Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Beginner's Questions => Topic started by: jww_40 on November 11, 2012, 01:33:24 pm
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Good Morning All!
I'm making a calendar of the Prudhoe Bay, Alaska Oilfield and it's being printed now. This calendar is mostly a photographic explanation of what Prudhoe Bay is like. This is a first for me and a great learning experience. So far, I've only talked to co-workers about the calendar. From the response, I'm thinking of asking the printer to do a second run.
Should I have started a small business to do this?
Lesson learned so far:
1. Whatever format you need, think and shoot in that format if you can. So many of my favorite photographs didn't make the cut because they wouldn't fit the 8" x 10" calendar format.
2. If you are going to shoot a calendar, or use some of your "stock" for a calendar, print the photo's on plain paper and lay them out on a table or counter to get a feel for continuity and cohesiveness. You have no idea how many I printed and swapped/moved to get the final calendar. :-)
3. If you are going to make a 2013 calendar, don't start in late September. :-) Printing prices had risen considerably from earlier in the year. Printers are busy and it would've been nice to have the calendars done and on hand in September.
4. Finding a good printer is GOLDEN! I was sooo discouraged with the high prices and the unwillingness to customize or stray from their standard format.
Thanks,
John
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Apple prints Calendars through iPhoto with a size of 13" x 10" did one a few years ago and quality was very good and shipping was very fast. My wife uses lulu.com who print 13.5 x 19 and 11 x 17 and they are also quite fast printing and shipping. The latter lulu has an online store in which you can sell your book or calendar.
Should you have started a small business? Guess it would depend on how many you plan on selling if a large quantity then maybe due to taxes but otherwise probably not.
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In order to really qualify as a "business" you would need to show a profit of over $5000 per year, the only way the IRS or state would be notified or receive a 1099 would be through extensive use of PayPal or certain credit card processors providing a 1099 to IRS or the state.
Use of a Credit card processor outside the USA will result in a very low likelyhood of a 1099 being submitted to IRS or State, accepting check or money orders will make your income less visible and they also lower your risk of nuisance "Chargebacks" from credit card use