Publishing a life story Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Forever Young Autobiographies

Book layout: Don’t start a book layout without these 7 book-design tips!

Amazing book page layout help about fonts, chapters, running heads and MORE!

Ever get the feeling you are opening a can of worms?

I sure do when I check my young bug-loving son’s pant pockets to put on a load of laundry.

What will I find: a ‘fossil’ rock, a dead caterpillar, a fistful of sand?

Likewise, you might feel you have opened a ‘book layout’ can of worms when you get to the polishing stage of your life-story project.

This is because book layout and design terms can seem like another language!

I recently went through the book layout process for my grandmother’s autobiography.

So today I’m breaking down the key terms in plain English for newbie writers.

Keep reading for my top book-layout tips and secret book-design weapon …

Ask Nicola Q&A: How to take the headache out of high-resolution images

The easy way to image resize and save high-resolution photos. NOW!

Hello and welcome to Forever Young Autobiographies – Ask Nicola.

As a journalist and writing coach I’m asked lots of questions about planning, writing, polishing and publishing life stories for family and friends.

And in this series I give you a behind-the-scenes look at how I help new writers just like you!

This week’s Ask Nicola answers the following question:

Help! I am getting my book printed and have been told the JPEG pictures are not good enough quality. What does this mean? How to fix?

Writing challenge – part 3: How to fast track, finish and celebrate your family stories!

Amazing ways to organise and present life-story interview gold

First published April 5, 2018: This article has been updated and improved.

We have made it to the final installment of the super stay-at-home family stories writing challenge part 3!

While we are all in lockdown, I suggested bonding with a loved one by compiling a life-story feature article.

Some of you have done this with your parents, grandparents or other relatives and joined forces with your children for a fun quarantine activity. I love this idea!

In part 1 of the challenge we got set for a phone or video interview.

Meanwhile, in part 2 I shared some interview ideas I’ve learnt as a print journalist.

Finally in this writing challenge part 3, I show you how to quickly organise and present your interview material.

All suggestions come from the Your Family Stories System: Easily capture your loved ones’ memories for future generations.

Let’s wrap-up this challenge …

Best of 2019: Writing tips + writing advice articles you read most this year

Best 2019 highlights on writing quotes, setting, how to write a book title and Mike Higgins’s memoir

The end of the decade is looming and so too are the holidays!

I’ll be spending time with my family and recharging for a new year full of writing.

To sign off from the website for a few weeks I thought I would leave you with the best of 2019 articles and a Your Family Story System end-of-year deal.

These 2019 highlights have been drawing hundreds of readers because they are helpful, valuable and inspiring!

Check them out during the next few weeks while you relax and enjoy the holiday season.

These best of 2019 stories will help you plan, write, polish and publish your autobiography, memoir, biography or other life-story project.

Let’s take a look …

How to get your own book printed without going crazy!

3 simple steps to deciding paperback vs hardcover + book trim sizes + types of paper

Getting ready to publish your book can feel amazing.

You are on top of that writing mountain that has taken you months, if not years to climb.

The end is in sight!

While you will be excited to finally hold your book in your hand there is one last step: publishing.

If you decide to hand write, home print or email your life story to family and friends – terrific!

But if you want to use a book printer, like I’m doing for my grandmother’s story, printing is one last learning curve you need to scale.

A printer does just that – prints.

They typically won’t guide you through all the different printing options from sizing to paper and cover type.

That’s all up to you to decide.

In this article I go over how to get your own book printed by highlighting some of the key printing terms, explaining what they mean and why you need to know them.

Book covers: How to create a memorable cover design

What a print designer knows about front cover design and book cover layout

First published October 19, 2017: This article has been updated and improved.

It’s a funny thing but often the front page of a newspaper is the last page to be sent to the press.

Frequently it is left to the end, right before deadline, for breaking news.

But after working on thousands of page ones as a newspaper designer over the years, I know page one is prime real estate: it is the paper’s ‘shop window’.

The same can be said for your autobiography, memoir, biography or life story project.

A great book cover will intrigue and interest your readers to turn the page.

Here are three key points to keep in mind when you are designing your ‘page one’.

Midyear 2019 highlights: Best of 2019 articles and writing tips for beginners

Valentine’s Day special: Best of 2018 articles you love

The easy way to find 2018 best autobiography writing tips

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Today I’m going to share and foster your love of writing with a few ‘sweet surprises’.

Looking back at the website’s best of 2018 articles and videos it is clear there were a handful you fell in LOVE with and found particularly helpful.

I’ve picked the most popular from a range of categories; planning to write, tips for new writers, polishing your writing and publishing your autobiography.

This also includes a number of ‘case study’ feature stories.

These best of 2018 articles are full of writing shortcuts and practical ideas to motivate you to get writing from the start to the end of the year.

So pull up a chair and enjoy these curated ‘best of the best’ articles from 2018.

Three life story titles to inspire and learn from this summer

Over the Australian summer holidays a number of books begin to pile up on my desk begging to be read.

However, I love reading and learning about other people’s stories!

Mostly I read on my lunch break at work or snatch a few minutes while the kids are playing.

I don’t mind digital books and prefer print, however, audio books are amazing if you are driving long distances or multitasking (think cleaning)!

Last year I was lucky enough to be given a number of personal life stories to read from family and friends.

These were just amazing and detailed different times such as growing up on an Australian dairy farm in the early 20th Century, living in London during the World War II bombings and in Silicon Valley during the dot-com tech bubble.

Top on my ‘list’ this year are a number of books on and about life stories I’d like to share.

There is a mix of male and female writers, Australian and overseas writers.

Let’s discover them together, learn and be inspired! Continue reading Top autobiography books to read in 2018

Category: Publishing a life story