The photographic monograph has always been an important vehicle for the expression of authorship and vision. But despite the potential wide reach of books and the supposed ubiquity of printing, the fact remains that for photographers wanting to publish their work in book form, the costs invariably far outweigh the returns, at least in commercial terms. Unlike the recent The Photobook volumes by Martin Parr and Gerry Badger, which celebrate the book as an art object, my essay is concerned with the pragmatics of publishing, especially in the UK. Based on interviews with photographers and publishers currently active in Britain, both commercial and “fine art”, the discussion tries to set out some of the considerations which might be useful to a photographer wanting to get a book produced and distributed. 

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