"No Sleep - A look into the non-stop life of Jackson Rathbone" is a photo collection by Phoenix Taylor, who spent several days with the band 100 Monkeys while they were on a tour and put together some of his photos for the band's fans' viewing pleasure. For this posting, I am going off a first edition collectors version of the book, which arrived on my doorstep last week. Everything I write here is based on my own experiences and my own opinions on what constitutes a quality product or service. You are in no way obligated to agree with me on anything I share with you today, or any other day for that matter.
At first glance, the book is exactly what it promised to be, back when it was just a single advert on a website with no clear idea of where one could purchase this beauty, just the urgent feeling one should order one TODAY because they were going to be very limited in print. Upon opening the book however, something seems to be missing. This is where my review of sorts has to start:
What was promised versus what was delivered, part 1: the original advertisement.
The original advertisement for the book said only twenty would be printed, and they would come with a serialized certificate as proof of authenticity. When a few days later, the printing of the book was extended because of apparent demand, these serial numbers became even more important. They would set the first editions apart from the second editions, of which thirty would be printed. So far, so good.
The certificate in my book is not a serial one. Nowhere on the certificate or in or on the book does it carry a number. When I received my proof of purchase in my e-mail, it told me I had book ten of twenty. It even carried a serial number. Apparently, somewhere along the line, the serial numbers were dropped and the exclusivity of the books with it. Think about it: is my book one of twenty now, or one of fifty?
For the rest of it, the book looks much like it should: it's the size it was supposed to be, it carries pictures of 100 Monkeys both on stage as well as 'behind the scenes' so to speak and even a few studio shots of the individual members of the band. It was personalized (though in my case, it was done with both first name and last, making it sound a little silly) and signed by Phoenix.
However, before we move on to what is in the book, it should be noted that the product itself isn't the only important part of an exchange between buyer and seller. A large part of what makes people willing to part with large sums of money, is the trust they think they can put in the seller to give them the quality the money they are parting with should buy them. This is why it's important for a seller to not just tell a buyer what his product is and how much it will cost, but to also provide them with additional information when asked, to keep them informed of the process on products not yet ready for shipping, and to generally make them feel like forking over a large amount of money was a smart idea. This brings me to my next point.
Marketing communication 101: service with a smile.
This book is cursed. From the moment it was ordered to the moment it was in my hands, there was one delay after another, starting with Paypal issues. Anyone who sells anything and wants to collect their buyers' money through Paypal, be warned: Paypal does not accept payments for products that will not ship to their new owners within the next thirty days. Paypal also doesn't particularly like you receiving large sums of money from various people all over the world, within the span of a few hours. Phoenix' account was locked down, the money transferred back to the original owners and other forms of payment had to be hashed out.
This was not Phoenix' fault by any stretch of the imagination. It did however, cause him a lot of stress for the very simple reason that it caused the buyers stress. Paypal was holding money hostage, Phoenix wanted to order his books so he needed that money, and people had to figure out if they still wanted their books after all the hassle. In the end, money was transferred one way or another and the order was finally really underway.
Let me provide you with a little time line: my original order was put in on April 11. After the Paypal debacle, the money was finally paid, in full, on April 19. I did not receive my purchase receipt until May 20. Didn't receive my book until August 7 by the way, but we'll get to that later.
Between April 19 and May 20, not much was heard from Phoenix at all. It was around the time of payment that he even announced the book was taking over his life and he would not be answering any more questions about it for a few days, because he (paraphrased quote from his Twitter account) "did not like [the book taking over his life]".
This is the attitude several people were also met with when e-mailing him for information on their orders or their payments. For my part, sending him a message asking about a purchase receipt, was met with radio silence. Even a reminder message a few days later, went ignored. Only after several people got anxious that they had transferred hundreds of dollars to someone they had never even met, only to barely get any information from them from that point on, did he finally sit down and get out the receipts. One friend of mine did not get hers, and after contacting him about it, she never even got a duplicate. This might not seem like much, but when you've given someone 230 of your hard earned dollars, and the receipt is the only proof of purchase that you'll have for the next weeks until the book is actually printed, these e-mails suddenly become important.
If you don't follow Phoenix on Facebook and/or Twitter, or have feeds that move fast enough that you miss things on it at times, you were not updated on the status of the book orders. Regardless of the fact that the promised June shipment time came and went, no e-mails were sent out to the buyers of the first edition (that's twenty people, how difficult can it be to plonk those e-mail addresses in a group e-mail?) to let them know what was up. Even when the books were finally shipped, no e-mails were sent to let people know. This brings me to my next point.
What was promised versus what was delivered, part 2: shipping and handling.
At the time of ordering this book, I was offered two options for shipping: secured or not. Secured shipping came with a whopping 45 dollar price tag, whereas non-secured mail would cost 35. Since shipping internationally is always a risk, I preferred the tracking number option and paid 45 dollars for my book's shipping.
When the books were sent out, I did not receive an e-mail to update me on this new status. I did not receive a tracking number. Though my book finally got here on August 7, a friend did not receive hers and after waiting an extra week, contacted Phoenix. That is how she found out that international orders did not get a tracking number.
First of all: tracking is possible on international orders. It might cost more, but it is definitely possible. I paid 45 dollars thinking that would cover the cost for an internationally traceable order. When my book arrived, postage had been 17 dollars and 84 cents. From the 45 that I paid. Some might think that this is how Phoenix makes a little extra money and that should be allowed. But international mail comes with a customs declaration, and on it, one must estimate the value of what is being sent across country borders. Phoenix valued his book at 67 dollars. Of the 175 paid.
In total, I paid 230 dollars for the book order, and about 20 dollars fee for Westernunion. That was 175 for the book, 45 for shipping and 10 for Phoenix' handling of the book (apparently covering costs for the book being shipped to him so he could personalize it, which truly shouldn't be costs the customer pays). In the end, Phoenix paid (for my individual book) 67 dollars and let's say 20 for shipping... 87 dollars. Even if we'd pull it up to 100 just in case he had some extra costs in getting the books shipped to him (which like I said, shouldn't be a fee I should pay for to begin with, because how he gets his products is his own business), that still leaves me with 130 dollars extra spending.
That seems a little steep for a book that, once examined a little further, doesn't exactly radiate the quality you might have expected for that price.
Finally, the book's here! Now what?
Let's take a quick tour of the book itself. It comes with pictures and a story. The story was written by Phoenix himself in a style that seems more fit for a Facebook note or a hastily written Tumblr post. Aside from the fact that it was written in that typical "how my week with 100 Monkeys revolved around me" style that seems to fit with what I have now seen of Phoenix' attitude towards the world, it contains spelling errors and internet abbreviations such as "LOL". As a professional photographer, trying to showcase some work in an expensive printing of it, perhaps some professionalism wouldn't have hurt here.
Perhaps it was something he wrote for some social networking website, first, and then added to the book last moment, to spice it up a little. This wouldn't surprise me when taking into consideration that the rest of the book (namely: the photos and the layout of it as a whole) comes in a type of quality I'd like to call 'rushed'.
There are a few beautiful photos in this book, absolutely. Unfortunately, most of the photos that are really good, were either published online to promote the book before it came out, or are variations of the same theme. Most of the good photos are towards the start of the book, while by the end of it, quality seems to be slipping. It gives off the impression that perhaps Phoenix was struggling to fill the book, or to find photos that would fit the layout he picked for the pages. Making double-paged prints of group shots where people are cut right down the middle, shows a lack of insight in how to use layout options to your advantage. Posting four pages of photos of Jackson Rathbone where each page carries more than one photo of him, and then on one of the last pages sticking in a random Jerad among all the Jackson, seems strange. Maybe it was a Where's Wally game, Phoenix style?
Quite a few photos carry little blobs and blemishes which is odd for digital printings. A photo of Ben Graupner used halfway through the book comes back in just a slightly different variation at the end. For show photos most are blurry, out of focus, grainy or have effects used on them that don't fit the photo at all. Whatever impression Phoenix was going for with using these photos, is lost on me, as I try and curb my annoyance at the fact that I remember fan shots from the same show having a better quality than these.
So in closing, the book was too expensive, too late, too rushed, not numbered or tracked and in the end, the photos we saw on the internet months before the book was finally printed were not so much a sign of things to come but more a warning that it could only go downhill from there. Having seen some of Phoenix' other work, such as some of the wedding shots he did and photos he took of various models, and the often times amazing editing he's done on those, I can honestly say I had expected more of this book. Combined with the careless service and the attitude given to anyone with questions and concerns, I feel ripped off and not exactly treated like a valued customer.
That was once and never again.
What was promised versus what was delivered, part 1: the original advertisement.
The original advertisement for the book said only twenty would be printed, and they would come with a serialized certificate as proof of authenticity. When a few days later, the printing of the book was extended because of apparent demand, these serial numbers became even more important. They would set the first editions apart from the second editions, of which thirty would be printed. So far, so good.
The certificate in my book is not a serial one. Nowhere on the certificate or in or on the book does it carry a number. When I received my proof of purchase in my e-mail, it told me I had book ten of twenty. It even carried a serial number. Apparently, somewhere along the line, the serial numbers were dropped and the exclusivity of the books with it. Think about it: is my book one of twenty now, or one of fifty?
For the rest of it, the book looks much like it should: it's the size it was supposed to be, it carries pictures of 100 Monkeys both on stage as well as 'behind the scenes' so to speak and even a few studio shots of the individual members of the band. It was personalized (though in my case, it was done with both first name and last, making it sound a little silly) and signed by Phoenix.
However, before we move on to what is in the book, it should be noted that the product itself isn't the only important part of an exchange between buyer and seller. A large part of what makes people willing to part with large sums of money, is the trust they think they can put in the seller to give them the quality the money they are parting with should buy them. This is why it's important for a seller to not just tell a buyer what his product is and how much it will cost, but to also provide them with additional information when asked, to keep them informed of the process on products not yet ready for shipping, and to generally make them feel like forking over a large amount of money was a smart idea. This brings me to my next point.
Marketing communication 101: service with a smile.
This book is cursed. From the moment it was ordered to the moment it was in my hands, there was one delay after another, starting with Paypal issues. Anyone who sells anything and wants to collect their buyers' money through Paypal, be warned: Paypal does not accept payments for products that will not ship to their new owners within the next thirty days. Paypal also doesn't particularly like you receiving large sums of money from various people all over the world, within the span of a few hours. Phoenix' account was locked down, the money transferred back to the original owners and other forms of payment had to be hashed out.
This was not Phoenix' fault by any stretch of the imagination. It did however, cause him a lot of stress for the very simple reason that it caused the buyers stress. Paypal was holding money hostage, Phoenix wanted to order his books so he needed that money, and people had to figure out if they still wanted their books after all the hassle. In the end, money was transferred one way or another and the order was finally really underway.
Let me provide you with a little time line: my original order was put in on April 11. After the Paypal debacle, the money was finally paid, in full, on April 19. I did not receive my purchase receipt until May 20. Didn't receive my book until August 7 by the way, but we'll get to that later.
Between April 19 and May 20, not much was heard from Phoenix at all. It was around the time of payment that he even announced the book was taking over his life and he would not be answering any more questions about it for a few days, because he (paraphrased quote from his Twitter account) "did not like [the book taking over his life]".
This is the attitude several people were also met with when e-mailing him for information on their orders or their payments. For my part, sending him a message asking about a purchase receipt, was met with radio silence. Even a reminder message a few days later, went ignored. Only after several people got anxious that they had transferred hundreds of dollars to someone they had never even met, only to barely get any information from them from that point on, did he finally sit down and get out the receipts. One friend of mine did not get hers, and after contacting him about it, she never even got a duplicate. This might not seem like much, but when you've given someone 230 of your hard earned dollars, and the receipt is the only proof of purchase that you'll have for the next weeks until the book is actually printed, these e-mails suddenly become important.
If you don't follow Phoenix on Facebook and/or Twitter, or have feeds that move fast enough that you miss things on it at times, you were not updated on the status of the book orders. Regardless of the fact that the promised June shipment time came and went, no e-mails were sent out to the buyers of the first edition (that's twenty people, how difficult can it be to plonk those e-mail addresses in a group e-mail?) to let them know what was up. Even when the books were finally shipped, no e-mails were sent to let people know. This brings me to my next point.
What was promised versus what was delivered, part 2: shipping and handling.
At the time of ordering this book, I was offered two options for shipping: secured or not. Secured shipping came with a whopping 45 dollar price tag, whereas non-secured mail would cost 35. Since shipping internationally is always a risk, I preferred the tracking number option and paid 45 dollars for my book's shipping.
When the books were sent out, I did not receive an e-mail to update me on this new status. I did not receive a tracking number. Though my book finally got here on August 7, a friend did not receive hers and after waiting an extra week, contacted Phoenix. That is how she found out that international orders did not get a tracking number.
First of all: tracking is possible on international orders. It might cost more, but it is definitely possible. I paid 45 dollars thinking that would cover the cost for an internationally traceable order. When my book arrived, postage had been 17 dollars and 84 cents. From the 45 that I paid. Some might think that this is how Phoenix makes a little extra money and that should be allowed. But international mail comes with a customs declaration, and on it, one must estimate the value of what is being sent across country borders. Phoenix valued his book at 67 dollars. Of the 175 paid.
In total, I paid 230 dollars for the book order, and about 20 dollars fee for Westernunion. That was 175 for the book, 45 for shipping and 10 for Phoenix' handling of the book (apparently covering costs for the book being shipped to him so he could personalize it, which truly shouldn't be costs the customer pays). In the end, Phoenix paid (for my individual book) 67 dollars and let's say 20 for shipping... 87 dollars. Even if we'd pull it up to 100 just in case he had some extra costs in getting the books shipped to him (which like I said, shouldn't be a fee I should pay for to begin with, because how he gets his products is his own business), that still leaves me with 130 dollars extra spending.
That seems a little steep for a book that, once examined a little further, doesn't exactly radiate the quality you might have expected for that price.
Finally, the book's here! Now what?
Let's take a quick tour of the book itself. It comes with pictures and a story. The story was written by Phoenix himself in a style that seems more fit for a Facebook note or a hastily written Tumblr post. Aside from the fact that it was written in that typical "how my week with 100 Monkeys revolved around me" style that seems to fit with what I have now seen of Phoenix' attitude towards the world, it contains spelling errors and internet abbreviations such as "LOL". As a professional photographer, trying to showcase some work in an expensive printing of it, perhaps some professionalism wouldn't have hurt here.
Perhaps it was something he wrote for some social networking website, first, and then added to the book last moment, to spice it up a little. This wouldn't surprise me when taking into consideration that the rest of the book (namely: the photos and the layout of it as a whole) comes in a type of quality I'd like to call 'rushed'.
There are a few beautiful photos in this book, absolutely. Unfortunately, most of the photos that are really good, were either published online to promote the book before it came out, or are variations of the same theme. Most of the good photos are towards the start of the book, while by the end of it, quality seems to be slipping. It gives off the impression that perhaps Phoenix was struggling to fill the book, or to find photos that would fit the layout he picked for the pages. Making double-paged prints of group shots where people are cut right down the middle, shows a lack of insight in how to use layout options to your advantage. Posting four pages of photos of Jackson Rathbone where each page carries more than one photo of him, and then on one of the last pages sticking in a random Jerad among all the Jackson, seems strange. Maybe it was a Where's Wally game, Phoenix style?
Quite a few photos carry little blobs and blemishes which is odd for digital printings. A photo of Ben Graupner used halfway through the book comes back in just a slightly different variation at the end. For show photos most are blurry, out of focus, grainy or have effects used on them that don't fit the photo at all. Whatever impression Phoenix was going for with using these photos, is lost on me, as I try and curb my annoyance at the fact that I remember fan shots from the same show having a better quality than these.
So in closing, the book was too expensive, too late, too rushed, not numbered or tracked and in the end, the photos we saw on the internet months before the book was finally printed were not so much a sign of things to come but more a warning that it could only go downhill from there. Having seen some of Phoenix' other work, such as some of the wedding shots he did and photos he took of various models, and the often times amazing editing he's done on those, I can honestly say I had expected more of this book. Combined with the careless service and the attitude given to anyone with questions and concerns, I feel ripped off and not exactly treated like a valued customer.
That was once and never again.
Although I often find Phoenix to be a good photographer, his interpersonal skills are sorely lacking. Sorry yoy had to deal with all of that for a mediocre book.
ReplyDeleteI sadly have to agree with most of this post. As a consumer you expect a certain level of service when dealing with a seller (at any level), and I don't, after spending so much money, you should be intimidated by the seller and told not to contact him for a week.
ReplyDeleteI live in the real world. I understand that people need to make money and that a mark up is common practice, but I %150 mark up for the service and product that was received seems a little ridiculous.
I'm not a professional photographer by I've studied enough photography to know what I like and what constitutes a well composed shot, and like Tamara suggests the quality of the last half of the book seems rushed and added just to fill the book.
I had seen Phoenix's other work prior to placing my order and can honestly say I am a fan of his art, however I can't help but feel like there were other motivations in producing this book which got in the way of his artistic integrity.
He does some fantastic work but for the price paid weighed against the buying experience and final product, I will be advising friends not to deal with him in the future.
I am so glad you did this post. As a great fan of the Monkeys I was very willing to order the first book however after dealing with this man and his very rude attitude I said forget it
ReplyDeleteI did order the "cheaper" version and it came months ago. I thought it was okay but very weighted on the Jackson photos
I hope people do not associate the Monkeys themselves with this project as they had absolutely nothing to do with it
P. S. He never even offered them a copy of the book
I have one of the "cheaper" versions of the book and for the cost, it was still too expensive. I knew that it wouldnt be a hardback or signed or whatever but I thought it would have some weight to it. Yet its a slim little thing, no more then what someone might get printed as a catalog for their solo show seinor year in college for their art degree. (I know because I considered doing just that) I also take issue with the spelling errors and some of the quality of the shots. Phoenix is an extremely talented photographer and artist but this doesnt seem up to what I expected to get from him.
ReplyDeleteI was considering bringing the book to MI on the off chance Id be able to get the guys to sign it. Im not so sure I want to do that anymore.
I spoke with Phoenix prior to this book coming out and he went on and on about his hatred for Twilight and love for the band, minus one member and how he really didn't like him. He advertised this project originally as a band project. He would probably blame the lack of photos on the band as he said to me that so many were unusable because of illicit substances in the shots and the band having black out rights. It is clear that this project was simply to capitalize on Twilight and to make a quick buck. On one of the band member's advice I have never used Phoenix for photos or considered buying this book.
ReplyDelete