One of the growing areas of interest in Self Publishing recently has been in the publishing of family histories and memoirs.

Researching a family history is a favourite hobby for many people and the success of television programs such as the BBC series Who Do You Think You Are has created a huge interest in the area of genealogy. In Australia, traditionally, many have looked to trace their roots back to the “old country” through the convict past but today there are also stories to be told from many cultural backgrounds and of differing journeys to their new home.

Having dedicated a great deal of time and effort to the research of their family history, many people then wish to create a special record of the information they have. These

wonderful family stories are not getting into print because they don’t meet the needs of the commercial marketplace. However, they could be family heirlooms, something that writers will be proud to hand down to their children and grandchildren and a lasting testimony to lives worth remembering.

Self publishing allows you to design and print your own book — whether you want ten copies for family and friends or you want to publish it for general release. The advent of digital printing, where books are basically laser printed rather than ink printed, has meant that small numbers of books can be viably and professionally produced. For publishing houses, this is of no value as they are looking for high sales and large volumes but for individuals looking for small print runs, digital printing has created a whole new world.

Digitally printed books can also be printed “on demand” i.e. when ordered, so saving on inventory costs and avoiding unnecessary waste. The quality of digital printing has improved dramatically in recent years and it would be diffi cult for the average person to distinguish between certain digitally or offset printed books.

a P a l m e r H i g g s n e w s l e t t e r

thehubbthehuth

bee

hub

ISSUE 8:

t h e h u b , i s s u e 8 : S e l f P u b l i s h i n g Yo u r F a m i l y H i s t o r y

A UNIQUE BOOK FORA UNIQUE HISTORYA UNIQUE HISTORY

What style of book do you want?What style of book do you want?Every family history is unique and your book should refl ect this. Think carefully about the style of book you wish to produce — the size, paper type and binding all contribute to the individuality of the book and the story inside. It may be worth browsing through the local library, bookshop or genealogy centre to get some tangible ideas of the type of book design you like so that you can show this to us. You need to also consider if you are producing the book simply for family and friends or are wishing to market it more widely.

Design considerationsDesign considerationsYour family history is likely to be read by a variety of types of reader so it should be packaged to appeal to a wide audience. It may be worth spending a little extra time and money to ensure that the book is well designed and attractive to appeal to your many readers. The layout and typeface should also be chosen with some older readers in mind so that it is easy to read.

PhotographsPhotographsA family history usually contains a number of photographs and/or copies of documents, letters, maps etc. People are usually drawn to the pictures in books before the words but they should always complement a page or be gathered together in a way to best suit the text. We can advise you on layout and cropping of photographs so that you get the best from them. Often these photographs may be the last surviving copy so you need to make sure that they are not lost or damaged in the process of preparing your book. Talk to us about ways of digitizing your materials to ensure they are safe and kept for posterity.

PaperPaperWe recommend that you use a high quality acid-free paper for a family history as standard paper may become discoloured and brittle with age.

BindingBindingThe options for binding are enormous depending on your budget. Obviously, the image of a traditional family history is of a large, leather bound book but this may not be to your taste or budget. However, you should choose the sturdiest binding you can afford considering the longevity of your book.

Updating your family historyUpdating your family historyUnlike a novel, your family history is never really complete. The advantage of digital printing is that you can update later versions of your family history as new generations are added or new research comes to hand. When your family history is fi rst published, it may prompt other people to contribute new information or previously unseen photographs and these can be included in later versions without great cost.

Marketing your family historyMarketing your family historyOnce the book is produced most family historians simply wish to provide copies to immediate family and friends, however some may wish to reach a wider audience or make their research more accessible. They may even wish to publish a general book for sale about how to research a family tree or a record of their own experiences. Marketing their book through the Internet provides a simple and inexpensive means of reaching that audience, whether local or global. Optional marketing packages available from Palmer Higgs help writers take advantage of these Internet distribution methods and marketing services if required.

Palmer Higgs has provided production services to the Australian book publishing industry since 1994. Our clients include major publishing houses such as Oxford University Press, Pearson Education and Penguin Books.

We provide you with professional service and friendly advice for all your queries, from editing your manuscript to what type of binding to use. Today, we also package our skills and experience to provide Self Publishers with a variety of options to produce and market their books.

Print OnlyPrint OnlyYou provide us with a print-ready PDF for both the cover design and internal layout and we print as many as you need (recommended minimum print run 10 books).

Design and PrintDesign and Print You provide us with a manuscript on disk and we manage all internal layout/typesetting and create an exciting cover for your book, then we print as many as you need (recommended minimum print run 10 books).

Custom PrintCustom PrintYour book may have special print requirements or you may like to include unique features such as illustrations, photography or other internal design requirements.(No minimum print run).

Distribution and MarketingDistribution and MarketingIf you are producing your book for general sale, we can help you with ISBN, CiP and book listing requirementsas a part of the production process.

The Palmer Higgs Book Store web site (currently under construction) is an on-line book store for Self Publishers who use Palmer Higgs Publishing Services. We can list your book and manage orders, shipment and paymentfor a small percentage of your book price.

Our sister company Palmer Higgs Communications can provide all of the marketing ideas and production of support materials to help promote and market your book. From organising book launches to creating a web site or fl iers for your book, we can provide expert advice and services including press releases, publicity, advertisingand book listing.

SELF PUBLISHSELF PUBLISHWITH PALMER HIGGS

a P a l m e r H i g g s n e w s l e t t e r

Publish yourfamily’s history

for your family ...

... or for the World

Check out our Self PublishingSelf Publishing area on www.palmerhiggs.com.auwww.palmerhiggs.com.au for further helpful information on:

• ISBN/CiP

• Copyright and permissions

• Is your book worth publishing?

• Managing your self publishing project

© 2008 Palmer Higgs Pty Ltd 975 Whitehorse Road Box Hill Vic 3128 T 03 8892 4444 F 03 9899 6994 www.palmerhiggs.com.au

SELF PUBLISHING SPECIAL OFFER

Option 1 Print Only

You provide us with a print-ready PDF to our specifi cations.* We provide:

• 10 copies• 100 page A4 book• 20 pages in full colour • 80 pages in black and white

Soft cover $500 Extra copies $25 each

Hard cover $800 Extra copies $45 each

Option 2 Design and Print

From a manuscript supplied on disk, Palmer Higgswill design and layout a truly memorable book tobe cherished by your family and friends for yearsto come.We provide:

• 10 copies• 100 page A4 book• 20 pages in full colour• 80 pages in black and white

Soft cover $2000 Extra copies $25 each

Hard cover $2300 Extra copies $45 each

To take advantage of these special offers, or to discuss your specifi c project further, contact Paul Higgs on 0418 512 213 or send an email to selfpublishing@palmerhiggs.com.au.

Offers end 22 December 2008.Prices inclusive of GST.* For PDF specifi cations, please visit www.palmerhiggs.com.au or call 03 8892 4444.