Completed Book Projects (Consulting)
Photographer Testimonials
Matt Shallenberger, The Leaping Place (self-published), 2019
“Melanie was instrumental in bringing my book to life. As artists making books, we always find ourselves having to do things beyond the art itself, and Melanie's knowledge and experience of all facets of the industry is extremely helpful in filling in those gaps, all with the sensibility of being an artist herself.” — Matt Shalleberger
Tony Chirinios, The Precipice, Gnomic Book, 2021
“I am grateful for Melanie McWhorter's insight about book making and championing work that is not consider mainstream. She comes with a world of knowledge about all aspects of publishing books, finding the right designer, publisher, and distributor to best fit your book ideas. Melanie is relentless in getting the job done, always reaches out with new ideas, creating truthful budgets and is always patient to hear my thoughts. I could not be happier in having her as part of my team.” — Tony Chirinos
Susan Burnstine, Absence of Being, Damiani Editore, 2016
"No one knows more about photo books than Melanie. I was extremely fortunate to consult with her for my second book, Absence Of Being. When considering my creative aesthetics and specific design desires and challenges, she suggested the perfect designer who was able to bring my vision to life. She also provided countless suggestions on how to better the design throughout the design process, which ultimately, helped me create the book of my dreams. If you’re searching for assistance with the creation of your monograph, I can’t suggest Melanie enough. She’s a treasure." – Susan Burnstine
Vivian Keulards, Flaming Grace, self-published, 2017
"I was so thrilled when Melanie McWhorter said yes to writing an essay for my book Flaming Grace. She could write from a personal note, growing up as a girl with red hair. And of course she’s got a very experienced and professional eye on/for photography and photography books. I was overjoyed with the final result, the essay had everything I was looking for: a little science, her personal story, the connection with art and lovely words about my work. I couldn’t have been happier." – Vivian Keulards
Michael Crouser, Mountain Ranch, University of Texas Press, 2017
"Melanie's insight, input and ideas were invaluable to me as I put together the final edit of my book Mountain Ranch. She knows photography books like no one else, and is uniquely qualified to aid in the process of concepting a book and bringing it to fruition." – Michael Crouser
Brandon Thibodeaux, In That Land of the Perfect Day
"Melanie's insight into the business of publishing is invaluable as you navigate the journey of photo book publishing. Though we had only met briefly at a few photography festivals, her personable demeanor made it feel as if we'd known each other for ages. Over the past few years she's now become a trusted friend who just so happens to know a lot about books. Whether it's working out budgets, whittling through contracts, or finding the right publisher, when you work with Melanie you know that she is putting all she has forward to help you make the right decisions. She'll stay right there with you through the whole process." – Brandon Thibodeaux
Patrick Sansone, 100 Polarioids
“Melanie has been a great supporter and cheerleader of my work for the last decade. I was on the fence about whether or not to move ahead with the re-printing of my photography book, but her encouragement and creative ideas about how to make it work were instrumental in my moving forward. I came to her for advice because of her expertise and enthusiasm for great photography books, and I'm so glad that I did.”
Erica Reade, Beach Lovers
Making the decision to make a photo book was a significant one, and working with Melanie was a large part of that. My first starting point was the "Making the Photographic Book" class with Melanie McWhorter in 2020 through the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops. Over the course of the class, we took a deep dive into all the ends and outs and pros and cons of publishing photo books. Melanie supplied us with a wealth of information, resources, success stories, do's and don'ts, and we looked at a wide array of photo books to give us ideas for what was possible.
This class set the tone for my journey into making my photo book. I felt ready (though terrified) to turn my idea into a reality, and I felt equipped for everything I had to do next.
Working with Melanie was imperative to the current success of my book, through several one-on-one coaching sessions. They provided great insight, advice and direction to my next steps with the book; whether ideas about raising funds on Kickstarter, reviewing my pitch proposal for publishers, understanding what to look out for in contracts, and the many months of promotion I have been doing. Melanie never ran out of ideas on any topic, she often made suggestions I hadn't thought of, and always led the sessions with a lot of encouragement, kindness and patience. I had a lot of confidence working on my book because of the class and her individual coaching.
With Melanie's support, one doesn't simply learn about the book publishing world, but you learn to be an advocate for yourself and your work throughout the process. I wholeheartedly give my praise and recommendations for working with Melanie if you are making your way through the book-making process. – Erica Reade
Preston Utley, Eyes on the Road
I photograph a lot, so it can be overwhelming for me to edit a body of work. That’s where Melanie comes in. I can send her a folder of photos without explaining the project, and her intuition and experience take hold, and somehow, she can find the thread that connects all the images. I don’t want to say my book Eyes on the Road wouldn’t have been possible without her, but it certainly would have been more difficult for me to edit and sequence alone. So simply put, if you have a photographic project, you need Melanie on your team. – Preston Utley
Anne Berry, Behind Glass
Melanie has extensive experience and insight into the world of photo books, and she shares her knowledge generously. I appreciate her helpful answers to my questions about the business of publishing and the invaluable resources that she shared. It’s not easy for an artist with no business background to figure out logistical issues, such as budgeting and distribution. Melanie’s support made this process seem much easier. She also provided honest and practical feedback to my ideas for the special edition of Behind Glass. I enjoyed working with her. – Anne Berry
Photography Projects - (Editing and other services)
"What makes Melanie special? She shows and tells. I had an idea for a project and Melanie grasped the concept with gusto. She produced a stack of beautiful photography books–each one demonstrated a unique solution to my challenge–and showed me options. We discussed techniques, means, and methods; but most important, we discussed the story and how to tell it." – Nell Dickerson
"Melanie McWhorter has a rare authenticity and a clarity to her insight which we desperately need more of among those engaged in contemporary photographic discourse." – Eugene Ellenberg, A Signal Amid the Noise