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How to create a book?
Slater - 18/3/19 at 03:18 PM

Hi, my Dad has written his life story of his Naval Career, it's approx 25,000 words or 45 pages on A4 size paper. It's very interesting, he was a CPO in the Fleet Air Arm from 1961 till 1984. So plenty ships, planes and helicopters.

Is there an easy way of putting this into a nice book? it needs to include quite a few photos and the odd basic map. We would want maybe 10 copies, just to give to family and friends, no intention to sell it at all.

He had a apple photo book done in the past, but apple have dis-continued this service now. Some alternatives like Shutterfly are really just for photo books with captions. I'm looking for a more traditional "book" type, i.e. many words with a few photos.

Any ideas?

[Edited on 18-3-19 by Slater]


gremlin1234 - 18/3/19 at 03:52 PM

there are a few print on demand places on the web
one I found
https://www.bookprintinguk.com/
looks like they can do what you want, (never used them myself though)

for it to realy qualify as a book, it should have an isbn, and 'Legal Deposit' copies to various library's
https://www.bl.uk/legal-deposit


Angel Acevedo - 18/3/19 at 04:24 PM

Kimini, the book from Kurt Bilinski was printed via Lulu a Print-on-Demand service, don´t know if still is.
You may want to check in out.

Here in Mexico when you graduate from college you have to write a thesis, there are several options, i would think there should be some over there too.


snapper - 18/3/19 at 07:28 PM

Apple now have Motiv app that’s sit’s native in photos.
The best way would be to use Adobe InDesign but it’s not simple.
You could use photobox as it will take both text and photos.
I estimate the cost at £50 per book.
I’m doing a personal project on Kosovo mostly photos with some narrative using the Motiv app, I’ve just done an InDesign course and it by far the best way but not sure how you would get it printed.


balidey - 18/3/19 at 07:57 PM

Another avenue to try is, go and visit a local printing company. I've had works brochures made up and they ask questions about paper weight and binding that an online service may not ask you.


Barkalarr - 18/3/19 at 08:49 PM

I’m led to believe amazon will publish a book. Why not publish it and if someone else buys it - game on !


gremlin1234 - 18/3/19 at 09:24 PM

quote:
Originally posted by balidey
Another avenue to try is, go and visit a local printing company. I've had works brochures made up and they ask questions about paper weight and binding that an online service may not ask you.

I think most local printers will have a minimum print quantity, - but certainly worth asking.
last time I asked, for a print quote, (A5 landscape, 44 pages, plus covers, stitched paperback, 250 copies £350, and £610 for 500. but that was with print ready pdf. and pickup from them.
the online service I liked to earlier, asks about paper weight, (and allows different paper for colour pages!)
I help at our local museum, and we are a publisher, but what we publish has to be 'local' (either author or subject) and non contentious.


Slater - 18/3/19 at 09:31 PM

Thanks folks, I checked the bookprintingUK site and that seems perfect, thanks Gremlin1234.

You can choose the book size, paper weight, binding type, cover type, and they can check the formatting, dustcovers etc, I got an on-line quote and its 25 quid per book for 10 off A4 size hardback books with 70 B&W pages and 20 colour pages, so quite reasonable I think. They can even design artwork for the cover if you want. They will send you 1 copy to proof read before printing the rest. It's turning into quite an interesting project.....


gremlin1234 - 18/3/19 at 09:48 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Slater
Thanks folks, I checked the bookprintingUK site and that seems perfect, thanks Gremlin1234.

You can choose the book size, paper weight, binding type, cover type, and they can check the formatting, dustcovers etc, I got an on-line quote and its 25 quid per book for 10 off A4 size hardback books with 70 B&W pages and 20 colour pages, so quite reasonable I think. They can even design artwork for the cover if you want. They will send you 1 copy to proof read before printing the rest. It's turning into quite an interesting project.....

sounds good,
but certainly for 'run of the mill' stuff, ask the local companies, else they wont survive