Yangtze is a great book of photos, with a lot of press potential: the pictures are tremendously expressive, and Nadav Kander tells a story with every one of them. More precisely, behind every photo are actually several stories, and behind them is a global theme.

To get space for art books in magazines, television, or radio, it's important to have very good, key arguments for the uniqueness of a book. What counts is the story, the effectiveness of the pictures, and the name of the photographer. The latter is something that should not be underestimated. Yangtze fulfills all of the criteria.

When I first saw the pictures for the Yangtze project, it was obvious to me that the really big international newspapers and magazines should feature the book in reviews or photo spreads.

The actual work begins with selecting which media should be offered Yangtze exclusives. For the international press, it's usually not more than ten media outlets in each country. Release dates for each outlet-and, in certain cases, specially themed issues-have to be taken into consideration. Monthlies plan three to five months in advance; weeklies plan in two- or three-week cycles, and dailies generally plan overnight. Furthermore, it is necessary to know when Yangtze will be delivered to bookshops in each country.

Since the first copies of Nadav Kander's Yangtze will be available just before the release date in September, we are now working on PDFs of the layouts, and a few of the proofs, so that editors can quickly get an idea of what the book is about, and have some material from it to discuss in editorial meetings. Press photos can already be downloaded from our press download site.

When I showed the Yangtze layout to Calina Madden, the Books & Culture Editor of the The Global Journal, she was immediately intrigued. The current issue of The Global Journal features the book's sublime photos in a two-page spread.

Previews, however, tend to be the exception. Yangtze will be reviewed mainly during the first two months after its release date. Quite a few editors are already very interested. In the meanwhile, lots of phone calls will be made, and e-mails and review copies will be sent around the world. Many editors have already requested review copies, so that they will get them as soon as they come from the bookbinder. Nothing is more persuasive or satisfying than actually having the book in hand.

Final decisions and corrections: "From here on no more changes, Nadav!"

In an intense discussion between Nadav Kander, production manager Angelika Hartmann, publishing director Markus Hartmann, and the designers Tappin/Gofton in London (in conference call on Nadav's phone) final and crucial details
for the finishing and binding of the book are deciced such as:

foil stamping, the stamping quality, the foil color,
the type and image positioning on the cover,
endleaves, head and tailbands

After already having decided on the endleaves and the content stock and printing (4 colour process plus gloss spot varnish) in June all details for the book are fixed now before printing can start.