Another Discount Code

I have another discount code for Blurb. “SHARE” will get you free shipping. I don’t know if you can use this code together with other discounts but its worth a try.

PUBLISHED!

It is my pleasure to announce that my book, “a common experience”, has been published and is now available for sale from Blurb.com.

Look here: http://www.blurb.com/books/1865576 to preview and purchase “a common experience”. The cost is approximately $59.95.

Blurb.com often runs discounts of up to 20%. I will pass those codes on to you if you let me know that you are interested in purchasing the book. There is a current coupon code: “CHEER” that will save you $10.00 on your purchase.

Also, please check this blog for any updates, new Blurb discount codes, or other book related information. You may also email me at acommonexperience@live.com with any questions or comments.

Thanks, and great reading!

Ben

a common experience is submitted!

Yesterday afternoon I successfully submitted my book, a common experience, to Blurb. Wow! Finally. I requested express service so that I can get the hard copy book back quicker for my review. I am VERY excited to finally see what I have been working on for nearly a year as an actual, physical, book!

Unfortunately, due to timing and production timelines I don’t believe it will be available for retail delivery for before Christmas. I truly wish it was. Now I understand why manufacturers push so hard to get product on store shelves BEFORE the holidays.

Oh well…All I can do is try my best. If there are no, or few, changes to the final book, then a common experience should be available for ordering within about a week. After ordering, it can take up to two weeks for delivery.

When I submitted the book I was able to determine the price at around $69.95. This includes per book production costs and a small (very small actually) profit. Blurb typically has discount codes that can save you around 20%. I will provide those codes as I get them.

I will send out a press release as soon as the retail version of the book is loaded and ready for sale.

For any questions, comments, etc. please contact me at: acommonexperience@live.com

Thank you everybody for your interest, patience, and support during this whole process. I specifically want to thank my copy editor, Lavon Peters. My copy proof reader, Annie Staufer (Binion), and my “art director” Mike Smith. And a special thanks to Susan Hayre Thelwell who does this stuff for a living and taught me the finer points of photo book publishing. These folks all made a BIG difference and I appreciate it.

a common experience will be released the week of dec 20th!

All images, writing, and layout are complete. Currently the final draft is in the hands of the proof reader. She will complete proofing and return the book with any changes this Sunday the 12th. I will then make the final copy changes and submit the draft to Blurb to have them print me a proof copy.

I need to have Blurb print out a hard copy proof so that I can see the actual output from their printers to make sure that everything is as it should be regarding color, layout, etc. I will make final adjustments and changes (if needed) from this proof copy. a common experience will, after long last, be available to the public after the proof validation is complete! Availability will be sometime during the week of Dec 20th. Just in time for the Holidays!

Release Date for “a common experience” is set for Late November

Yes its true. There is actually a release date now for “a common experience.” After uncountable (and ongoing) technical and software issues the release date for the book is set for late November-ish. All images have been final produced. The text is edited and complete (and quite compelling I might add).

This has been a HUGE effort to get everything done. I have learned that “writing” a book is the easy part. Writing took me about 21 days. But photo selection, processing, layout, and dealing computer “issues” is what really takes time and effort.

So update your holiday gift lists to include “a common experience.” Get a copy for your spouse. Another for your friends. One for yourself, and every coffee table should should have one. Heck! Get a copy for your friend's spouse!

On the Summit of Blanca Peak. The sign says, “Blanca Peak, 14,345 ft, Sept 18, 2010, Number 40 in 40X50”

I am in the final stages!

I am in the final stages of book production. What I have learned from this project is, writing the book is the easiest part. Image production is way more difficult and very time consuming.

As of now all of the images have been produced and final processed. I am currently printing out all of the images and doing the final tweaking from hard copy to insure they will appear in the book as I intend. Its a long process and very detailed but it will take the images from good to exceptional. I hope.

 

Stay tuned…It should not be long now…

…I am Back After a Brief and Frustrating Respite

Sometimes life just gets in the way. Both good experiences and those that are bad can temporarily derail one from their intended course. C'est la vie

Right as I was in the final phases of finishing “a common experience” I started to have some rather severe computer issues that put the brakes on my image processing workflow. These “issues” rolled down, as these things do, into my final book production and basically stopped it in its tracks.

On top of that I also started a new 6 month contract position at Qwest Communications. The new job is great. I have an excellent boss and coworkers and the work is well matched to my skills. Anyway…Starting a new job is always a bit consuming and distracting. And so it was.

This situation caused me to lose a little “steam” regarding book production. Unfortunately, I completely missed the July 15 contest deadline. C'est la vie. It could not have been avoided. But, with a new computer and some extra free time (haha) I am back in production and have processed about 60 percent of the book images.

Stay tuned and thank you for your interest…

Me on the Summit of Handies Peak, June 2010

Copy Edit is Complete

The copy editor completed and returned her final sections of a common experience last night. Now it is all up to me. I will spend the weekend finalizing the text and then I will need to complete all final image processing. Then it is just a simple matter of laying out the copy and photos. Actually, it will be fun but a huge amount of work. The last step is to run the final draft through the proof-reader for any last minute post-layout issues.

I am exploring the http://photographybooknow.blurb.com/ contest entry rules to see if it is possible to also commercially publish a common experience in addition to self publishing through Blurb.com.

I will keep you all posted as to my progress and publishing decisions. Thanks for your interest…

An Early Excerpt from the Book, “a common experience”

I am very excited, and anxious, about the release of my first book. I am projecting that it should be completed about mid June. Please help me by spreading the word.

a common experience is a collection of personal short stories, scenes, and photographs that I have collected over several years while hiking and climbing the Colorado mountains. It is not a guidebook book, or an adventure tale, but rather broad life lessons and experiences that I have learned in the context of hiking and climbing. These scenes are accompanied by, and related to, some of my best landscape and mountain images.

Below I have included a short excerpt and a couple of images. Please have a look and stay tuned…

"...And in the moment someone has that “Wow” reaction while looking at one of my images, we might both share an appreciation for the mountains, composition, color, and the effort required to capture it all. In that short span of time, that viewer and I will have something in common. We will have the experience of that place and time captured in an image that required perhaps 1/500 of a second to record. And that experience is what we have in common. It is the common experience that this book tries to capture."

High winds rip snow from the summit of

James Peak (13,294 ft / 4,052 m) in early Spring

as Mike and Jim approach the summit in the distance, May 2008

 

Sunrise on Grays Peak (14,270 ft / 4,350 m)

looking North to Torreys Peak (14,267 ft / 4,349 m), June 2007

Welcome to the Hompage for the Upcoming Book, a common experience

Please check back soon. The book copy is complete and in edit. All of the images have been selected. The next step is to bring the edited copy and images together in a captivating layout.

I will update this page as progress is made.