An introduction to the project from Melissa F. Kaelin:
Welcome. A new project to publicize the talents of the community is taking shape! Just in time to celebrate the anniversary of the Michigan Aurora Chasers, I am sending out a call for submissions to a new photography collection!
I have decided to pursue a long-standing dream of mine that features the Aurora. It would be an honor to publish a hardcover book illustrating the beauty of the Northern Lights, featuring your full-color photographs of Aurora in Michigan!
The project will include:
1) A Two-Part Submission Process:
a) Limit One Aurora Photo Sent Via Email, high-quality and detailed for large, full-color printing
b) An Entry Form, for you to include details and share project preferences, to be linked below.
2) Contract Consenting to First Publication Rights. In order to publish your work and make it available for sale, I will need your permission in writing. A short contract will be provided with the Entry Form. I will ask for First Publication Rights, which means you give me your permission to publish your photo ONE TIME, then all rights revert back to you. I will also try to cover my bases, in case your book page appears on social media, marketing, webpages or other digital uses, like holding up the book in a video.
3) An Acceptance Letter, confirming your photo has been selected for publication.
— This means it meets the criteria, you have signed on with the Michigan Aurora Chasers, and the quality is high enough.***
4) Simple Captions, for your work written by the book author/editor using the details you provided.
5) Approval Process, giving you a limited window of time to suggest edits to a mock-up page.
6) Pre-Orders & Publication, with Discounted Contributor Copies Available.
7) A Book Release Party, open to the public, inviting the Michigan Aurora Chasers, and giving contributors an opportunity to make an appearance, sign books, and celebrate.
Please be patient along with me, because this project is a big undertaking and a work in progress. I invite you to browse the sections here to learn more.
— Melissa F. Kaelin
Michigan Aurora Chasers Founder
***Please know that a rejection letter is not a comment on your work — I can personally tell you some of my own phone pictures, while they are beautiful, are simply not large enough in file size to print in large dimensions and simultaneously keep the stars in focus. Decisions on whether a photo meets the criteria will be left up to the book author/editor, with advice from the MAC Admin Team.
Fine-Tuning the Project
Join me with confidence to submit to Shape of the Sky on March 1, 2026!
Almost there… I’m not quite ready, because I’m still building out this page! I am in the process of fine-tuning the submission process. If you submit now, please note that I may reach out to you several times for additional information or adjustments.
My plan is to have the details, forms and submission process on this webpage
UPDATED WITH ALL CHANGES BEFORE OR ON MARCH 1, 2026.
Book Title
Using a working title for the book project, I’m not choosing a book name yet. Instead, I’m giving the project a name, or slug-line to use the journalistic term, so everyone can instantly recognize the project in conversation: The Shape of the Sky Collection/Book!
Publishing Samples
Admittedly, I was very disappointed with the print quality at Amazon self-publishing, which is why I have moved on to printers I have met in person. That said, I have published several projects in the past, one of them being an anthology featuring 43 authors and artists.
- Beyond the 45th Parallel: The Beginner’s Guide to Chasing Aurora in the Mid-Latitudes | Published by BookBaby Printing (Distributed to Amazon, BN, Ingram & Others)
Cover Design: Created by myself, featuring a paid photographer with bio
Back Cover Design: Created by myself, featuring a paid photographer with bio
LINK - The Social Gap Experiment Anthology | Published by Amazon
Cover Design: Created by myself, featuring a paid competition winner for body art photo
LINK - Hope in the Hoarfrost | Published by Amazon
Cover Design: Created by myself, featuring my hoarfrost photo
(My first book featuring my photos: A different time in my life!)
LINK
Timing
Let’s start submitting… Then give me about a year!
This project will take time, design, formatting, and editing. I would want to triple check the spelling of every photographer name, carefully check photograph dimensions, and write beautiful content — and I do also have to find time to work on my own books and go to my job. 😉
Vision for the Book
Imagine a large, hardcover book, professionally printed on glossy white pages, featuring hundreds of full-color photographs from photographers across the area, illustrating the many colors, movements and formations of the Northern Lights across the state of Michigan.
- A written introduction
- Modern, sophisticated photographs, formatted edge to edge on nearly every page
- Captions including the photographer name and photograph information, often below the photo, formatted into the design
- A dozen or so pages with short written content about the Northern Lights
- A hardcover book, available in print direct from the publisher website and on Amazon
- The option of distribution to bookstores, dark sky parks, galleries and shops, online retailers and more.
- Pages reserved for a dedication, author’s special thanks, a credits page with contact information for the Michigan Aurora Chasers, a section promoting the author’s platform
- An Index in the back with page numbers for each photographer
“Where Will I See My Name?”
To be clear, where will the participating photographers appear? Photo published, name in written caption, listed in index in back of book, listed on author website showcasing book.
If an individual is interested, I would be happy to also feature contributors in events or book signings around the state, region or country. We can discuss what this would look like, for those who are interested. I will ask contributors to tell me many of these things on a form.
We can also promote the book on the Michigan Aurora Chasers website under the Founder’s corner, or in a small section. Remember, this project does not belong to MAC. To simplify any contracts and concerns, I, Melissa Kaelin, am taking ownership of the project and the book I will write, design and self-publish using a professional company.
Proceeds & Profits
A portion of the proceeds will go to an Aurora-related charity. The remainder will go to myself as sole proprietor, Author Melissa F. Kaelin.
Independently publishing a large photo collection involves high costs, organization, long hours, attention to detail, and lots of outreach. For these reasons and more, I will publish the book in my portfolio for “Kaelin Art & Writing.
I could lose money, I could break even, or I could make a massive profit. It depends how many people want to buy the final product! For these reasons and more, I reserve the right to manage contracts and proceeds for the project. Unfortunately, we do not anticipate making enough money on the project to pay photographers, and managing financial transactions to over 100 photographers could become a job in itself. The book itself may cost more than $50 for one hardcover copy, even after a discount, so we don’t anticipate being able to provide free copies to contributors. Photographers who participate in this project therefore volunteer to contribute one photo, to inspire the broader community, for the honor of being published, and to be part of a historical collection of photos from Solar Cycle 25.
I have been working together on new ideas, and we’d like to invite you to comment here if you would like to contribute your photograph to something special! Those on this thread could become part of the Michigan Aurora Chasers legacy, and there’s much to consider!
Submission Tools: Coming Soon
INSERT INTERACTIVE FORM
DECIDE HOW TO DESCRIBE MAC CONNECTION ON FORM WITH CHECKMARK
INCLUDE SPECIAL INTEREST QUESTIONS
ADD CONTRACT TO SIGN
INSERT EMAIL TO SEND PHOTO WITH CHECKBOX
NOTES:
Get Published in part of our work as volunteers for this community! You could see your photography on items where the Michigan Aurora Chasers are present.
To participate, please submit with your best photograph from any display, taken in Michigan, with the time, date, and location, as well as camera type whether digital or phone camera. You may also include details about what you saw with your own eyes. Also keep in mind, we will reach out to you for high-resolution files, so you may need to check Messenger for our names.
Considerations:
- Submit one photo only. If your photo is selected, we will be looking to have you email the high-resolution image, likely to the group email address.
- Phone photos may be declined, if the photo is not crisp enough or large enough. Preference given to DSLR images.
- You must be willing to remove the watermark on your photo.
- By participating, you consent to let us format your photos onto book pages. No words will appear on the image, but other photos may appear alongside yours in grouped photography layouts. Cropping may be involved.
- While Melissa F. Kaelin occasionally offers paying opportunities for our photographers through her own work, the group itself is not a business and we don’t have money to pay up to 100 people. So, please note anyone on this thread is agreeing to VOLUNTEER their work.
- Any proceeds involved usually go right back into group, for the benefit of you, our members, at Live Chases, Workshops or other opportunities for education and Aurora Chasing. Most of us love this hobby so much, we operate at a loss or break even. We offer most of our events, as well as countless hours of time, for free. So, we appreciate your willingness to join us on a VOLUNTEER level!
Note that the projects we have in mind will take time, likely months upon months. We will notify those who have been selected, and we will share the outcome with the entire group!
Thank you for considering!
melissa f. kaelin 