If you’d like to read Part One, you can find it HERE. I’m a FOREVER Senior Ambassador and would love to help you with your project.
When I first started doing genealogy, when someone asked me, are you going to write a book about the family, I almost always said no. But over the years, my thoughts have changed. I realize that if I don’t get my research written down, it might get lost, which would be a loss of all the time I’ve put into it and not to mention all the money I’ve spent. Even more importantly, I realize that as I become the family’s oldest generation, the stories I heard as a child and some of the explanations I heard and researched will also be lost.
If I am going to write a book, I want it to be something that the younger generation wants to pick up and look at and read, not to be that book that sits on a shelf that they tell their friends, “Auntie Ellen wrote a book about our family history.” Who knows, it still might end up that way, but I’m going to give it a good try to make it something that they show their friends.
Again because I use FOREVER and am a FOREVER Senior Ambassador, that is my go-to for the books I would create, and I hope it might be yours. There are several ways that you can create a book with FOREVER:
- Create a book using a book design in Auto Print.
- Use a template or predesigned book from the many Design & Print Photo Books.
- Create a book using FOREVER Artisan. (be sure to get the latest deal on the DEALS page or start your free trial)
Let’s look at each choice and see what works for you and how you can make it interesting for that younger generation.
I will start with the easiest but don’t worry, they aren’t that hard. It’s more about how much time you want to invest in creating your book. Using QR codes can set your book apart from other books, but that’s just my opinion.
Auto Print
I’ve written about this before and done a YouTube call Mission AutoBook (forgive the moving mouse in my video. I believe my presentation style has improved since those earlier days.)
Although this is the quickest way to create a book, there is some prep work to make it easier.
First, you need to create an album in your FOREVER account and either upload or add the photos you want in your book to that album. I suggest you put them in the order you’d like to have them in your book. You can move them around later, but by putting them in the order, you don’t have to move them as much.
Once you have your photos, you’re ready to go. Go to Create & Print >Auto Print and choose standard or lay flat. Now you decide on the size of your book and whether you’d like it to be a softcover or a hardcover book. Then hit that START BUTTON.
Next, the system will ask you where you want to choose your photos from. That’s where that early prep work makes it easy. You choose that album and then select all the photos. The magic begins when you press “add selected.” Just like magic, your book is created.
Of course, you’ll want to do more. You can add text and enhance your photos. Note that the amount of text you can add is limited, but that’s where those QR codes can be helpful. (You can learn more about how you create and add QR codes in last week’s post about Ancestor Cards. ) There are also pages that can be just text, so you can write even more. You can change the color of your pages, and you can add more photos.
With QR codes, you can link to albums, videos, audio recordings, or PDF reports you’ve created and added to your FOREVER account. Of course, for these things to be preserved for the future, you’ll need a paid account, but if you just want to create the book, you can get away with a FREE 2GB account.
Predesigned – Design & Print Photo Book
Another option is the predesigned template-type books that you can find in Design & Print. May I suggest Tell Your Story or Tell Your Story Classic, Vintage Memories, or if you’d prefer to do a family recipe book, Classic Cookbook.
You’ll start the same as with the autobook, choosing the book size and whether you want a soft or hardcover. But this style of book allows you to add more text to the photo pages than you can with the Autobook, and you can move your pages around within the book (you can do this in autobook) and change your design.
QR codes are again available to make your book come to life.
As you create your book, the system autosaves your project, and just like autobooks, you can put your project aside and return to it just by going to your project button.
FOREVER Artisan
Creating your book with FOREVER Artisan gives you even more creative choices. You will need to have the FOREVER Artisan program. If you don’t have the program, you can try it for 30 days before you buy it. (Look for the trail on the purchase page). You can not only create your book, but you can create a lot more, but I’m not going to get into all the things you can create.
Once you have the Artisan program, you will open the program and start a new project. Again you will go through the steps of choosing the size of book as well as whether it will be a soft or hardcover.
The program comes with some digital art, but I’ll warn you you might become a digital art junkie like I am. FOREVER offers a wide variety of digital art. Some are FREE, and they have designers from around the world. I like many vintage designs, and you can see some I just purchased this weekend.
I work on my book as time permits, and each project is saved in the program until I decide to send them to print.
Whichever style of book you decide on when you print your book, the pages are made with archival paper that will last for 200 years, and you will have something that I think your family will cherish and hopefully show their friends.
I know I’ve told you a lot in this blog but don’t feel abandoned because if I’m your Ambassador, I will happily help you with your project or go over any questions you might have. (if you click any of the links in this blog and you sign up, you will have me as your Ambassador)
Here’s a tip…. always look at the DEALS page because there are always special prices you can take advantage of; that’s why my brothers call me the Coupon Queen, and I don’t want you to miss out on any savings.
If you sign up through my invitation, you will get 2GB of FOREVER Storage to try out and $20 to spend in the next 60 days. As my customer, you can arrange one-on-one consults at no charge to have me help you with your project. Just email me.