Which statement typifies your attitude?
I’ll just start at the beginning and go on to the end.
I need to know how many pages.
I wouldn’t have a clue how many words.
I know exactly how many words and how many pages there will be.
How long should it be?
I don’t want to bore anyone.
If you are self-publishing, the number of pages may be governed by cost. Your budget will help determine the page size, margin width and print size as well as the page numbers.
Choosing very small print to save pages and money may be a false economy. If your ‘older’ relatives can’t read the print, even with glasses, all your research has been wasted. Tiny margins and large blocks of print can be off-putting to a prospective family history reader.
Remember the number of words on a manuscript page do not equate to those on the printed page. As a guide, a double-spaced, typed A4 sheet will have approximately 250 words per page. This means 1000 words on average per four pages of A4 paper. Be warned there is a difference in size between Australian and American A4 paper.
With commercial publication, the publisher will suggest the number of pages to fit standard-sized books and you will have to make the material fit.
Often the book fits into three sections: the preliminary pages (title and copyright pages, preface and table of contents), the main text and the end matter, such as the glossary, appendix and index. Not every book has all of these.
The half-title page comes first. This contains the title of the book. Next is the reverse title and this is often blank, has a dedication or lists the author’s previous books.
The title page follows and this contains the full title of the book and the subtitle if there is one, the author or editor’s name and the publisher’s logo.
The imprint page has the cataloguing and copyright details and is usually compiled by the publisher. Next comes the table of contents, which includes chapters and subheadings as well as a list of illustrations. If a foreword is included, it is written by someone other than the author.
The preface is usually the justification or rationale for the book, and is written by the author. This is also where acknowledgments will be made for help and for permissions.
If an introduction is included, it should not just be a repeat of the preface. Only vital material which the reader must know before beginning the book should be included in the introduction.
The length of the main text may vary from a monograph of 5000 words to 20,000 words in a heavily pictorial history to 100,000 words for a lengthy and thick book. Remember that more doesn’t necessarily mean better. Some of the skill of the writer lies in deciding what to leave out.
Most family histories would not include a glossary, which is an alphabetical listing of uncommon terms used in the book. A glossary could be placed at the front or the back of the book.
End matter may include an appendix, notes, bibliography or index. Extra material such as a questionnaire, which might be useful to the reader, can be included in the appendix.
Notes can be grouped at the end of the book or the end of the relevant chapter. Although some family historians are meticulous about including notes, readers often skip over them.
A bibliography is an alphabetical listing of works mentioned by the author in the text, while the index is an alphabetical listing of names and subjects appearing in the text with the relevant page numbers.
Your family history may be a ‘good read’ without including all these additional listings.
Endpapers are the inside covers of a book. You may wish to use this double-paged spread at the front and the back of your book to display a map or diagram:
to show where your ancestors emigrated from
to give the layout of the township in which your family lived
to chart the family generations.
Having printed endpapers is likely to be more expensive, but you may consider it an appropriate finishing touch.
Family tree diagrams may be better (and more expensive) displayed on a fold-out page. Don’t make the labels too small as elderly relatives may have trouble reading very small print.
Some family trees are linear, whereas others are presented in a circular bush shape. Genealogists will advise on the appropriate format for your family, or you may decide to have it professionally drawn.
Cuts can be made to entire sections, or the expression can be condensed so the same information in conveyed in fewer words.
Possibly not all sections within the main body of the book will be of equal interest. You may need to leap a decade because the available material is sparse or repetitive.
Instead of a chronological litany of who was born, to whom and when, some data could be shown in diagrams, maps, charts or photographs. Diagrammatic family trees are a useful way to condense and effectively convey information.
An editor may suggest cuts, especially where you have used the same information more than once. Subheadings are also a way of condensing. If a description can be shown in a picture or a cartoon, condense or delete the words.
The main purpose of an index is to locate particular items. Some readers will be interested only in quickly finding references to themselves or their close relatives. They’ll need an index.
Preparing an effective index is a big job. Professional indexers do exist if you’re prepared to pay for their services. If not, it’s wise to keep track of possible topics for indexing as you work. A card system is one way, writing one card per entry and setting up alphabetically. Work through the text, underlining possible entries and trying to think of the way your readers will think so you can anticipate what index headings your readers will look for in order to retrieve information. Put yourself in the place of the readers. Under which topics would they be likely to search?
Some indexing software programs can find key words, but not concepts, so you’ll still need to decide which of these to include.
If your history makes several brief mentions of a very wide range of people, places and events, then an index willbe all the more necessary.
An ‘entry’ is a unit of an index. The entry consists of a ‘heading’ together with a modifying phrase or qualification and at least one page reference or a cross-reference which will be signalled by ‘see’.
When there are lots of entries or they are very distinctive, you may use subheadings, which create sub-categories. But try to make the key words expressive.
Convicts (female) 34, 45, 63-65
(Note ‘convicts’ is a heading; ‘(female)’ is a qualification.)
mining 102: see also gold
(Note ‘see also’ is the cross-reference.)
The length of your index (if you decide to have one) will vary according to the number of names and indexable subjects, as well as the need to provide subheadings. Another factor may be how many pages you can afford, budget wise. An index may be set in double or triple columns to save space.
Some historical literary awards demand the entries are indexed. If not, the books may be ineligible for the awards. However, you may decide to provide a very informative table of contents including subheadings in lieu of an index.
If you need to check on the finer points of indexing, then the Australian Government Publishing Service Style Manual is a good resource.
Books and websites devoted to self-publishing exist. Study one.
The important questions for you to pose to yourself before embarking on the road to self-publication are:
Does this history have sufficient interest for a general commercial publisher, or is it mainly of interest to my immediate family or community?
How many copies are, realistically, likely to be needed or to sell? 10? 50? 1000? 2000?
What is each copy likely to cost me? Is it worth increasing the print run to reduce the unit cost of the book?
If self-publishing is a viable option should it be (a) through a publishing packager who looks after the editing and design for an additional fee, (b) through a printer where I am responsible for subcontracting the editing or design or (c) by desk-top publishing via a computer?
How will I distribute the copies once they are published?
How much time and effort can I afford to devote to this project? Self-publishing is much more time-consuming and costly than working through a commercial publisher.
Is the timing of the publication crucial? Is it needed for a family reunion or before certain elderly family members die?
Should I get quotes from local printers, check with historical societies or ask writers’ organisations (or all of these)?
Should I attend an adult education course on self-publishing?
Contact your local historical society or library and check who printed and/or published recent histories which look attractively presented. Remember that many published glossy heavily bound copies have been expensive exercises for the originators, especially if only a few copies were done.
Most libraries carry donated copies of local histories by genealogists, so it is worthwhile to browse through these. On the inside cover, the contact details of the printer and/ or publisher will be listed.
Google ‘family history publishers’ or check the local directories under ‘printers’.
With a professional publisher, details of editing, cover design, paper, typesetting and proofreading are the responsibility of the publishing house.
A local small printer is not necessarily a publisher. A printer will print what you give the press, so you are responsible for editing, design, layout and length. Often a printer who frequently handles family histories will offer advice on layout, type and professionals (such as editors) who may be of assistance, but is not obliged to do so. Here are some points to consider and questions to ask your printer:
Ask to look at previous examples of this printer’s work. Note the print clarity, durability of binding, quality of the production and appearance. (Remember too that the previous client got what he or she paid for.)
What is the cost based on printing 100 copies of the book? To what extent does the cost per book decrease if more copies are ordered (that is, the print run is increased)?
How many colours can be used on the cover?
Can a photo be used on the cover?
Is it necessary to have camera-ready art?
In what format will photographs be used?
How many photographs or illustrations can be used? Must these be gathered in a block or can they be scattered through the text?
Will the cover be glossy or dull?
What size will the margins be?
A printer’s advice
Surrey Printing
We have many family historians enquiring about getting their books published. But usually they don’t go ahead, even when we’ve spent time doing quotes.
Firstly, it’s always dearer than they expected. Often they only want 50 copies or fewer and often these would work out at $50 or more each. Of course, the greater the print run, the lower the unit cost. If they wanted 1000, it would be cheaper for each copy.
Secondly, most of them don’t follow through.
This is my advice:
• Get ready to pay.
• Watch the size of the book: number of pages and word length. The more paper, the more expensive and the higher the cost of the binding.
• Is it to be soft cover or hard cover? Hard cover binding adds $15 plus per book, but it saves worrying about a colour cover.
• Letters can be scanned in. But be certain they are legible. An alternative for small print runs is colour photocopies.
• Many printers willingly specialise in small runs of family histories. Get some quotes, don’t just go to your nearest printer. Discuss with family members whether they are prepared to contribute financially to the costs.
With internet access, you can discover listings of ‘family history publishers’ who undertake to help you compile your history. Full-time genealogists, record agents and desk-top publishers offer their skills, for a fee, online. They can provide a network of international researchers, examples of charts, pamphlets and brochures and computer-assisted drawing of family trees.
Offers to print short runs of 40 to 500 copies from typed manuscript, or previously produced books, or typed or laser-printed A4 sheets by direct scanning are advertised. They can work from disc and desk-top publish with photographs, maps and illustrations added.
If you’ve never been involved with a family history book before, chances are you don’t know any graphic designers, printers or editors. Their professional organisations are listed in the appropriate directories and the Yellow Pages. However, personal recommendation is often the best way to go.
It is usually a mistake to assume you can edit or design as well as a professional. However, it may be possible to keep the design very simple. Do use someone other than the compiler to edit the manuscript.
The time required by the publishing process varies. Some people take years to publish their family history. A commercial publisher would usually allow about five to nine months from completed, edited manuscript to actual publication. The publishing process involves many stages. The major ones are:
Idea for book
Research (including interviews)
Writing drafts of the manuscript
Checking
Final manuscript
Choice of publisher
Editing
Design
Page proofs for proofreading
Indexing
Publication
Launch
Often an editor will make corrections or adjustments to your text which you might make yourself — in a year’s time, when you are distanced from the work. When you are too close to the writing, you read what you think is there, not what actually is. So, making sure the author’s words are presented clearly for the prospective readers is one of the editor’s responsibilities.
What might an editor do for you?
Rearrange, insert or delete material.
Tighten the structure of the sentences.
Check inaccuracies or errors of fact.
Correct spelling, punctuation and grammar (and save you much embarrassment).
Ensure your ideas are expressed clearly for the reader.
Suggest structural changes.
Proofread. (The author must do this too.)
Even if you have an editor, you will be expected to proofread the pre-press copy.
Fast readers often make bad proofreaders. They take in the shape of the word, not the individual letters; they quickly get the gist without paying close attention to what is actually there. Slower readers are often more effective proofreaders.
Editors use certain proofreading correction symbols and these are listed in the Australian Government Publishing Service Style Manual.
Researching, writing and publishing a book is only part of the process. You also need to distribute the number of copies stored, or about to be stored, in your garage or under your bed.
Who might be interested in buying a copy? Some people may be interested in reading a free copy but donation is a different matter. That costs you, doubly. While it might be all right to offer free copies of your book as a ‘thank you’ to elderly, close relatives who helped with the research, giving away all your books will cost more than you think. Firstly, people often do not appreciate something that doesn’t cost them anything. This book will have cost you emotionally and financially: if you don’t value it, others won’t. Secondly, you need to cover at least the costs of production.
So how can you advertise your book?
Ensure the cover and appearance of your book are attractive.
Re-use the blurb on a fl yer listing the book’s price and where to buy it.
Talk to friends, family and neighbours about the amazing experience of researching and writing it.
Volunteer as a lunchtime speaker at local service groups (for example, Rotary).
Speak at the local historical society of ‘the process of writing a family history’.
Contact the local newspaper with an ‘angle’ for a story and photo. (For example, many local people mentioned in the ‘Schooldays’ section.)
Invite a ‘notable person’ likely to attract media to launch your book at a relevant but newsworthy location (for example, at a railway station for a family associated with trains). Take digital photos and email them to the newspaper.
Convince the local bookstore to carry your book on a sale-or-return basis.
Create a window display at the local library.
Advertise online.
Sell books by mail order.
Place small advertisements in relevant magazines.
Write media releases and send them to radio stations and newspapers.
Place strategic ‘free’ copies with possible reviewers.
Enter your book in historical literary competitions.
Organise a family reunion.
Use thematic food and drink which link to your title at the book launch (for example, the ginger beer family’s company historian served their product).
Here’s an example of an actual book launch invitation:
Book Launch
To be conducted during a re-enactment ceremony
Essendon Airport
Sunday 14th November 1993
Invitation to the launch of The Turks in Australia by Hatice & Vecihi Basarin
As you may already be aware, 1991 marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of large-scale migration from Turkey to Australia. Following the signing of an assisted migration agreement between the two countries in 1967, the first plane load of migrants from Turkey arrived in Sydney on 14th October and in Melbourne on the 15th November 1968.
We are writing to cordially invite you to the launch of our book The Turks in Australia: Twenty-Five Years Down Under by the Rt Hon. John Gorton, the Prime Minister of Australia at the time of the Turkish migrants’ arrival, during a re-enactment to be held at Essendon Airport on Sunday 14th November at 2–5pm.
The celebration will continue with speeches, folk music and folk dancing. Children’s games, Turkish food and an exhibition of Turkish arts and crafts by Turkish artists will also be present on the day.
Hatice and Vecihi Basarin, co-authors.
Family history launches have been held in churches, wool barns, and the town hall of the family concerned. Wherever you decide to hold your launch, there are certain essentials you need to arrange:
Book the venue or decide on the location.
Confirm the VIP to launch the book.
Issue invitations well in advance (to allow interstate or overseas visitors planning time).
Send media releases to local radio, newspapers and strategic people.
Allocate advance review copies.
Arrange catering and/or entertainment.
Allocate someone to sell books at the launch and issue receipts (which can be signed ahead of time with the stated price and just the recipient’s name to be entered at the time of sale).
Organise a credit card machine
Having quickly available background facts about your book is an asset. Often a well-written blurb can be used in several ways.
A blurb is an enticing summary which usually appears on the back cover. Aimed at attracting readers, it tells what the book is about. It should reflect the writing inside, be informative, enticing, accurate and not ‘gushy’. Often a question aimed directly at the reader is a good way to start.
Below is an example of a draft blurb of 140 words which needed to be reduced to 110 words and written more smoothly. Underlining the major points and ordering them from the most to the least important is one way of ‘tightening up’ the writing. Sometimes word order can be changed in a sentence to make it read more smoothly. It is important to attract the reader by asking a relevant question, to mention the title, to indicate the content, and to stress that the book is practical. Anything that didn’t fit with those aims could be cut.
Rough draft — 140 words
Interested in writing your family history? Have you done some research? Need some help in shaping your book in time for the family deadline?
Writing a Non-Boring Family History offers a practical approach to crafting your research notes in a way that others will want to read and recommend. Based on common questions amateur historians ask, experienced author Hazel Edwards suggests techniques, for handling ‘family secrets’, collaborating successfully and dramatising ‘bland’ ancestors. Options for thematic structuring, use of anecdotes, writing believable dialogue and choosing evocative titles are discussed. Nitty gritty problems about how to write about ancestors all called ‘Elizabeth’ or ‘John’ or those who are merely names on a shipping list are covered. Sample letters rare used to demonstrate different ways of writing in a non-boring way.
A family history is a gift: make it a well read one.
Blurb draft — 110 words
Writing your family history, or trying to? Need help in shaping your book for the family deadline?
Writing a Non-Boring Family History offers ways to write your research so that readers will read enthusiastically, not just yawn. Based on common questions amateur historians ask, experienced author Hazel Edwards suggests techniques for handling ‘family secrets’, collaborating successfully and dramatising ‘bland’ ancestors. Instead of ‘chronological boredom’, options for thematic structuring, use of anecdotes, writing believable dialogue and choosing evocative titles are discussed. How to write about ancestors all called ‘Elizabeth’ or ‘John’ or those who are merely names on a shipping list are covered. Sample letters are used to demonstrate non-boring ways to write.
This will usually be six or seven lines about the author, but written in the third person. It tells a little about the author, the impetus for the book and often the hobbies or interests of the writer. The biographical note tries to give a flavour of the personality.
Mechanic Jon Wright loved hearing stories about make-do inventors from ‘the olden days’. Cars, tractors and planes especially interested him, so he started interviewing the older members of his extended family, all of whom ‘were good with their hands’. Good With Their Hands contains old-timers’ stories of ‘makingdo’ during the Depression and their work as engineers, mechanics, drivers and farmers. Since retirement, when he’s not researching the next branch of his family history, Jon makes children’s mechanical toys for Christmas charities.