busy and on the weekends there are usually how-to’s going on on in each area on everything from applique to sand blasting to umbrella repair…
I have a collection of Japanese How-To and educational books. They’re all thin volumes, tightly focused. Which, as you mentioned, makes them a much more likely purchase. If I liked one of the projects it’s almost guaranteed I’ll like the rest. They are lavishly illustrated regardless of the subject, and they are full of white space so the reader isn’t overwhelmed by the content.
I think the ‘zine analogy is apt. They publish new volumes semi-regularly, have a tight subject, and make the content the prime focus. They aren’t trying to meet a certain article/page/word count, they’re trying to cover the subject properly.
Another thing that I notice from Japanese DIY books of all kinds is that they aren’t trying to impress. Some American craft books and magazines show the beauty shot of something a team of people spent a week on and then they give instructions on how to make only the basic, unembellished version. (See also:ad photos of fast food vs. actual fast food.) With Japanese books you make exactly what you see, no bait and switch, no “if you have some unicorn horn and a $10,000 embroidery machine you could…”-type wishful thinking. And when you can actually make what’s on the cover it leads to a more satisfying experience that you want to repeat.
By comparison American craft books are coffee table books. Pretty photos and some copy to fill in the space. I’ve often got the feeling that they don’t expect people to actually do the protects in them.
Wow, very insightful information, love how you've broken in down and I hope US publishers will take a bit from all your thoughts! I agree that there is something about Japanese craft books that make them extra special. No wasted space, text or image it seems…everything is meaningful, useful content. I wish I read Japanese, but sometimes even just the illustrations enable you to figure it out. Maybe US publishers should just translate the best Japanese craft books to start :P I also feel that many craft books lately just teach you a bunch of projects and after you're done, it's over. I like project-based books because it helps you learn…but it should be done in such a way like you are learning a concept that could expand to much more. When I buy a book I want to keep in forever…so I'm pretty picky!
I completely agree with EVERYTHING you said!!!!! What a great post!!!!!
I think you've got something there. Most of my craft books come second hand from charity shops, and I have a huge collection. But most of them are vaguely unsatisfying and I've never analysed why. I'll look at a few of them again and see whether your theory holds true!
Thanks for adding your voice to the discussion, Steve, I've just added “Visit Tokyu Hands Creative Life Stores” to my list of life goals!
As an intermediate crafted, I too have become bored with American craft books. I'm tired of buying books where half the book is set aside to explain how to cast on in knitting, or. Why it is important to press while sewing. If cookbook publishers can accept that not every member of their audience needs to know how to chop an onion, then craftbook publishers should be able to follow suit. I went to the library to look at a new title recently but ended up spending an hour looking at craft books from the 60's instead. The fabrics were out of date, but the more advanced lessons were great. There were even illustrations of the steps involved, more like Japanese craft books.
I love this topic. It speaks to so many questions about how we learn and communicate around craft, and what makes us “want” to make things.
It is such a testimony to the design excellence of the Japanese books' instructions that they can be followed by people who don't know Japanese at all—I mean, if you don't know Japanese you REALLY don't know Japanese, it's not like Spanish or French where an English speaker can often kind of guess!
I honestly don't own a lot of craft books, US or other, because I do often find them so limited in use—if I don't want to make that EXACT project, or I can't find that EXACT material to make that exact project, there's not much longer term value. But I do want the one that contains the photo showing how all the different fabrics look as yoyos—that's brilliant! Total eye-candy AND a conceptual reference you could apply to a million different projects.
I totally agree with what Steve wrote. The type of US craft book I have found most disapointing are the ones where the final state of the project is beautifully photographed and styled and generally craft-desire-inducing, but that tasty result is almost entirely based on the materials or fabric used, and there's little chance that I am going to be able to find that particular limited run of co-ordinated fabric, much less the antique French turkey-red table cloth or the wear-softened indigo-dyed South African ticking stripe linen diapers—and the bulk of the book is all rather rudimentary and rather sketchy project instructions, with the easy parts so easy why should I buy the book, and the more complicated parts so poorly detailed buying the book won't help much. I'd actually like to see books that were less oriented to set projects and more about understanding techniques, materials and design principles—And I like to see more of this even in books where the instructions are basically ok. Concretely, this could mean showing one yarn-craft project done in several different kinds of yarn, or a sewing pattern made up in different kinds of fabric, and how you decide what to use. Especially in the case of something were the point is all about using older, unique materials, I'd like a discussion that starts with “ok, so here's the material—what's the process for deciding what do do with this? what questions do you need to ask yourself about the material, your own skills and tastes, etc, to figure out how to get the most out of it?”
But I also get the feeling that different people want very different things out of a craft book—like some people really just want to see the picture, follow the instructions, and get the result that's pretty much like the picture, they are are not interested in thinking about the design process. So I can see how all this would be tricky for publishers….
You are right. Maybe is(was) easy to publish a book in US, so “anyone” can (could) do it.
And japanese is more classic but without being “old”. Classic as elegant. Clean. End products with a good design. The techniques are used to give you that beautiful final result. On US books, technique is above the final result. So, as long as the technique is well explained (not always, as you have pointed), looks like doesn't matter how the final product looks like. In this way, is easy for a book to become old and “ugly”. Technique is obvious important, but usually are the same, so the final product must be something with a good design, as every product should be, to give the book its longetivity – “usability” for a long, long time.
Sadly, I've stopped buying american craft books altogether. I usually wait until I can get them from the library. There's just SO much non-original content. The same old rehashed craft we've been seeing for years sometimes strategically labeled as “retro” to appear hip or “now”. If I see one more crazy felt monster stuffed animal I'll scream. Something else that is disappointing when it comes to pictures in books, is a lot of books will just show you a photo of the finished project and not pictures of steps. Frustrating. And, keep in mind, craft books can be quite pricey. I'm certainly not going to pay $24.95 for a book that contains only 4 or 5 projects I'm interested in. Library here I come. And if I cannot find what I want at the library, well we ALL know that the internet provides a continuous bounty of crafty goodies!
You're right! When I look at all the craft books I've seen, the one that would get pried out of my cold dead hands is Creepy Cute Crochet. That book has the best layout. At the back are basic head/body/arm shapes and the rest of the book is how to take those shapes and make lots of different projects. (With real pictures of the finished items)
It really is about giving people the tools to make their own projects. I bought that book in the first week I could crochet, and two weeks later I had made a bunch of projects that weren't in the book but using those tools. If more books followed guidelines like this I think they'd sell much better.
I'm an Aquisitions Editor of craft books in the UK, as well as an avid fabric crafter (sewing, quilting etc) so see the books from both sides. Personally I've always believed in the power of visuals to communicate technique and process, and the proper use of 'styled' photography. These beauty shots help to create the look and vibe of the book, are the potential 'love at first sight', and help the reader to visualise how the project will look and 'works'. they often end up on the cover too so need to look hot! However a pretty face is no good without brains and a personality – thorough instructions and easy-to follow step artworks or photos. I like to use a mix – ensuring there are pix where they are needed, but not so many that the reader thinks ' I'm paying for a pic of somene pressing open a seam!'.
As for format, it tends to depend on the RRP/unit cost/printrun/margin balance. I'd love to make 80pp, square, $15.00 books, but often the margin simply isn't high enough to justify a printrun in the current business model I work with. In the US, Michaels sell a large proportion of my books, but because of their display racks, I have to make them 8.5 x 11in (ie tall enough for the title at the top of the cover to 'peep over' the book infront), whereas to my eye as a crafter and editor/designer, a squarer format is so much nicer to work with. I think the high discounting by Amazon and the likes helps the customer (I certainly take advantage!), but short of another solution, I'm always at pains to provide the best content to make the book worth $24.99 (and they're even more expensive here in the UK!).
I hope that's been a little insightful – I found this post really informative, and will be taking it into the office tomorrow to once more make my plea for more diverse formats and instill the importance of great, visual instructions to my team! Thanks all!!!
Thank YOU for chiming in here, Jennifer – it's helpful to get
perspectives from the publishing side.
You raise an excellent point: to a great extent, large retailers
control the quality of books as much as publishers do. It would be
great to get this discussion into the hands of a Michael's book buyer…
I agree, too! I love Japanese craft books. They're pretty and useful for all these reasons.
But, as a publishing professional, I'm happy to weigh in here. I've been trying to think of ways to get more Japanese books on the craft market here, and there are many hurdles. Translation and sourcing of materials is very hard, and sometimes not cost effective for the translator and both publishers. Some of the small format, niche Japanese craft books stay on the market so briefly that it's hard to get sales information on them to share with American publishers, to show them that they can get a return on their investment, too. (Publishing is a business first, remember.)
As for publishing Japanese-like books in the US, do know that there are some publishers doing so. Have you seen some of the latest offerings from Shambhala books? Check them out. But also, most US publishers do their printing in Asian countries, hence the high cost and slow turnaround. (Those books don't get FedExed from the overseas printer. And the Japanese obviously don't have to pay such high freight charges.) Publishers also have deals with paper producers for certain sizes of paper–that's why there's consistent formatting of books (well, for one reason.) The publisher has to source the production of non-standard format books, which ups the costs for everyone, most times. As crafters, you guys know what it's like to source materials, and how special products and sizes can up your costs. It's the same for publishers, just on a much larger scale.
It's hard to be a trailblazer in American Publishing. Books are expensive for authors to write and market, and publishers to print, market, sell, and distribute. I'm playing a little devil's advocate here, because I love both American and Japanese craft books, but it's one thing say “Yes! Let's do this thing! Look how simple and logical it is!” and another thing to be the editor, pencil in hand, trying to balance a profit and loss report. Or an agent negotiating with a Japanese publisher, overcoming a language barrier. (Anyone seen and pictorial contracts?) :)
I am an literary agent. (Full disclosure: Sister Diane's) and I'm listening closely to everything you guys are saying here. And I'm very interested to see how the market turns as more and more of your opinions are heard. Now, one of you American crafters come write a Japanese style craft book for me!
I admire Japanese quilt books on a daily basis. My collection is slowly growing, starting with a few copies of Quilts Japan, Heart Warming Life Series and now my newest LOVE – books by Yoko Saito (which I discovered in the English/French magazine “Quilt Mania”). I'm really jealous that some of the books by Yoko Saito and Reiko Kato have been TRANSLATED into French. Why not English, too? There's even 3 DVD's of lessons by Saito that are available in French. Whaaaa!
Indeed. I'm just planning my 2011 list at the moment, so this is a perfect time for raising all kinds of questions and thoughts with my colleagues and contacts. So glad there are forums for discussions like this – I'll be watching the comments as they come in. Keep up the good work, Sister Diane!
Thank you for chiming in, Kate! You add a great perspective to this
discussion. (And you rock hard, as always.)
Your comments make me want to play a little Devil's Advocate, too –
and there's no disrespect meant to anyone in US publishing in what I'm
about to say. But, if it's so difficult for large publishers to re-
tool around changes in what the market wants, then it seems to me that
there's a pretty ripe opportunity for self-publishers to step in and
fill these unmet needs.
If you wouldn't mind chiming in on this question, too – let's say
someone did bring you a great proposal for a Japanese-style craft
book. How (theoretically) easy or hard would it be for you to find a
US publisher that would take interest in it?
I’m not Kate.
But as an ebook publisher, my take is this: publishing needs to move toward mostly ebooks, quickly, in order to stay afloat and move quickly on new ideas. It doesn’t take near as long to make a photographed craft tutorial as it does to produce one for print. It’s also cheaper–no printer costs, no trucking costs, no shipping to the customer. I believe this is the direction for craft books to take.
I have to admit that I've stopped buying a lot of craft books without being able to look at them first (ideally, checking them out from the library). That way I can decide if I'm really going to make the projects in the book or if it's a repeat of projects I've seen before.
I don't think it's a problem for books to repeat projects to a certain degree – I have Japanese embroidery books that are full of totes and placemats, but the photos themselves are inspirational enough to keep around (and well lit!).
I think it's like the difference in cookbook styles. Some people love America's Test Kitchen – things that have been tested to death and are the only way to do it. Sometimes it's fun to read a cookbook that's a little more conversational in style, like a food memoir. And other times you'd just like the suggestion of how to cook, like a Nigel Slater book. But lots of craft books seem to be stuck at the stage of Betty Crocker in terms of telling you how to do each step. It seems that if you're aimed at a crafty audience, you can assume we know how to boil water and knead dough and just pipe in if there's a new idea about how to make it work.
My partner and I stumbled across one in our two-week visit to Japan.. and ended up spending several hours wandering the floors (multiple! huge!) to check out all the various departments that held things we did, things we were interested in, and fascinating things we had never even thought of doing… highly recommended!
Wowee! Better than Disneyland, it sounds…
Devil's Advocates FTW!
You're right, it's niches like this where self-publishing can swoop in and fill demand. Those in control of the product know exactly where to hit the market, and they can hit that sweet spot of supply and demand. Larger publishers can't often know where those niches are (too few editors/publicists, too many niches), nor can they afford to hit them all. As an agent in traditional publishing, however, this doesn't worry me at all. As niches grow, they can transition into traditional models and take advantage of bigger production and distribution channels. I'll only get worried when self-publishing can out produce, distribute, and out-pretty traditional publishers. Because Chronicle Books sure does produce some pretty, pretty books. I'm not seeing that consistently in self-publishing.
If I had a great Japanese style craft book on my hands, I think it would be just as hard to sell in this economy as an American style one. And most likely, it would get Americanized a bit. Maybe more beauty shots, maybe fewer process shots. And probably an American price tag, because that's something we just can't change. But publishers know you guys want these kinds of books; it's just hard to make it all work for everyone. Be the change you want to see in craft books. Write them! Blog them!
…Now that's a great answer. Thanks so much (again), Kate!
I'm the Acquisitions Editor here at C&T Publishing and am excited to be launching a new line of books for the modern sewer in an imprint called Stash (March 2010). The first book we have coming out is Little Birds and I proposed a mix of what it sounds like you want and what you don't want: no instructions at the front so that there is more room for more projects (the dreaded 26 to be exact). BUT the design has very little how-to-photography as I find it so clunky and, well…dated. As a matter of fact, I am trying to get our books away from that lots of photos look for the craft sewing audience as I think most intermediate sewers do know the techniques but are just looking for the inspiration, accurate patterns and instructions.
How many of us intermediate sewers follow patterns exactly? I always improvise a bit anyhow but I sure do love looking at the beautiful pictures whether they be Japanese or North American. Honestly, I wonder if that is what I like most about the Japanese books-they are so refreshing to browse through.
Most of the issues you brought up that a publishing professional could answer have been addressed by your agent and the UK Acquisitions Editor. So here is my 2 cents: What strikes me the most in your post is your comment that you are willing to plunk down more money for a book that is designed 'around my tastes'. That is the golden egg. Even in the Little Birds book with 26 projects, each of our editors here actually want to make only five or six of them, as you said….but the kicker is that it's a different set of favorites for each individual.
Another struggle for craft publishers is that if the book is comprised of smaller projects, the knee jerk is that it must be geared to a beginning sewer (and include all of those instructions).
Trim size, binding style, page count, zine or book…I want to create compelling books with awesome content from wonderful authors that a lot of people want to buy and keep on their shelves for a long time. After over 10 years in this business, I tell you, I would be a millionaire if I knew what that combination was every time. But I do know that am going to keep trying!
Thanks for the conversation-you are asking great questions!