A shameless plug for my books

16 comments on A shameless plug for my books
2 minutes

They say that you can sell anything you believe in. I very much believe in my writing and photography, as evidenced by my nearly 15-year-old blog.

Over the last few years I’ve begun publishing books of my writing and photography. I believe in my creative work so much that I want it to find a wider audience beyond the blog.

Yet somehow, I’d rather break all of my fingers than market, promote, and sell those books! It’s deeply uncomfortable for me.

Sometimes I force myself to do it. Like today. You may not know about the books I’ve published, and they’re all lovely. If you enjoy my blog, you will enjoy my books!

Exceptional Ordinary: Everyday Photography with the Pentax ME
2017, 8½”x11″, 44 pages, $12.99 on Blurb.com.

My first book set out to prove that exceptional images can be made with even the most ordinary 35mm SLR. The Pentax ME certainly qualifies as ordinary, with its middling specifications and features. Yet I’ve done some of my best work with this camera and the great Pentax lenses that mount on it.

Get it now at Blurb

Textures of Ireland
2018, 8½”x11″, 36 pages, $12.99 on Blurb.com.

Ireland is a country of color — especially green, in astonishing shades across its rolling countryside. Yet I shot black-and-white film all over that country, looking for light and shadow. What I got was a set of images with such texture that you want to touch them. When you do, you’ll be surprised not to feel the textures in your fingertips, as if they were pressed into the pages in relief.

Get it now at Blurb

A Place to Start
2020, 6″x9″, $14.99 paperback, $9.99 e-book, $7.99 PDF, on Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play, and Leanpub.com

When my always difficult marriage finally ended in a brutal, protracted divorce, it nearly crushed me. I started writing as a way of processing everything that happened. I published my writing on this blog and let friends and family know. This blog was a place to start building a happier life. This book collects the best stories and essays from the blog’s first two years. They’re ordinary stories of an ordinary life, well told.

Get it now at Amazon in paperback and on Kindle (also UK, Canada, Germany), Apple Books in e-book, Google Play in e-book, or Leanpub in PDF and e-book

Vinyl Village
2021, 8″x10″, $9.99 on Amazon

The modern American suburban subdivision is all about cheerful homes. But so many of them are built to a minimum standard and it shows. I take an unflinching look at one such neighborhood in central Indiana in a photo essay that strips bare its banality.

Get it now at Amazon


Comments

16 responses to “A shameless plug for my books”

  1. Andy Umbo Avatar
    Andy Umbo

    Ha, Jim, I hope you sell a lot! As a guy who spent most of his career in advertising related endeavors, let me tell you, there’s no shame in promotion!

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      Then why do I find it so hard?!!?

      1. Andy Umbo Avatar
        Andy Umbo

        You’ve got to think in terms of the idea that there are people out there that want to read and see what you’re saying; especially “A Place To Start”. You have a viewpoint that’s different than anyone else’s and it might help people to become aware of it that are going through similar things!

        1. Jim Grey Avatar

          You’re not the first person to give me this advice. Perhaps my problem is that I don’t believe in my work enough.

  2. Pete Avatar
    Pete

    I’ve just bought and read Vinyl Village which was an eye opener for me here in the UK where we have our own foibles. Excellent piece of work.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      Thank you for buying one! I’m pleased you enjoyed it.

  3. Kurt Ingham Avatar

    At least three of these are absolutely terrific- I can recommend them without a hint of reserve. You will have more than a few regrets if you don’t buy them.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      Thanks Kurt!

  4. brineb58 Avatar

    I got the vinyl village and really enjoyed it. Inspiring even!!!

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      Thank you!!

  5. Jerome Avatar

    Jim, you managed to create four books AND write a blog for fifteen years! I am amazed at what you have accomplished.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      I get up at 5:30 weekday mornings to work on my personal projects — and wake up. I’m so not a morning person. These personal projects sharpen my brain so I can be productive at work all day!

  6. M.B. Henry Avatar

    You’re right, marketing is rough! But you do it well! :) :) Hope the books do great, I just bought “A Place to Start” and look forward to reading it!

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      Thank you!!!

  7. Khürt Williams Avatar

    Speaking of plug. James Cockcroft reviews photo-books that people send him. It might be a way to get exposure. 🤷🏾‍♂️

    https://www.jamescockroft.com/20211115/reviews/lauren-withrow-somewhere-at-the-edge-of-the-world/

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      Oooh, you know, via Amazon I can buy copies for next to nothing – never thought about sending them to people in exchange for reviews!

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