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, a self-publishing service that produces photo books sleek enough to edge out theier commercial counterparts next to the is usingits $14 million in VC money to move from individualxs who want to make books from theit personal photos to artistic professionals. The service lets users download free software that turns digital photos and textinto high-qualitgy books printed in seven to 10 days. The compang has partnerships with two printerds in the United States and onein Europe. Another is in the works for either in North American or Blurb raised a totalof $14 million between April 2005 and August 2006, in two roundz of venture funding led by and , and an additionap $2.
5 million in debt financing in the beginningt of 2007. The company is not profitable and woulfd not discloseits revenue. John a general partner at Canaan and a Blur bboard member, liked Blurb's idea to use digital printt technology to tap into a new facet of the publishint industry. Blurb's software made it possible for individualas to deliver digital contentto "reducing the food chain from conceptionh to actual publication and helpingg people get things out in the short-run." It takes Blurg six months to establish a relationship with a new printer because of the complexities of the technologyu involved.
The night Blurb launchef its software publicly inMay 2006, a popular tech blog laudec the company's arrival. Overnight, the San Francisc o company had thousandsof downloads. "We were a global businesw in soft launch," said Eileen Gittins, the foundef and CEO of Blurb and aseasoned entrepreneur. Growth has By mid April, Blurb had exceeded each of its download, visitor and units-sold numbers for all of last More than 30 percentof Blurb's customers are repeagt users, and Gittins is banking on the "funb and addictive" quality of the product to keep them coming The online photo industry is replete with photo albumk products, but few offer books with the print quality and bindingv that Blurb does.
Most photo-sharing servicews offer "crafty" photo albums that max out at 80 pages. Blurb'sx clientele is defined by those printinvg 120 pagesor more. Prices rangse from a softcover bookfor $12.95 to a 13-inch-by-11-inch, 440-page hardcoverr with a dust jacket for $159.95. Custom rate requests are honored and users can printy as few as one copy ofa book. Therse is a volume discount onbulk orders. The company builtg a name for itself in theconsumed space, but the concept soon found a broade r following. "The single-largest segment that is growing for us is thecreativwe professional," Gittins said.
"Our business is not characterized by the peopl who come and make a book and then ordettwo copies. Our units per order is going Professionals who make their living from theirart -- photographerds and painters -- and those who make a living presentinhg themselves artistically -- brand strategists and architectas -- are big Corporate clients are also usingb the service for marketing materials and promotions. Daniek Milnor is a professional photographetr and documentary maker who uses Blurbn books to showcasehis work. He also sellz books, at a mark-up, on Blurb's free onlin e bookstore, where, according to Gittins, sellers are making $8 to $10 per book.
"For most photographers, doingg a 'real' book is a huge undertaking," said "How much time and energ y do you want to spenfd to lure ina publisher? When Blurb came along, it sent a bit of a shockk wave. ... Everybody is scramblingy to make these Gittins said she has talked with severap large publishers about partneriny on books printed at quantitiesunderr 5,000 copies -- the low end for traditiona l publishers. "A publisher may get a very interesting projecr across theirdesk that's just too Gittins said.
"If they had a relationship with us, they couldf revenue share on projects that they turn on to Gittins said that publishers have also expressefd an interestin Blurb's customers as a source of emergin g talent.
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