How to preserve your stories

How to preserve your stories by Chris Lightfoot For more writing tips visit www.beginnersguidetowriting.com the hangout for new and inexperienced writers

Contents 1 2Ways of preserving your story 3Books 4Print on demand 4Self publishing 5eBook 6Creating a pdf file 7Flip book 7CD/DVD 8Oral histories 9Video 10WebsiteBlog© www.beginnersguidetowriting.com

1 Whatever you have written and whatever length it is you will almost certainly want to find a way “I am completely of presenting it so as other people can enjoy unflustered by what you have written.whichever medium For the majority of suggestions below you will people choose to need to have your book/stories in an electronic format (i.e. prepared on a word processor). So, Ifread my words. I am you have written in long hand, the first step is just delighted to create an electronic version. they’re reading them at all.” If you are not confident about using a word processor (for example, Microsoft Word on a PC Sara Sheridan or Pages on an Apple Mac) or if you don’t have access to a word processor, then find somebody else to do it for you. Ways of preserving your stories There are many ways of preserving your stories. Producing a book is one of the most popular ways but other options include an audio version (oral history), a visual history (a collection of photos on DVD/video), an eBook, a flip book, or you could preserve your stories online on a website or blog. The following pages include some information about the different options available to you. © www.beginnersguidetowriting.com

2 Books “All the words I use There are a number of options for producing ain my stories can be small number of books. found in the You can produce a leather-bound, hardback ordictionary - it’s just a paperback book matter of arranging using the services of a professional them into the right binder/printer - you sentences.” will have to provide the printer with anSomerset Maugham electronic version of your book typically as a pdf file. See ‘Creating a pdf file’ below to learn more about pdf files. The cost per copy will vary significantly according to the style/type of book and the number you want printed and also whether you want the printer to do the design and layout. And, although in theory you could order just one copy, it is much more cost effective to order 10 or 20 at a time because of the overheads. © www.beginnersguidetowriting.com

3 Print on Demand is a very cost-effective way of producing a “I think I did pretty short run well, considering I of books. In general all started out with you neednothing but a bunch to do is to find a of blank paper.” print-on- demand Steve Martin service which is appropriate for your needs and then upload the content of your book. You may also have the option to design a cover for your book. The price per book is based on book size, paper type, number of pages, type of binding and whether you are producing a paperback or a hardback book. Typically there is no minimum quantity and, whether you want to produce a single copy or a short run of about 10 to 30 copies, the price per unit is often the same. You could also consider some less expensive options such as: • printing your book on A4 pages and putting it in a ring binder • getting your book comb-bound/spiral- bound (you can get this done at a local printer or copy shop - you can also get simple, inexpensive comb binders to use at home) • producing stapled booklets (suitable for smaller books) or perfect-bound paperbacks where the sheets are glued into a cover – contact your local printer/copy shop for quotes © www.beginnersguidetowriting.com

4 Self publishing “You can’t judge a It is unlikely you will be approached by abook by its cover but publisher no matter how remarkable your story is (unless you you sure sell a are a celebrity or bunch of books if well-known you have a good author) but it is possible to one.” publish your own book. Self Jayce O’Neal publishing is increasingly more accessible and affordable and if you choose a reputable self-publishing organisation not only do you typically retain 100% copyright and decide which book shops to target, you also get to keep a higher percentage (or even all) of the profits from your book sales. eBook If you want a low-cost (or even free) alternative to hardcopy printing/publishing, then you could create an eBook (a book saved in an electronic format which can be read on a computer, a smartphone, a tablet, an eBook reader etc). © www.beginnersguidetowriting.com

5 Creating a pdf file “What’s cheaper There are a number of ways to create an eBook than a gallon of but one of the simplest is to convert a word- gas? An ebook. processed document into a PDF file. Not onlySave a dollar, stay are PDF files easy to distribute (you can attach home and read.” them to an email or create a download link), they can be read by almost everyone without Shandy L. Kurth the need for specialist equipment or software. Another advantage of a PDF file is that it can easily be printed. Your readers can print a copy from their own digital version or you can print copies yourself to send to people you know who don’t have access to a computer. If you want to create a number of copies, you could send your PDF file to a print-on demand printer/publisher. You can create PDF files from most word processors (the option is typically available from within the Print or Save As menus). Although PDFs are easy to make and distribute you may also want to consider a format which is specifically designed to be read on eBook readers, smart phones, iPads, iPhones, tablets etc.. © www.beginnersguidetowriting.com

6 The standard A4 page size of a PDF is difficult to read when it is reduced for smaller screens “Life without a and so to create a version which is suitable forKindle is like life the various eBook reading devices, you will needwithout a library to convert your PDF file into a format such as the industry-standard ePub or Kindle (note that nearby.” ePub is suitable for most devices except Kindles - Kindle uses its own format). Software forFranz S. McLaren converting PDFs to ePub or Kindle is typically free. Do a check online to see what is available. Flip book Another type of online book is a flip book. This is similar to an eBook except the reader can flip (or turn) the pages. There is a variety of software which enables you to convert your PDF files, image files or SWF (Adobe Flash) files quickly and easily into digital flip publications. For example: FlippingBook FlipSnack epagecreator Kvisoft flip book maker Note, however, that typically flip book software doesn’t come free. You may sometimes be offered a free trial and/or the option to create one short flip book but usually there are limitations on how you can use and distribute it. © www.beginnersguidetowriting.com

7 CD/DVD “A recorded oral A very cost-effective way of preserving yourhistory is more than story is on CD. A CD can include a complete story and photos plus multi-media files such as just a quote on a audio and video files and you can create andpage in a book. It is distribute copies very cheaply. Make sure that a meaningful story what you put on your CD can be read, viewed, listened to or printed without the need for expressed by the specialist software. If a CD is not big enough person who owns (images and multi media files can take up a lot of space), use a DVD instead - it has a far greater that story.” capacity. Doug Boyd Oral histories An oral history is a verbatim transcription of an interview usually in question-and-answer format. By creating a sound archive you also preserve the voice and character of the person talking. The spoken word not only captures emotions and feelings which are hard to convey in words, but it also creates a very useful record of local accents and dialects. © www.beginnersguidetowriting.com

8 You don’t necessarily need any expensive equipment to record your interviews (for“Great video comes example you could use a basic digital voice from thinking recorder or the audio recording feature on your humans, not mobile phone), but to create a polished, equipment.” professional recording use the best equipment you can borrow or afford to buy. Most recording Steve Stockman devices make it very easy to transfer recordings onto a computer which can then be transcribed into text. Video Instead of just recording your interviews why not go one step further. It is easy and fun to create a basic video which will really grab the attention of your family and friends. You can include interviews, music, film clips, still images, voice overs, transitions between clips, title, credits etc. to tell your story. Camcorders are relatively inexpensive but if you have got a smartphone, look no further. You can shoot great videos with a smartphone. Editing your video is also very easy - most computers come with basic editing software (for example, Windows Live Movie Maker and iMovie for the Mac). © www.beginnersguidetowriting.com

9 If you don’t think you have the skills to produce your own video, look for a professional to do the“Everybody’s a film job for you. A professional production could be maker today.” anything from a 10 to 15 minute short to an hour (or longer) mini-movie complete with John Milius titles, music and other Hollywood-style effects. Professional productions can of course be quite expensive. Website Another way to publish your story is to create your own website. There are many easy-to-use free website builders to choose from but when you do a search on the internet check out what you get for free. For example: • If you have lots of photos can you upload them and/or create photo albums? • How many free pages do you get? • If you want to communicate with other family members and allow visitors to your site to contact you, is there a facility or forum for this? © www.beginnersguidetowriting.com

10 Blog “Blogging isn’t You could also about publishing as create yourmuch as you can, It’s own blog. A about publishing as blog (or weblog) is a smart as you can.” type of website where you can Jon Morrow write (post) your own thoughts and ideas (a bit like a diary or journal). New posts are listed at the top so as visitors to your blog can easily see what’s new. Posts can include text and images and other media such as videos and they can also include links to other posts within your own blog or to the rest of the web. Blogs also have a comment section where visitors can add their own comments about what you have written. Blogs are a great way of communicating and keeping in touch with like- minded people wherever they are in the world. There are a number of website builders which allow you to set up a blog for free. WordPress, for example, enables you to set up your own blog and/or a personal website completely free of charge but do a search on the internet to find out what else is available and what would be most suitable for your needs. © www.beginnersguidetowriting.com

About the authorChris Lightfoot has worked as a commercialwriter and editor for many years for a variety ofnational and international companies. Morerecently she has used her skills as a writer andeditor to help people write about their ownlives and experiences. She has had articlespublished in a variety of local and nationalmagazines including an article on how to writeup your family history in Your Family Treemagazine.She is the founder of Beginners Guide to Writing- a website specifically aimed at new and lessexperienced writers. The website not onlyprovides one-to-one and group support, but italso has a great selection of informationproducts and courses and regular blog posts tohelp people start writing life stories, familyhistories, memoirs, autobiographies, localhistory, travel stories, foodoirs, photo-journaling,nostalgic memories etc.. © www.beginnersguidetowriting.com