This series features interviews with independent photobook publishers. This month’s interview is with the founder of Kozu Books, Greg Stewart.
Don’t Take Pictures: How would you describe Kozu Books to someone who has never seen your books?
Greg Stewart: We are a little bit different from most photobook publishers. We are photographers, printers and photobook publishers with a focus on print quality and accurate image reproduction. We use the finest materials not the most economic and our books are printed using 100% Renewable energy and are FSC Certified.
We Publish large casebound coffee table books and also beautifully printed smaller affordable books.
We will shortly be launching our photozine service where we will design, artwork, print, market and deliver photobooks/zines to photographers for them to sell directly.
DTP: What series of events led you to start your own publishing house?
GS: I have been a keen photographer for most of my life and I enjoyed photography from a very early age. I have collected photobooks for over 20 years.
As I got older, I had more and more work commitments and family responsibilities so my spare time was non existent! I became very frustrated that I could not get out there and photograph so I needed to find a way to continue to enjoy photography even if I was unable to actually take photographs. I also wanted to see my favourite photographers’ images "off screen." I wanted to see them printed and bound, I wanted to see them in a book.
I work for my family’s high-quality printing business. I am the 4th generation on my Dad's side of the family that has worked in print so it's much more than just a job to us—we eat sleep and breathe print. For me print, paper and photography are so closely linked and they compliment each other perfectly.
I figured I was in a great position to try and publish a photobook, so I got a couple of books on self publishing, purchased a Steidl DVD (How to Make a Book with Steidl) and that was that! When I watched the Steidl DVD it felt so familiar, I knew all of the machines, all of the terminology and when I watched it I felt like I was at work! So i figured I would give it a go. I have always had an interest in design and have lots of design inspiration all around me at work as we print beautiful publications on a daily basis. So that was how I decided to start publishing photobooks.
DTP: How do you find photographers that you want to work with and how do you determine what might make a good photo book?
Abstract Mindedness by Doug Chinnery
GS: I am fortunate that I get some wonderful photographers who approach me with ideas for photobooks. I also approach photographers whom I have followed for many years—photographers whose work and ethics I admire.
DTP: Have there been any books that have been particularly rewarding to produce or that you felt a special kinship with?
GS: We have published over 30 books over the last few years and every one of them was extremely rewarding in its own way, we are very lucky to work with world-class photographers and I am proud of every photobook that we have published.
We were absolutely delighted when Paul Kenny's book O Hanami - The Celebration Of Transient Beauty was acquired by the National Art Library (NAL) at the V&A London.
O Hanami - The Celebration of Transient Beauty by Paul Kenny
We also help photographers print and self-publish their own photobooks.
DTP: What are some forthcoming titles are you particularly excited about?
GS: I am excited about all of them! We are printing Ben Horne’s Between The Wind and Adam Gibbs’ Quiet Light in the next couple of weeks and we are just about to start work on Chris Friel’s wonderful Lento series and Rachael Talibart’s amazingly powerful series Tides and Tempests.
DTP: What was one of the most challenging books that you have published and why?
GS: I think every photobook comes with their own challenges, but preparing books and slipcases for print during the COVID-19 pandemic has proved particularly difficult. We are a couple of months behind with Ben’s photobook, which is disappointing. However, we are nearly there
I Am Not the Rain by Simon Ashmore
DTP: It seems that an increasing number of photographers, at all stages of their careers, are looking to publish a book. What should photographers think about before they embark on the book process?
GS: I strongly believe that everyone has the right to publish a photobook if they like. I am not a fan of the snobbery around photobook publishing, however, it’s a good idea to have thought it out thoroughly and it’s especially advantageous if you have an audience/market for your book.
A cohesive body of work always helps, and an understanding of papers and print processes can be very useful.
Start off with a short run of softbound books and see how you get on. It’s much better to sell a short run edition out than to have a house full of boxes of unsold hardback books that have cost you a small fortune.
It is not easy to sell Photobooks, so start off conservatively.
Kozu Books on press
Visit the Kozu Books website to learn more about their books.