Understanding how to include photos in a self-published book.

By guest writer Annie Button

Adding interesting photographs to any self-published book can transform text into an engaging, visually compelling story. Authors and readers alike will be the first to agree that photos inside a book can be a fantastic addition, bringing characters to life, conveying useful information, and pinpointing details that are hard to put into words. 

So, whether you’re choosing a perfect image for an eye-catching front cover or selecting multiple snaps to artfully insert in every chapter, understanding how to include them in your self-published book can be helpful. 

If you’re not sure where to start, this article looks into sourcing, formatting, laying out and licensing high-quality photos so your book meets publishing standards and looks amazing.

Selecting the right resolution and file formats

Smartphones and sophisticated cameras are fantastic if you enjoy photography and are happy to select suitable ones for the subject of your self-publishing book. Perhaps you’ve worked hard researching the right images or have asked friends or contacts to help you source photos from various places. Once you have the right choice for your book, the next step is to learn what resolution requirements you’ll need for the publishing format you’re working on. 

For print publishing, high-resolution images (or high-res) are important for the clearest, highest-quality, and professional-looking reproduced photos. Lower resolution images, despite having smaller file sizes that are ideal for sharing, can look pixelated with a lower quality. Conversely, excessively high-res pictures create unnecessarily large files without improving print quality.

Digital editions have different requirements and higher resolution images are preferable. Images should be in suitable digital formats, such as JPEG or PNG, and optimised for file size to avoid making the e-book too large, which can deter readers. JPEG formats have smaller file sizes and excellent colour reproduction, while PNG formats work better for images with text or sharp edges. TIFF files, while offering great quality, come in large file sizes that can inflate printing costs and digital download times.

If you’re using image software, remember to flatten layers. Essentially, this process permanently combines any separatedesign elements into a single background layer. The file size is therefore greatly reduced, allowing the image to load faster and making the overall e-book smaller. Your image is also then prepared for any further consistent display and printing.

Understanding licensing rules and copyright considerations

Navigating copyright and licensing rules for any photos you use is essential if you want to avoid legal complications or unexpected costs. For a more in-depth look at specific image licensing types, including how to properly secure permissions for various uses, you might find this detailed guide on image licensing by MPB particularly helpful.Understanding these nuances is key as improper licensing can lead to significant fines or legal issues.

However, other than using your own photos, you’ll need to obtain explicit permission, or use properly licensed stock photos, such as Creative Commons or royalty-free images with appropriate licenses). There are various websites with licensing options for stock images but these rights-managed photos can have restrictions and command higher fees. 

While there is no law in the UK banning you from taking photos in public, there are bylaws when it comes to photographing and reprinting images of certain buildings, military bases, or other sensitive sites. This is true if you’re capturing people so, if you’re not sure, look into Image Release Forms if you want to use footage of individuals or groups in your book that might breach personal data rules. Professional publishing standards increasingly require these releases, particularly for commercial publications, and obtaining them can protect you from any legal issues.

Budgeting for photo and printing costs 

Any type of photo in your self-published book will impact your budget so you might want to factor in the costs of taking the photos and of printing them in colour or black and white. Adding images can impact a budget, making planning essential for authors who already have a checklist to think about. If you’re planning to include an image to accompany your author biography, ask someone you know rather than paying a professional.

As the author, try to establish your budget before making decisions about more expensive colour photos as your printing costs can increase compared to black and white. Such a price jump is primarily due to the higher cost of colour inks and toners, so agreeing on a price upfront is an important consideration. Find out about the colour profile management of photos depending on the printer or publisher you consult. Incorrect profiles can change between your screen preview and printed results.

Ideally, check specific settings like sRGB for digital publishing and CMYK for print to ensure vibrant colours don’t become dull or off-colour when readers receive physical copies. Print-on-demand services offer different paper options, from standard to premium photo paper, each changing the price and quality. The number of photos, their size, your print run, and whether they're printed on standard or premium paper can also affect the final costs. 

Optimising captions and designs for different genres

Whether you’re writing a memoir, a non-fiction book, or a travel guide, writing informative captions to explain a photo in a few words can add value and detail to your project. When it comes to designing and adding photos to your self-published book, your approach will depend on the book genre you’re writing. You might want to think about age-appropriateness, style, and layout design when adding photos. Each genre has established conventions that readers expect, and understanding these expectations can help you create a book that meets market standards and expresses your original vision. 

Similarly, you can personalise photos with creative captions that can clearly identify a person, or subject, and enhance your unique story. If possible, keep captions short and sweet, plus use the words to compliment images to add context, humour, or a backstory. Placing each photo does require careful consideration as you won’t want to disrupt your book's flow. To avoid jarring with a reader, allow adequate white space around images, maintain a consistent style throughout your book, learn the best way to format borders, and resize images to reinforce your book's appearance.

Likewise, well-positioned images can really enhance text if they appear in the correct context rather than being randomly scattered throughout a chapter. Consider if they work better as full-page spreads, if they’re integrated in text columns, or grouped in dedicated sections. Each approach has advantages depending on your book's genre and target audience. Professional layout software like Adobe InDesign and simpler tools such as Canva are user-friendly tools for producing different layouts. 

Ultimately, adding photos to a self-published book can do wonders to elevate your story and captivate readers’ imagination. However, before you start inserting them from page to page, you’ll want to tread carefully to determine the right quality, legalities, costs, and design.

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Annie Button

Annie Button is a freelance writer specialising in sustainable lifestyle and business development. Her work has featured on a variety of prestigious online sites, clients, and print publications, and she is passionate about equipping her readers with the knowledge and inspiration that allows them to make well-informed decisions in their everyday lives.

www.anniebutton.co.uk/