I want to make a little book about my family but it’s SO expensive

[nicdigby]

Hello,
My whole family are wanting me to print out the “book” I’ve written about our family history. I have loads of maps, photos, census records etc which are crucial to avoid it just being a list of names and dates.
But these do expand the book and it currently is 32000 words and 120 pages of A4, so it’s too thick for the average clip folders you get in stationers, plus I want it to last.

My family are asking for something like a hardback A4 book but this will be so expensive to do. Even paperback ones of this size are so pricey.

Does anyone know / has anyone found a way to print out (with good resolution pictures and with a decent cover that’ll last for decades) their family history of this sort of length please?

I’ve tried a few printers and a genealogy website, and they have quoted around 20 GBP per book on a run of 20. Things like snapfish and photo box are way more expensive because they only come with about 26 pages and by the time I’ve paid for the extras, it’s about 80 per book!

Would be grateful for your recommendations.

Thank you

[Mike in Cumbria]

I might be missing something - do you think £20 is expensive?

[Mike in Cumbria]

I've used Blurb for photobooks in the past and find their prices reasonable. I was recently recommended Funky Pigeon (not a sentence I ever imagined my self saying). so I will check that out next time I want to make a book.

Mike

[nicdigby]

I might be missing something - do you think £20 is expensive?

Well it’s not cheap for a slim A4 book covered with a paper binding.

[nicdigby]

I've used Blurb for photobooks in the past and find their prices reasonable. I was recently recommended Funky Pigeon (not a sentence I ever imagined my self saying). so I will check that out next time I want to make a book.

Mike

Thank you I’ll check them out

[GR2]

It can be their Christmas present.

Or get them to subscribe and order their copy.

[brigidmac]

Would there be local interest in the book ...maybe you could rin to 100 copies and sell them. Or keek for future generations as they get older

How ready is it to be printed ?

Theres a publisher called flex press at Birstall

My mother did a reprint of her local history book which cost £500 for 100

But it was already ready for print so cost less

The first edition cost £500O for  500 copies and she had to get it printed in china in 2005

[aghadowey]

I suspect that if you print too many copies that you will end up with boxes of unsold ones and that the ones you do manage to sell will not cover printing costs.

Have you asked any local printers for advise on bringing cost per volume (for a small run) down? Thinks like what format you present it to them in or having illustrations and photos grouped on page rather than scattered through book could make a difference.

[nicdigby]

It can be their Christmas present.

Or get them to subscribe and order their copy.

To subscribe to what? Sorry I don’t understand?