Many of you have asked about the process behind writing a book. Today we want to invite you into our studio for an inside look at our process. It has been one of the most fun, consuming and intense projects we've worked on to date…When we began, we made bulletin boards to use as visual outlines. Because this book was all about the images (it's a photo book!) we felt like we need a visual outline so we could see when sections fill up, got too full or needed more work. We organized all of the photos for each chapter so that we had a quick reference throughout the entire process. We added and cut photos each week while writing the copy for the book. We had about five boards full of tiny images and notes by the end of the process. Seeing it grow each day was really exciting! Since this was a photography book we took hundreds of new photos. This was one of the best parts of the creative process. The challenge inevitably led us to a deeper love for photography. It may sound a little dramatic, but writing this book really changed our lives. We started carrying our cameras everywhere daily and it didn't end when the book was turned in. This week we have been working on edits. We are lucky enough to have a fantastic editor, and everyone working with us on this book has been absolutely invaluable. Emma has been keeping a folder on her desktop of all the photos that have been cut so far. Currently there have been over 40 images cut, and we still have some more editing to do. It's one of those necessary steps that's still so bittersweet. But we know that this next step will strengthen the work; helping us to include only the very best work.
thanks! i always love reading your blog. so inspiring. I can’t wait until i have my own blog and i can advertise on your site! 🙂 then we can be friendsss 🙂
Looks like you have an excellent process!! I’m so excited to see what you create!! You two are amazing!
p.s. I’m excited for the photoshop/twitter session later today!
jennybodell.blogspot.com
All sound so cool and interesting. Thank you for sharing… it gives me ideas to organize myself while on editing my e-magazine (Ravenous). I’ve been a bit lazy because I was not sure how to start or edit. Can’t wait to see your book ready 🙂
Oh, editing – the process you sometimes just need to step away from for a while before you can do it properly! Much luck to you ladies, and can’t wait to see the finished product!
Sounds awesome! I love the idea of a visual board for book writing. Even if the book itself is not visually oriented, I bet it would help anyone to map it out like that.
Well, a photo book seems a little different from the regular literary kind, mainly because it is so substantial from the very beginning.
With writing, you just document the linguistic form of the ideas in your head, whereas when creating a graphic book, you can literally see it come into being.
This difference is clearly visible in Emma’s photo: she is holding a laptop with a text editor open. The text doesn’t look like anything at all, even though it might be mentally interesting. However, the pin board in the background makes ideas graspable, visual, dynamic as they actually move pinned from one spot to another.
Thanks for sharing a little bit of the process behind your book. I love your photography, so can’t wait to see the final product. I’m sure it will be beautiful!
This is wonderful! I am about to embark on the adventure of compiling an ebook of all my DIY projects so far and this is sure to help. Thanks and I am wishing you all the best!
Fabulous post ladies! We often see the final product, and while that is all good and fine, we also thoroughly enjoy the process (or if you’re like me, you enjoy the process even more!).
That’s fantastic!! What exciting times for you guys. You’re so inspiring. Every time I visit your blog I want to do more and do better. Thanks for being awesome.
I amire you guys so much and I must say that I am so excited for the book! I love writing and I hope that I can publish a book in my future, you guys are so amzing. And I was really inspired by your everday blogs, I love them both and it inspired me to take my new blog and not stress just take it day by day and post only when I have something to say. Thank you and I hope you’ll take a look at my blog.
Oh I can’t wait till your book comes out! I will definitely purchase it! Last year I had my love of photography blossom and along the way you two are always supplying me with new inspiration! I know you book is going to be so wonderful!
So excited about this project! I know it’s going to be a beautiful and wonderful book after all the hard work is done. Congratulations ladies on hard work done right!
It sounds amazing. I’ve only been following your blog for 2 weeks (probably less…) but I’ve become strangely addicted to it. I love all of your photography tips so I can’t wait to see the book finished!
Thanks for sharing your behind-the-scenes process, it all looks very exciting, and inspiring! Both for you and me! I hope to do a beautiful project like this one day soon. Can’t wait for the book to come out, I’d like my photographs to be as delicious as yours!
Katie. xxx
So exciting! It sounds like it really is a lot of work writing and editing a book. I keep wanting to do something like that, but the whole process just seems so overwhelming!
58 Comments
Sounds exciting! Best of luck!
This is so fantastic! You ladies are so inspiring and I can’t wait to read your book!
Xoxo Sarah
theantiquepearl.blogspot.com
Fascinating! Great job!
I can’t wait to see the final product! I’m sure this book will look as beautiful as everything you do!
very cool! thanks for sharing these! can’t wait to see the book!
http://www.tinacious.me/
thanks! i always love reading your blog. so inspiring. I can’t wait until i have my own blog and i can advertise on your site! 🙂 then we can be friendsss 🙂
I am most likely going to purchase your book! xoxo
Thanks for this interesting little peek into the process. Can’t wait to read your book!
loulou
Looking forward to seeing the book 🙂
Excited for both the book AND the Q&A session on Twitter!
Recently have gotten into your blog, took the Blog Love e-course and now I’m totally hooked on ABM and blogging in general!
it looks like you have such an amazing space to work in.
thank you for giving us a look behind the scenes, you both are so inspiring!
xo, cheyenne
just cannot wait for this book!
grace
http://herumbrella.com
I’d love to see how your boards were growing each day. That’s a great idea for a gif, but I think it’s too late:)
Julia
thesheerstories.blogspot.com
Looks like you have an excellent process!! I’m so excited to see what you create!! You two are amazing!
p.s. I’m excited for the photoshop/twitter session later today!
jennybodell.blogspot.com
That is awesome. It’s wonderful to hear about the process. I’m excited for the book to be released!
Christen
http://www.anunordinaryhello.com
All sound so cool and interesting. Thank you for sharing… it gives me ideas to organize myself while on editing my e-magazine (Ravenous). I’ve been a bit lazy because I was not sure how to start or edit. Can’t wait to see your book ready 🙂
Great project! Thanks for sharing and good luck.
This is such a lovely story, I can’t wait till your book comes out, I’m definitely buying it!
Pip x
That’s wonderful! It’ll be exciting to look through when it’s done! 🙂
neha
neha made
Lovely – very curious how it will turn out! Enjoy the process!
Love getting to see the behind the scenes action on this book! Also, I can’t wait for it to be released so I can pick it up myself! <3
What an exciting project! I am looking forward to the book! Your success is well deserved!
lolaandpaz.com
I already can’t wait to see this book come to fruition–congrats on all your hard work (and the work to come!). I’m sure it’s going to be amazing
Oh, editing – the process you sometimes just need to step away from for a while before you can do it properly! Much luck to you ladies, and can’t wait to see the finished product!
Sounds great!
http://www.creativityandchocolate.blogspot.com
Sounds awesome! I love the idea of a visual board for book writing. Even if the book itself is not visually oriented, I bet it would help anyone to map it out like that.
I’m so excited to see the finished product! Enjoyed this article very much! x
Kate {Modette}
http://modetteblog.com
Well, a photo book seems a little different from the regular literary kind, mainly because it is so substantial from the very beginning.
With writing, you just document the linguistic form of the ideas in your head, whereas when creating a graphic book, you can literally see it come into being.
This difference is clearly visible in Emma’s photo: she is holding a laptop with a text editor open. The text doesn’t look like anything at all, even though it might be mentally interesting. However, the pin board in the background makes ideas graspable, visual, dynamic as they actually move pinned from one spot to another.
http://vintage0mint.blogspot.com/
So exciting, cant wait to see it.
Zoe
http://gypsiesister.blogspot.co.uk
Thanks for sharing a little bit of the process behind your book. I love your photography, so can’t wait to see the final product. I’m sure it will be beautiful!
Can’t wait to see the book!!
This is wonderful! I am about to embark on the adventure of compiling an ebook of all my DIY projects so far and this is sure to help. Thanks and I am wishing you all the best!
Fabulous post ladies! We often see the final product, and while that is all good and fine, we also thoroughly enjoy the process (or if you’re like me, you enjoy the process even more!).
This sounds like an amazing project. I am excited to see the finished product.
HonestConfessions.blogspot.ca
Will the book be available in the Philippines? Please say yessss! ; )
That’s fantastic!! What exciting times for you guys. You’re so inspiring. Every time I visit your blog I want to do more and do better. Thanks for being awesome.
I can’t wait to see this book. You girls are do inspiring, I’m sure it will be a wonderful book.
xoxo.
Excited much! 🙂
You Gals are so driven and following your bliss all the while! Visiting a Beautiful Mess is always leaves me feeling inspired and motivated xo
i admire how organize you two are, can’t wait to see how your book turns out
i hope yor book will appear in Indonesia 😀 i love your Blog so much
I amire you guys so much and I must say that I am so excited for the book! I love writing and I hope that I can publish a book in my future, you guys are so amzing. And I was really inspired by your everday blogs, I love them both and it inspired me to take my new blog and not stress just take it day by day and post only when I have something to say. Thank you and I hope you’ll take a look at my blog.
Sounds lovely!
I can’t wait to see how it turns out! 😀
thank you for those insights. i’m very curious for the result. really love your photos, so i guess this will be an amazing piece of art. 🙂
Such an interesting and usefull post ! Can’t wait to see how it will turn out.
Oh I can’t wait till your book comes out! I will definitely purchase it! Last year I had my love of photography blossom and along the way you two are always supplying me with new inspiration! I know you book is going to be so wonderful!
I’m so happy for you!
So excited about this project! I know it’s going to be a beautiful and wonderful book after all the hard work is done. Congratulations ladies on hard work done right!
It sounds amazing. I’ve only been following your blog for 2 weeks (probably less…) but I’ve become strangely addicted to it. I love all of your photography tips so I can’t wait to see the book finished!
Love – Irina.
http://irinabaginay.blogspot.com
I’m so excited! Will this book be published internationally?
http://lealuu.com
Thanks for sharing your behind-the-scenes process, it all looks very exciting, and inspiring! Both for you and me! I hope to do a beautiful project like this one day soon. Can’t wait for the book to come out, I’d like my photographs to be as delicious as yours!
Katie. xxx
I can’t wait to read it!!
So exciting! It sounds like it really is a lot of work writing and editing a book. I keep wanting to do something like that, but the whole process just seems so overwhelming!
Help!
I have short hair & never know how to style it. -_-
Sounds like such a fun exciting process!
I would love to one day create a book.
thanks for the peek inside the process and best of luck with the editing, I understand the bittersweetness of editing. 🙂
Nice 🙂
Val
http://valentinaduracinsky.blogspot.com/