I’ve previously written about photobooks, and what a great gift idea they are.  Plus, they preserve photos in a way that doesn’t damage paper photos, and at the same time makes photos more accessible instead of having them saved in a hard drive some where.  But should you decide to create photobooks, especially for specific milestones or themes a few things to consider from someone who has created a good number of them.

1. There are many companies that allow you to create photobooks, choose one that you know someone has used.  Although there aren’t rampant scams with the photobook industry, they do differ in the quality, shipping, and ease of software to create the photobooks.  So shop around and compare at least a good 3 different companies.
2. Check out Groupon, or digital coupon sites for offers and discounts.  Try looking for promo codes that can easily save you 20%, which would be the price of shipping alone.
3. On the above, the more local the company is, the cheaper the shipping is.  Often shipping is more expensive than the product itself.  So if you know of a local company, which will be a nice saving for you with lower shipping charges.
4. Make sure you plan, shipping can range from 2 to 4 weeks, and sometimes there could be errors or delays – especially around the holidays.  So plan ahead.
5. Before you create an album filter out high quality photos into a folder in your computer, it’s better to choose a large number of them then to be pressed to find ones to fill out some pages.    You can go a step further and divide them between “must include” to “nice to haves”.  That way you prioritize them, and have some to fill spaces if needed.
6. Remember than more doesn’t necessarily mean better.  More photos that are repetitive or lower quality can cheapen your final photobook, it’s better to include less more impressive photos (which you can even expand to a larger scale) than a large number of lower quality ones.
7. Give thought into your cover image, because it will be the most prominent first impression of the book.  Pick something that more or less summarizes what the album is about and who it is for.  A high quality photo for that is a must.  Don’t forget the back cover photo too – it’s a shame to leave it blank, some great phot real estate there.
8. Take time to think about your layout, doesn’t have to be chronological – you can theme them by food photos, or sibling photos etc. 
9. Don’t overdo the templates the photobook companies give you.  Some of them might be tacky and including them for the sake of filling gaps is not a good idea.  Be discerning with your choice, and remember empty space can make the album more dramatic if done right.
10. Add some labels, but don’t put too much text, it’ll take away from the imagery and isn’t really adding much.  Putting some quotes or poetry is a nice touch but keep it short and to the point.  Dates can be added to the cover as small text on the side.

I’m sure there are plenty of other ideas out there to make photobooks ore impressive – feel free to add your tips by commenting below.