This weekend sees Workflow Studios, Brighton host the project's inaugural event, simply named A Book Show. The exhibition is dedicated to showcasing a varied range of work - from the short run and the limited edition, to the one off and ephemeral photo book. A total of 50 works from a mix of emerging and established photographer's are on show.

We caught up with one half of the duo, William Sadowski, to talk about this first event, self-publishing and the future of the photo book.

BJP: Why did you decide to set up the Photo Book Show and why now?

Sadowski: Photobooks have always been my thing and I'd been thinking about holding a book show for a couple of years. Then Kevin (Beck, co-founder) and I met at Workflow, the studio I run in Brighton. He self-publishes under his company Bottling Fruit (www.bottlingfruit.co.uk), and we got talking about how to get something of the ground in Brighton. Four months later and we are opening with 50 books on Friday. Self-publishing is in a very interesting place at the moment, and as each show becomes part of the archive we are creating - the library at Workflow, the online videos, photos and descriptions - all of these elements help build a picture of the current state of affairs.

BJP: So this is your first ever show, how prepared are you?

Sadowski: Well, all the books are here now so that's the main thing, and we are just finalising the space. A priority for us as organisers of the show has been that visitors handle the books - nothing is behind glass, there are no white gloves - the books are there to be read, as the artists intended. We are looking forward to an interesting weekend, talking to lots of different people about something we both feel passionate about - photobooks. Failing that, we should have plenty of cider left over!

BJP: What's your background in Photography?

Sadowski: I did an MA in Photography in 2009, which is what settled me on my current trajectory, but before that I trained as an Architect, which partly informed my ambition to build a shared workspace for photographers. I opened Workflow last year (www.workflowstudio.co.uk). My personal photo projects have included spending time with Lynddie England (the US officer charged with abuse at Abu Ghraib) and Vietnam War vets, and I am currently exploring British acts of terrorism. All cheerful stuff! Kevin is a web developer by trade, and keeps photography for himself, which is very disciplined. Kevin's a fairly prolific photographer, always with a camera in his pocket, whereas I am more of a planner, I can go months without holding a camera.

BJP: It must be wonderful to get photo books coming through the door - Have you received a large amount of submissions and are there any books in particular that you are excited to have in the show?

Sadowski: We've been blown away by the response. There have been over 130 submissions from around the world. Having books hitting the doormat regularly has been great; I don't need Christmas this year! But yes, there are a few that have made me stop and read from cover to cover, Salaryman by Bruno Quinquet is one of them, and I really rate Pierre Bessards work, pure craftsmanship. Its just such a pleasure and honour that people entrust us with their work, especially when they sometimes just have the one copy which they've spent a lot of time and money producing.

BJP: With the continued advances in digital technology (e-books etc) and people's reluctance to spend their money on photo books as much these days, do you think the market for photo books (especially self-published) will be able to sustain itself?

Sadowski: Personally, I think the control and creative freedom gained by the artist when self-publishing far outweighs the financial burdens, however, the reality is very few people make any money from selling their books anyway. Self-publishing is a fantastic way to get your work seen. I remember last year when Martin Parr, a massive photobook collector and writer was curating the Brighton Biennial - I was wondering around with a dummy book in my bag ready to hand it over if I saw him - it had cost me maybe £100 to make and was my only copy, but I felt (rightly or wrongly) it might be worth it. Rather than just another marketing exercise, more and more people are realising it opens up new opportunities - much like showing work on the wall in a gallery.

BJP: What do you think the British Photo Book Market will look like 20 years from now?

Sadowski: I think it will be thriving, as long as we are willing to share our work with each other and keep up with our counterparts on the continent. There's always going to be people making work by hand and crafting every page, so I think the big question is what direction print on demand services take.

People talk allot these days about the amount of data being recorded, and I think the British - with our freedoms - are well placed to tell peoples stories. So I'm looking forwards to seeing more small-scale publishing on behalf of other people who can't do it themselves, rather than mere observations of their situation.

BJP: Tell us a bit about the publishers you've got supporting you. Will they have stalls at the show?

Sadowski: We decided to make the show purely an exhibition, with books laid out for everyone to see and handle. It's a reaction to book fairs in a way, we don't want people to feel like they can't look at every single book and totter off without spending. We will direct visitors to places to buy and find out more about the work using QR codes for example, but we won't actually be selling from the show. The publishers we have showing work have been amazing, their involvement has given us direction and boosted moral along the way. The work from the publishers is all artist led productions too so their books aren't at odds with others we are showing. There is no 'publishers room' - they are in the mix.

BJP: What's in the pipeline for A Book Show in the long term?

Sadowski: This show is the start of the archive, both online at photobookshow.co.uk and physically at Workflow in its bookmaking workshop. We want to encourage and support photographers who want to self-publish their work. Having the workshop, the equipment, the Library, and the regular shows, all drive towards that aim.

A Book Show is open Saturday 03 and Sunday 04 December from 11am to 6pm.

For more information, visit www.photobookshow.co.uk.