A Call to Keepers

[cinderbird]

This may be kind of odd, but read on. I'll try to explain everything as simply as possible.

As part of my college curriculum, I have decided to take on an independent study to give me the remaining credits i need to receive my Bachelors of Science degree from my university. For this study, I chose to create a book for this amazing hobby.

In a nut shell: this will be an information guide; both hard cover and paperback available, 80-150 pages approximately, full color and with TONS of pictures and a few illustrations. I am working with a few breeders and keepers now, and I'm trying to get some other Herpetologists input as well.

My biggest problem is the limited amount of ball pythons i can find. I would like to document as many behaviors, methods of keeping, morphs and whatever else for this book.

If you would like to possibly participate, please let me know (you can PM me, instead of commenting if you wish). I travel a lot for a college student. I travel through New York, up to Rochester/Syracuse/Buffalo. I am 2 hours from the Canadian border. I travel to Pennsylvainia, mostly Philadelphia, scranton, wilkes-barre, etc. From there I am close to New Jersey. I can also travel to Maryland, etc.

I have 9 pages worth of outline, research and other text already, and I am completely dedicated to doing this project because I feel that this hobby could benefit from an affordable book with revelant information. The few books I would recommend are out of the price range for what I would consider to be a novice keeper. I am -very- serious about completing this.

In order to compensate anyone who would find it in their hearts/schedule/etc to let me photograph their collections, I can offer the original files of the pictures for you to use as you see fit (except for profit), a discounted or possibly free version of the book (depending on how many people I'd need to get them for), FULL credit of your animals within the book and a little added blurb about you as a breeder/keeper/hobbiest if I can fit it in, and your contact information in the book if you want to add it.

I have a rather limited time frame in which to do this and plan to get most of the photography done within the next three months. (Nov, Dec, Jan). The book itself will be completed in at least the most minimal sense of the word around April 22, 2009.


You can contact me here, or through e-mail;
saw5536 @ rit.edu

[FloridaHogs]

Sounds like a lofty project. However, have you actually priced out the cost of getting this book printed??? I HIGHLY recommend you do that before continuing. Having done a similar book myself (on a different species) I can tell you that publishing was/is by far the hardest and most expensive part of the entire thing! Goodluck.

[anendeloflorien]

Ahhh you go to RIT? I've always heard great things about that school. I'm actually getting ready to go back to school to start my BS, how is their program there?

[WizzySRT10]

I'm new to the hobby but I'm sure someone will chime in. I know only what my snake does and would like to help with the project. I'd get in contact with Adam at 8 ball pythons, Jason Knudson, and so many more people on the site. Atleast you started in a place that knows alot about these wonderful animals. Good Luck

[simplechamp]

You might want to consider asking some of the big name BP breeders, and even smaller ones, if you can license some of their photographs for the book. It would save you from driving all over and taking the pics yourself. They may ask for a small fee but I would imagine it would be cheaper than paying your travel expenses.

[TheShortBus]

very nice! looking forward to see how it turns out!

[cinderbird]

Sounds like a lofty project. However, have you actually priced out the cost of getting this book printed??? I HIGHLY recommend you do that before continuing. Having done a similar book myself (on a different species) I can tell you that publishing was/is by far the hardest and most expensive part of the entire thing! Goodluck.

I'm going to self publish through lulu.com because it is the most affordable option. I've used it for several projects over the last couple years and find their work acceptible. If I also plan to purchase an ISBN number to make the book available. In the future when i have more money to put into this I may go to a private publisher. The book price itself for the paperback is 30.00 or 40.00 and is 60.00 for the hard cover.

Ahhh you go to RIT? I've always heard great things about that school. I'm actually getting ready to go back to school to start my BS, how is their program there?

RIT is a great school if you're willing to work hard. They use a quarter system which means you can take classes 4x a year, there are 3 official quarters Fall Winter and Spring. Degrees generally take a ton more credits than other universities that run on semester type schedules (ex: I need 197 credits to graduate). Feel free to contact me if you want any info or want to know what the campus is like and stuff

You might want to consider asking some of the big name BP breeders, and even smaller ones, if you can license some of their photographs for the book. It would save you from driving all over and taking the pics yourself. They may ask for a small fee but I would imagine it would be cheaper than paying your travel expenses.

I have gone to some bigger name breeders, I'm looking for small breeders and hobbiests as well. I also don't want to license. I'm a photographer by degree and refuse to "let other people do my work." I also have no buget for licensing, however, i do have all my own necessary equipment, and parents willing to front gas money for me to travel.

very nice! looking forward to see how it turns out!

I can give updates on it, but I will definitely notify this board when its complete

[cinderbird]

Bumping this.

Let me also say that I have asked some big breeders, and have at least one that has opened their collection and home to me. I have others that I am waiting to hear back from, as I know this is somewhat of an intrusive process.

Basically I'm looking for additional outlets and animals to photograph. I really don't want this to be just photographs of one or two collections. I want a very broad scope of information, animals and also morphs. There are also a ton of people who post here that I dont know about.

Thanks for the responses so far

[4theSNAKElady]

Don't know you're name, but I live in Jersey. My collection is small, and I have all of 1 morph. Don't know if you'd be interested in contacting me, but I'll offer anything I can to help ya.