You’ve worked hard to
make your blog, you've written many posts about your family history and shared
your research with the world. However, not everyone who may be interested in
your genealogy musings visits your blog. While many of us may believe family
history blogging is the center of the universe, I hate to say it, not everyone
is a blog reader. It may be time to
consider turning your blog posts into a book. Gathering your blog posts into book not only helps your stories reach an untapped audience but gives you an opportunity to share your stories as gifts, or to sell to them family members.
For this project I’m
going to recommend Blurb. I’ve talked about Blurb in the past. Last week I shared with you how to make a photo book in a weekend. I made one, did you? Today we’re transforming your family
history blog posts into a book.
The Beauty about Blurb
Blurb software will grab your posts from your blog and format them into a book for you. However, if you want only specific
posts you have that option. You also have the ability to edit posts as well as
the layout or add or subtract pictures. Therefore, if you want to fine-tune the
posts for your book audience rather than your blog reading audience you have
that ability.
Finding the Theme for
Your Blog Book
How do you choose from
all those posts. Certainly, you could assemble the posts about a
particular ancestor or a specific surname or you could consider the family
history writing memes you’ve participated in throughout the year as a way of identifying specific
material your blog to book. For instance, maybe
you’ve participated in Lisa Alzo’s meme, Fearless Females at The Accidental Genealogist or Julie Goucher’s
meme The Book of Me at Anglers Rest. Maybe, you’re participated in The Advent Calendar of
Christmas Memories or anyone of the Daily Blogging Prompts you can find at
Geneabloggers.com. I personally think the Family Recipe Friday meme and a collection of inherited recipes would make a
great coffee table book.
With Blurb, you pull your posts from your blogging platform directly in to BookSmart,their bookmaking software. They
support Blogger, LiveJournal, TypePad and Wordpress.com. It will automatically add the blog text,
images, comments, and even links into page layouts. You can then go ahead and
customize your book as little or as much as you like.
You get the same bookmaking choices that are available for all the other
books Blurb makes such as the options of hardcover or paperback, bindings and choice
of paper.
On demand printing makes Blurb affordable. You can have your book at
your door in 7-10 days. Order copies as you need, no having to handle inventory
but volume discounts are available if necessary, perhaps if you wanted to sell
them at a family gathering or reunion. I would recommend taking
pre-orders to avoid leftover inventory. You can also send your relatives directly
to Blurb to order your book or to order as gifts for other family members and you don’t have to do a thing.
Advertising Built In!
Blurb will also connect your book to potential buyers through social media. You can market your
book via Twitter or Facebook with a ink to a digital preview of your book. You set
your own price in Blurb’s online bookstore and you keep 100 percent of your
profit.
Blurb is the perfect solution to publishing your blog content offline to those non-blog readers. It provides a an opportunity to promote your work and sell your content in a professional bookstore quality
book.
Update on How to Make a Photo Book this Weekend! - I made mine ordered it on Sunday evening. As an update I received an email from Blurb this morning, 2 days later, to tell me my books are on the way. How's that for service. There is still plenty of time to make a book and have it delivered in time for Christmas. I'm working on a second one this week because the incentives are too good.
Here's some new discounts and specials going on at Blurb.
Get Started Now!
Update on How to Make a Photo Book this Weekend! - I made mine ordered it on Sunday evening. As an update I received an email from Blurb this morning, 2 days later, to tell me my books are on the way. How's that for service. There is still plenty of time to make a book and have it delivered in time for Christmas. I'm working on a second one this week because the incentives are too good.
Here's some new discounts and specials going on at Blurb.
Buy Two Books from
the Bookstore
Code- 20Better
Buy two Blurb books and they’ll give you 20% off your order—plus
they’ll throw in free
ground shipping† (or take $10 off expedited or next day
shipping). More is always merrier with Blurb. Offer good through December 8.*
†
A $1.50 per additional unit ground shipping charge will be applied on orders of
more than 2 books
The Any 20
Code - Any20
Take 20% off of any book
order, no minimum.
One book or many, softcover or hardcover, large or small—it's up to you. Offer
good through December 8.**
The Premium Double
Play
Code - DoubleS25
Proline premium
papers, colored end sheets, ImageWrap hardcovers—just add any two to
your book order of $60 or more and
take 25% off through December 9.***
Bigger is Best
Code - BigBookS25
x
Make one of our gorgeous large format books (a 12 x 12 inch Large Square or a 13 x 11 inch Large Landscape) and we’ll give you 25% off your purchase. Big beautiful books, big savings, best holiday gifts ever. Offer good through December 8.****
Make one of our gorgeous large format books (a 12 x 12 inch Large Square or a 13 x 11 inch Large Landscape) and we’ll give you 25% off your purchase. Big beautiful books, big savings, best holiday gifts ever. Offer good through December 8.****
Get Started Now!
