The Blog of Melissa McDaniel: Photographer, Writer & Founder of The Photo Book Projects

Taking over the internet...

Taking over the Internet...    Please help by posting the following paragraph (in red) to Facebook (feel free to reword to suit your audience):   The Photo Book Projects need your help to keep the projects going, and to help spread their message of compassion for all animals. Please help by purchasing a dog photo book and spreading the word about the projects. Their goal is to sell 500 books over the next 48 hours and but they can only do it with your help. AND if you act now and purchase one Thursday or Friday, 25% goes to pit bull rescue BAD RAP. Click here to help and Please Cross-Post to help them reach their goal: http://photobooks.myshopify.com/ * * * * * Hi Everyone! Earlier this month I sent out an email letting everyone know I was in a little bind...I still owed $5,000 to the book bindery for the Pit Bulls photo book. I asked everyone who loves the books and supports the projects and what I'm doing, if you could either donate or purchase one of the items (book, collage or calendar) below. The response was overwhelming. I was nervous to send the email, but I got hundreds, literally hundreds, of emails back showing and offering nothing but love and support for the projects. Messages from people who really get what the photo book projects are about and have always been about - opening minds and hearts to animals most in need of our help and compassion. I thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for your support - it means the world to me and has kept me going even when it has been so tempting to give up. Despite the enormous show of support, I still need to raise another $2,500 for the bindery. For those of you who haven't helped, but still want to, all of the links remain below. Any purchase of a book, calendar, print, pop art portrait, etc, will help pay off this debt to the bindery. HOWEVER, today I'm also asking for your help in a different way. Please HELP ME take over the internet over the next 2 days by posting the text below (also at the beginning of this email) on Facebook. It will take just a few seconds of time but could have a huge impact on the future of the projects. I have a lofty goal is to SELL 500 BOOKS over the next 2 days, but I need your help. If you have a blog, please blog about it! Please forward this link to dog-loving friends. Whatever you can do to get the word out is so appreciated. BY POSTING you will be helping me:  SPREAD THE MESSAGE  GET THE BINDERY PAID OFF  KEEPING THE PROJECTS GOING so I can concentrate on getting the message of the books out there in the world in a BIG way,  AND HELP BAD RAP, one of the most awesome rescues in the world I am donating 25% of all book sales to BAD RAP today and tomorrow (Thurs & Fri) - for ANY of the 3 books sold. Thank you so much again to everyone for your continued support and wishing you all the best for 2012! THIS IS THE FINAL message about this, and I will be getting back to information about the projects and more stories about the dogs in the books, etc after this post.  Thanks for your patience! Melissa (& Sadie)    The Photo Book Projects    * * * * * *    PLEASE POST THE FOLLOWING TEXT ON FACEBOOK (feel free to reword to suit your audience):    The Photo Book Projects need your help to keep the projects going, and help spread their message of compassion for all animals. Please help by purchasing a dog photo book and spreading the word about the projects. Their goal is to sell 500 books over the next 48 hours and but they can only do it with your help. AND if you act now and purchase one Thursday or Friday, 25% goes to pit bull rescue BAD RAP. Click here to help and Please Cross-Post to help them reach their goal: http://photobooks.myshopify.com/ * * * * * * * * * Click here to donate $5 or more (If you would like to contribute more than $5, just change the quantity  to 2 for $10, 3 for $15, etc).)   Click here to purchase a collage for $19 and up     Click here to purchase a book for $29.95       * * * * * * * * *   PURCHASE A POP ART OF YOUR DOG - JUST $99 IF YOU PURCHASE TODAY  (PRICE WILL BE GOING UP TO $125 NEXT WEEK)

These dogs...in a photo book on Pit Bulls & Pit Bull Type Dogs?

One would expect, in a photo book on Pit Bulls & Pit Bull Type Dogs, to find photos and stories of American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers. However, because this is a book about the group of dogs that the general public calls "pit bulls" - the ever expanding group of dogs labeled as "pit bulls" because these dogs have a certain look - this book contains many pit bull mixes, as well as bullies and bully mixes that the general public would call "pit bulls."

My intention is to include ALL dogs that would be mistreated, judged, overlooked, banned or euthanized because they are labeled as pit bulls. These are the dogs that need our help.

But what about these two dogs below? Would THEY be called "pit bulls"?

There are a few dogs in the book, however, such as Centje (pictured above), who looks like a Dalmatian or Pointer mix, or Rummy (pictured below), who looks like a Labrador Retriever mix, who don't LOOK like pit bulls and who the general public would NOT judge as being a pit bull. They certainly wouldn't be banned for being a pit bull or pit bull mix.

Ironically, although they wouldn't be banned, these dogs may have a LARGER percentage of their DNA coming from American Pit Bull Terriers than some of the other dogs in the book, who would be called "pit bulls"  because they have a bully look, but who have absolutely NO American Pit Bull Terrier in them.

Even though Rummy does not look like a pittie, he is at least 50% American Pit Bull Terrier - his mother was a deaf white pit bull!

My point in including these dogs in a book on pit bulls is that you cannot look at a mixed-breed dog and know by the dog's looks with any certainty whether that dog has any "pit bull" in him or her. And, this is precisely what people are doing in shelters, doggy day cares, towns, cities, shelters, etc across the U.S. They are judging these dogs based on their looks and labeling them as dangerous based on their looks. By including dogs like Centje and Rummy in the book, I am showing how illogical it is to make such judgments, since none of us can know will any certainty what the genetic make-up is of any dog. In many instances, these sorts of judgments are costing dogs their lives.

This judgment, on any level, is wrong. Banning dogs and stereotyping dogs based on their breed, based on their looks, is wrong. Dogs are individuals. Each dog needs to be treated and evaluated individually. Fabulous dogs are being overlooked in shelters every day based on these stereotypes, and it needs to stop.

Pit Bulls & Pit Bull Type Dogs is being released November 28. Click here to purchase on Amazon.

Thank you!

I couldn't let Thanksgiving go by without sending a "thank you" to everyone for all of their support. The photo book projects have really been my life for the last 3 years, and to have people who have supported me through it, believed in it, encouraged me to continue when times have been tough and to keep pursuing what I know is right, means the world to me. This is a true indie project and I could not do this without all of your help. So from the bottom of my heart, "Thank you!"

It is easy for me, when thinking about the time-consuming and sometimes stressful day-to-day efforts of scheduling photo shoots, raising funds for printing, marketing the books, editing photos, shipping products, creating the books themselves, etc to forget what the projects are all about. But on days like Thanksgiving, it is a great time to reflect on what I want from the projects.

I want the message of these books to reach as wide of an audience as possible. To not just reach the converted, but to reach those who don't know the Dalmatian Club of America tells their breeders to put down their deaf dogs, or don't know that most shelter dogs are relinquished not because they have behavioral issues, but because their families are moving, getting divorced, have lost their jobs, etc. Or don't know that pit bulls, are wrongly maligned and are in fact no different from any other dogs, despite what the mainstream media would have us believe. And don't know the horrors that go on in puppy mills, or that those conditions are often perfectly legal!

So I thank you, for all of your help to spread these important messages.
The world needs to know, and together, we can create a better world for animals!

Pet Businesses...want to get your product in front of your target market?

 

Over the next few weeks, there are going to be a couple BIG things happening at my business.

Both will create a bigger way that you can get YOUR PET BUSINESS IN FRONT OF DOG LOVERS (especially those that love deaf dogs, rescued dogs and pit bulls!).

 

 

GET YOUR BUSINESS PROMOTION INSERTED IN OUR HOLIDAY ORDERS

1- I am going to be sending out a MASSIVE amount of book orders, especially all of the pit bull pre-orders that have been sold...they are going to be delivered around Thanksgiving, AND all of the usual Christmas & Holiday present orders that come at this time of year.

If you would like to send me an ad or promotion to insert in all of the orders that will be going out for the books, and general online store orders at this busy time of year, you now have the chance.

I am limiting the number of companies that can participate in this offer. So if you would like to participate, you need to act now!

If you would like to participate, please place your order and email me to get the information on where you can send your promotional material. All materials must be paper or cardstock (no product giveaways) and must be no larger than 8.5"x11". It can be a flyer or postcard or whatever you want to promote your business and your special offer to my clients.

Who are my clients? Dog lovers, mostly women and mostly those into animal rescue. Packages are going nationwide (U.S.) and so this is best for internet-based or non-location specific businesses.

The cost depends on how many inserts you would like to send out:

Inserts in 1000 separate packages: $150

Inserts in 2000 separate packages: $200

Inserts in 3000 separate packages: $250

Note these are only for packages shipped from my location (not for orders placed on Amazon).

Click here to purchase

Email to ask questions or to get information on where to mail your inserts.

 

 

PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS ON MY BLOG

2- I am going to be upleveling my website, to a new improved version, with a more elaborate store and greater web presence.

Want to promote your business to my audience of mostly U.S. & Canadian dog lovers, animal rescuers, deaf dog lovers, pittie lovers & puppy mill rescuers.

The cost is $100 for 3 months, or just $250 for an ENTIRE 12 MONTHS! This price will increase since my web traffic is about to increase drastically.

Take advantage of the low offer now, and get your business in front of 1000s of pet lovers!

Pay for your ad here

Your ad will appear under the OUR SPONSORS heading in the right-hand column of the blog.

Facebook - Daily Deals

I am going to be offering daily deals on my Facebook pages. Visit the Photo Book Project's fan page and the Melissa McDaniel Photography fan page every day for the daily special.

Tuesday's daily deal is The Rescued Dog Poster at $6 OFF. Now just $10 + shipping.

Click here to purchase.

 

Dates Set for LA's & NYC's 100 Cutest Pit Bulls competitions

100 CUTEST PIT BULLS

 

 

 

 

Have you heard? Please spread the word! We are kicking off our PR campaign and book tour with our 100 Cutest Pit Bull photo tryout competitions in towns across the U.S....all in an attempt to get good PR for pibbles.  The winners will get their dog's photos and stories on notecards to be sold in their area to help local pit bull rescue.

We have now set January dates for LA & NYC! Baltimore & Philadelphia are still set for December!

Get your dog signed up today!

Click here for more info!