How do I back up my blog?

One of the main reasons people hire me is to ensure that their family's memories are preserved forever. Let's face it - the internet is a great thing, but it can be scary to think of all the time and effort of blogging could be a vapor if something were to happen to our blogs.

Of course I'm going to recommend that you hire me to back up your blog in the form of a blog book, but I have always felt very strongly about sharing the gifts that God has given me and that means I am going to tell you how you can back up your blog yourself. No need to thank me. It's not really a big secret. It isn't technically a true back up - what I'm going to share is the way I back up my blog so that I can be sure that I will be able to eventually turn my blog into a series of books for my kids.

I use Blurb.com's free software, Booksmart, to design books. One of the many reasons I love this company is that I can 'slurp' a blog into the program and drag and drop the information into the layouts that are either preset or designed by me. If it were really as easy as dragging and dropping the text and pictures I wouldn't be in business. Time consuming is the understatement of the year when it comes to this part of the process for a novice bookmaker. (I should mention that photo books are a breeze to make in Booksmart, but the blog books take a long time.)

By 'slurping' your book into Booksmart you are able to save the text and photos to your computer in a few easy steps. If you want to use this method for backing up your book go ahead and download the free Booksmart software from Blurb.

Create a new book (8x10 size works best) and enter your password and username to access your blog posts.

Choose which posts you want for each book. IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN 150 POSTS PER YEAR I RECOMMEND MAKING MULTIPLE BOOKS which means you'll have to go through the slurping process a couple of times.

DO NOT and I repeat DO NOT chose the auto populate your book. It only makes more work if you do indeed plan to design a book yourself.

Repeat these steps for each year of posts that you want to archive.

I then open each book and under the file tab there is an option to import/export the book. Export it to a flash drive that you can store in a fireproof safe. You'll sleep better at night. I know I will after I finish backing up over 1500 posts from the past three years.

Feel free to share your own tips for how you back up your blog in the comments or ask any questions you might have about these steps!

How do I make a blog book?

Congratulations!

You've taken the first step towards being able hold proof of your precious memories in your hands!

You've spent hours and hours blogging about the things and the little things. Now it's time to get them off your computer and into a book!

You can't do this on your blog....


And that's where I come in.....

Please take the time to look over my new website, especially the FAQ's and COST sections - you can save both of us a lot of time that way.

If you would like to request an official cost estimate please note the following in your email to me:

1) your blog address

2) how many posts you want in each book (please include a date range as well)

3) a list of posts you want to exclude (or at least a description of them)

For example:
Exclude all posts related to: my etsy shop, my photography business, other bloggers, contests, product reviews

Please email me at carriepauly at gmail dot com and I will do my best to get back to you with a page total within a week. From there, if you decide to hire me, I require a $100 deposit and a signed customer agreement to hold your place in line.

How do I get the most blog book for my buck?

I recently taught a bookmaking class to a group of moms who were interested in learning how to create books for their families. One of the topics I covered was the many challenges of taking information that is written for a blog audience and transforming it into album format. In this series called "How to get the most book for your buck" I will share suggestions on what to keep in mind as you add new content to your blogs...and subsequently material for your blog books.

First up.....Video Posts.

There are two ways to approach this challenge.


1) Pay $1 (per video) for a screenshot of the video so you have a visual reminder of what the video was about.


And/Or

2) When you post a video also post a description of the video. Not very many bloggers do that because lets face it, using words to describe Junior's first steps aren't necessary everyone's strong suit. So instead bloggers say "check out this video of Junior on the move...watch for the part where he starts singing too."

Set the scene. Describe the emotions of the moment. You will be glad you did! Too often some very special moments are excluded from books because the text from a video post couldn't stand alone without the video to fill in the gaps.

Keep in mind that the screenshot of the video does not have to be the very first moment of the clip. I can fast forward to any point and make a screenshot - or mulitple screenshots for that matter.

An example of how to include a video post in a blog book:

These final pages in AnniePearl's book would not have been the same without the pictures of the video. Remember that the details that make a big difference in the final product, but by working together I can help you get the most book for your buck!

It's nice to meet you!

Hi! My name is Carrie and I am a photographer by trade, but I have a passion for photo book and blog book design. I offer clients worldwide the ability to take their beloved photos and words from their blogs and put them onto the pages of a one of a kind hardcover book. I have been in business for almost nine years and am excited to see where God takes us in 2015!

I live with my husband and three kids surrounded by Minnesota cornfields. We love small town life and are blessed to have so much of our family living close. Please check out the rest of my website for more information on the process of turning your blog into a book and what information I will need from you before we can begin a project.

I look forward to working with you!

Warmly,

Carrie

carriepauly at gmail dot com

Gearing up for 2010

2009 was a big year for my fledgling book business and I'm very excited to see where 2010 takes us. I am back from vacation and ready to offer estimates for anyone interested in having a blog book made in 2010. If you are thinking of having a book made for a Valentine's Day gift please contact me asap as there only a couple more spots left in order to have a book in time for February 14th.

Also.....
Stay tuned for a new series I am offering called "Getting the Most Book For Your Buck" where I will share tips that will help reduce the cost of your book and improve the quality of the content.

Whether you are considering hiring me to turn you blog into a book for you or you plan to do it yourself, you won't want to miss this informative and educational series!

Updates, Vacation, and More!

First of all I wanted to say thank you to all of my clients who have helped make my dream come true this past year. Growing up I thought it would be such a great job to be able to make scrapbooks for other people. At the time it wasn't a very practical dream, but times have changed and I've now completed over 3,000 book pages for people from coast to coast and beyond!

Thank you for your patience these last few months as I hustled to catch up and meet Christmas deadlines. I'm happy to say that every last 2009 book has been ordered and will be arriving on your doorstep by Christmas.

I couldn't have finished 1,000 pages in the last month alone if it weren't for my new design editors, so I want to give a big shout out to Kristina and Marla who put up with the strange way the creative side of my brain is wired. Thanks for all your hard work ladies!

I'm excited to share in the upcoming months some tutorials per say on how to get the most book for your buck. If you are considering hiring me to make a blog book for you or want to tackle the project yourself, my team and I are cooking up a list of tips that will help your blog make the transition to book as smoothly as possible.

While we are working on those posts I will be doing some behind the scenes work to get this site up to speed and streamline our business a bit more. In addition to some prep work for 2010, I will be taking a much needed vacation from my Photography business as well as Blog To Book. During this tough economic time I am so grateful for the opportunity to provide an income for my family, but the hours involved had kept me away from my two little ones for far too long lately.

If you need to contact me feel free to do so via email (4theloveoffamily@gmail.com) and I will do my best to get back to you within the week. Any price quotes will have to wait until the first week of the new year due to their time consuming nature. It is my goal to come back to work refreshed ready to make twice as many books in 2010(but just not all in the same month!)

Blurb Inc. (the publisher I use) has upgraded their software so customers can now see a full preview of books that clients have ordered at least one copy of so until I return there are six new books blog books, three new photography books, and the Grand Prize Winner of the Best Blurb Book (family category), Alphabitty Moments for you to browse through.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

How to turn a blog into a family memory book.....

Linda has been preserving family memories on her blog for over a year. She posts stories, pictures, and samples of the digital scrapbook pages she's created. They look beautiful as part of her blog book.

Most clients add text to the beginning of their books - either as a dedication or as introduction. If you would like to add text or photographs at any point in your book - don't hesitate to ask!

Linda's book came together so nicely with an introduction explaining how her blog came about and then we wrapped it up with a picture collage of her favorite photographs from the year. Consider your blog and it's content as a starting point - there is so much more we can do together to make your book as special as can be.

(To see more of Linda's book, check out my bookstore)

Baby Book Sample

From the positive pregnancy test to the candle on the first birthday cake, your blog entries can be turned into a precious keepsake of your child's first year and beyond.


Click on the image for a closer look. You can also preview the first 15 pages of the book in my bookstore


It's looking like I will have six people on the waiting list for 2010 so if you are considering having me turn your blog into a book, it's not too early to contact me for a quote.

Two New Books

Sometime soon I will take the time to post pages from both of my latest book projects, but for now you can click on the badges and will be taken to my bookstore - or click on 'book preview' to see the first 15 pages.

The Adventures...

Chasing a Squirrel...

By Carriep

Book Preview

Nieman's Expre...

By Linda Nieman

Book Preview

3,565 pages

That's how many blog book pages I need to design for my current clients.

Everyone has been so patient with me as I take the time away from designing to give people quotes and to put a rush on the Stellan Will Live project.

That being said, I still feel the need to focus on the clients that are counting on me to create blog books for them. Some have been waiting for months and with two rush projects on my plate unfortunately they will be waiting a little longer.

I do not want to turn away new clients by any means, but until further notice I will not be able to promise any additional books before Christmas. Nor will I be able to offer quotes within a weeks time. I have to look at every single post in order to get an accurate page count and as you can imagine that is very time consuming.

I will create a second waiting list for people who are interested in having a book made in 2010. If by some miracle I am able to create (and proof) more than 713 pages a month for the next 5 months, I will gladly open the first list back up.

Thank you for your business and patience as I adjust to increased workload!

As always, feel free to contact me with any questions!

Thank you,

Carrie

From a blog to a book - 3 posts in 4 pages

All along I've been sharing examples of how the finished products look, but today you get to come along and see where that information comes from - what the blog posts look like and how I come up with the final page design. You'll see that good book design isn't just about the layouts, it's about the text as well.

Take a look at this post called "The cloth diaper verdict is in" (Notice the words "Here are my lovely models...." under the picture that I chose as the focal picture of this layout.)

I changed the words in the book to say, "on the opposite page my models..." (another example of the detailed attention your book will receive)



This is a lengthy post so it takes up 3 pages in fit it all in - all but the slide show images. If your blog has slide shows and you want any of those images included in your book, you'll need to email the picture to me and I'll be happy to put it in your book.




The original text for the next post is as follows:

Thirteen Changes our family has made in the past few months 1…. We switched to cloth diapers (see yesterday's post)
2 . We use glass baby bottles instead of plastic
3 . We decided to wait to vaccinate our children until they
are older (see older post about this)
4 . We switched pediatricians
5 . We don't use the microwave anymore
6 . We stopped using the bottle warmer (It breaks glass bottles)
7 . I make Julia's baby cereal now instead of using boxed rice and oatmeal
8 . We use mostly glass dishes and stay away from plastic if at all possible
9 . We packed away the sippy cups and Sam uses water bottles or big boy cups
10. We started potty training Sam
11. We put ourselves on a tight budget in hopes of reducing our debt
12. We started putting Julia to bed on her tummy instead of her back now that she can roll herself back over when she wants
13. We stopped using a nebulizer to treat Sam's colds. (Frequent trips to the
Chiropractor and Marshmallow root drops have eliminated the need for it.)

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

(leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)
Jenissa


Jennifer

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants


Notice that the extras have been excluded from the final layout. You do have the option of having footnotes for any links you want to be able to visit again, but in this case the post has been stripped to the bare bones. Links are added as footnotes at the bottom of the post, typically in 10 point italic font.

It might seem odd to put the Thursday Thirteen post with this one, but in blogging, not all posts are related to each other. In fact, subject matter often jumps from topic to topic, but it is still possible to make the book cohesive with the use of consistent font patterns and sufficient white space. Here is another example of pages with multiple posts per page.

These particular pages are not dated. Some clients ask for each post to have a date, while others ask for them to be added weekly or monthly to give readers a general idea of the time line of events. I should also add, that one of the very best ways to save space is to opt for the later option. Not only does it eliminate the need for one more line of text, it allows me to shuffle posts here and there to maximize space.

Hopefully these examples give you a better idea of how I turn a blog into a book. If there are other blog book topics that you'd like me to cover feel free to ask!

Details...Details...

When I design a book I am not simply copying and pasting the information from your blog into the page. On average, I read each post a dozen times while I carefully position each word, each photograph, each title, each date etc... into the ideal location in your book.

Some posts, like this one from my most recent book, deserve extra special care. Sam and Amelia are twins who spent weeks upon weeks in the NICU before coming home to their parents. Their first birthday was a day to celebrate! Sixteen pages* of their 314 page book are dedicated to their birthday. This particular one includes letters written to the twins from their dad, Joel.



I created a stationary like look for the letters and used a unique font to make it look like Joel had written in the book himself. If you look closely you'll see at the top and the bottom of the page, pairs of balloons.

Because I read the blog posts over and over again during the design process, I know them like the back of my hand. I know that it was very important to Jenny that there were balloons at the birthday party. Her husband stood out on their porch and blew up all the party balloons for her.

My hope is that when Jenny sees those little balloons on the birthday letter stationary it will bring a smile to her face and remind her of Joel's kind gesture.


To see a 15 page preview of my latest book you can click on the button below.

Our Story Wher...

Volume One: the bir...

By Jenny & Joel Hunt...

Book Preview

The final product

all 228 pages of it.....

BlogHer Tutorial in the Geek Lab

First let me say thanks for your interest in turning your blog into a book. Blog books are a passion of mine and I'm so thankful for the opportunity to do this professionally.

If you are not in a position to hire me to create your book for you, that's OK because there is a unique opportunity out there for those who are attending BlogHer '09 in Chicago to meet with me to learn some of the techniques I use in bookmaking.

I have submitted a proposal for the Geek Lab but will need your votes in order to get my tutorial selected. (Click on "I would attend this session" under the title to cast your vote)

If you've seen my promo on the BlogFrog and are excited to have found a way to make a book without having to take time out of your busy schedule to complete it, please don't hestitate to contact me for a quote!

It's not too early to hire me to make a book as a Christmas present!



Depending on my workload at any given time, it can take 2-5 months to receive your book. Secure your spot in line today!

Preview my most recently published book

Jake's Baby Blog

Volume One

By Written by: Kell...

Book Preview

Clicking on the image will take you to my bookstore where you can preview the first 15 pages of my latest book, Jake's Baby Blog - Volume One

Written by Jake's mom, Kelly, this 228 page book features 341 of Kelly's photographs and blog posts from the beginning of her pregnancy through Jake's first Christmas. Kelly is a talented graphic designer and photographer and contributed the cover and title page for this project.

It was a pleasure to create this keepsake for your family!

Multiple posts per page

If clients want to maximize space I can put more than one post on a page.



The other end of the spectrum is a post that takes 5 or 6 pages.



Combining both of these styles is an ideal way to save space, yet highlight some of your favorite photographs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much will it cost to turn my blog into a book?

Blog books take a LONG time to put together. Expect at least a month of importing/formatting posts and a minimum cost of $800.

Please see read this post for a general idea of how long your blog book would be.

What kind of blogs can you convert to a book?
 
I can convert any blog that I can copy and paste information from. It is the client's responsibility to provide the images as jpegs from a source other than right clicking on the image in your blog posts. The image resolution isn't high enough for those files.
 

How long will it take to get a book into my hands?

Turn around time will very greatly depending on my workload and the type of project. Blog books take more time do to the time consuming nature of designing custom layouts for each post.

I don't live in Minnesota. Can you still design a book for me?

Absolutely! I do most of my business through email but am available for phone consultations as well. Your books are sent directly to you from the printer.

This post about screen shots shows how you can view preview pages of your book through email attachments.

I just started blogging. Can you design my book as I blog?

You bet! I typically wait until you have at least a month of posts so I can get a feel for the layout style that matches your style of posts (photo heavy, text heavy, or a combination of photos & text)

I've been blogging for years. Do you give a discount for multiple years?

I don't give a discount for multiple years, but I DO give a 50% discount on additional copies of the same book.

Why would I order multiple copies of the same book?

Blog books make wonderful gifts for family. Blogs often take the place of a baby book so think about tucking a special copy away for when Jr. is older.

PHOTO BOOKS

Paige

By

Book Preview

A loving tribute to their oldest daughter, this photo book highlights Paige's senior portraits and is complimented by letters to their daughter, poems, and scripture verses.

Family Ties

By

Book Preview

Family Portraits that span 4 generations are beautifully displayed in an book that highlights the special bonds of this family. I find touching and meaningful poems and sayings to compliment your photographs like this one that spanned four pages of photographs of a great grandmother with her great grandson:

There is a special woman whose love has meant so much.
She blesses those around her with her love and tender touch.
She's strong in faith and courage, yet gentle as a dove.
She has a special mission determined by God above.
He knew that one day children would walk upon this land
and he needed a special woman to guide them with her hand.
She loved them every day until they each had grown,
and soon her little babies had babies of their own.
"Grandma" they now called her, a word she loved to hear.
She spread her hugs and kisses to each grandchild so dear.
She tickled them and sang to them and dried their little tears,
but soon these babies grew as the days turned into years.
God watched this special woman from His kingdom up above,
and though her hair had grayed, her eyes still shown with love.
"Her work is not complete yet" the angels heard Him say.
"I still have precious children that I must send her way."
So though she's not as young as she once used to be,
she still can bounce a baby upon her bended knee.
And though her loving arms are sometimes tired and sore,
they'll never be too tired to hug a child she adores.
So as you now can see, God's plan was very good.
He needed one to spread His love and He knew this woman would.
So in answering God's call, we learn it never is too late.
For loving God's own children are what made this Grandma GREAT!

Handful of Hap...

By Carrie Pauly Photo...

Book Preview

I can help you find just the right title for your project.
The title of Caroline's newborn book, Handful of Happiness, is taken from the words of Helen Steiner Rice, "A wee bit of Heaven drifted down from above, a handful of happiness, a heartful of love."

Waiting List 2010

**** The Waiting list is closed until further notice due to maternity leave scheduled for summer of 2011.

I anticipate the list will open again in the Fall of 2011 for books to be designed and delivered in 2012****


Updated on December 29th, 2010


Jennifer

Allyson

Rachel 07

Melissa 09


2011 Books

Angela 2010

Molly 2010

Lauren 2009

Truman 2008

Truman 2009

Truman 2010

What does a book cost?

Here is a guide for pricing my book design service. Prices are subject to change so please request a quote to confirm the price & what is included.
 
Blog Book Costs:

8x10 Hardcover Book
First 25 pages - $600
Each additional page - $2
Deposit - $100 
Printing and shipping is paid for by the client

11x13 Hardcover Book
First 25 pages - $700
Each additional page - $2
Deposit $100 Printing and shipping is paid for by the client

A good rule of thumb if you are curious how many pages your book would be is to plan for one page for each post. If you include more than three pictures per post then add one page for each additional grouping of three photographs.

Obviously if your posts include lots of text as well then that will increase the length of a book.

You do not have to include every post and every picture in the book. I communicate very closely with clients about what information to include and what to exclude.

I recommend reading the "How To Get Started" section of the website for more information on how to request a detailed cost estimates.

Thanks!

 7x7 Alphabitty Moment Book
up to 60 pages - $300
Deluxe 8x10 book up to 60 pages $400
 

8x10 Vacation Photo Book
up to 70 pages - $400


8x10 Baby Book
Basic photo book up to 70 pages $500
Deluxe photo book up to 70 pages $800


Wedding Album
Wedding album up to 50 pages $400
(additional pages $2 each)

8x10 My Masterpieces Art Book
Children's art book  up to 25 pages $250
   

Customer Agreement

Please print out the following agreement, read it carefully, and then initial each point and sign at the bottom. Please return a copy to me with your $100 deposit.

CUSTOMER AGREEMENT

___ I agree to pay Your Blog To Book for the service of transforming my blog into a hardcover album beginning with a non refundable $100 deposit to hold my place in line.

___ I understand that every effort is made to correct spelling and grammar errors that appear in my document, but Your Blog To Book makes no guarantees that all mistakes will be corrected.

___ I give Your Blog To Book permission to use information from my blog and my blog book for advertising purposes. (If the book is a gift Your Blog To Book will wait to make the book public in the bookstore until after the recipient receives the book.)

___ I give Your Blog To Book permission to use my feedback about the book on the website as promotional material.





Date:_____________ Signature:__________________________________

Blog Address:__________________________________________________

Formatting tip - the size of the picture file matters

In most cases I will be downloading your images from your blog so it is important that you keep the picture files large enough to produce quality images that fill the photo containers in your book. This first screen shot is of a two page spread where the photo files are too small. The one on the left is around 70k. That's better than the 15-22k like the two photos on the opposite page, but as you can see, the space isn't used as well as it could be. Due to small photo files this is as large as the pictures will get - regardless of which layout I use.



This is an example of using the full container and letting the best images take center stage once in a while. If you want the images in your book to be larger than 2x3,
KEEP PHOTO FILES AS CLOSE TO THEIR ORIGINAL SIZE AS POSSIBLE. EACH FILE SHOULD BE AT THE VERY LEAST 300K

Formatting tip - How to conserve pages

Blogs that have hundreds of posts are obviously going to cost more than those that have less, but with this tip about writing captions for your pictures, you can save pages (and money) in a post that's mostly pictures.

KEEP YOUR CAPTIONS SHORT

By keeping your captions less than 6 words I can fit up to 9 photos on a page. If you write 2 paragraphs that will only make sense if the photo is right next to the description, then I will be forced to put 2-3 pictures on each page so there is enough room for text. Multiple posts like this can make your book more expensive than it needs
to be.

The other option is to
SKIP CAPTIONS ENTIRELY - WRITE YOUR POST FIRST AND THEN
INSERT PICTURES AFTER
What I mean by this is, if you want to describe each picture, make the captions flow into each other so they can be combined into a paragraph.
This saves space by making it possible for me to layouts like this that maximize the space for text. I have 70 different layouts at my disposal and I do my very best to use the ones that make the most of the space without compromising the design.


If you are a veteran blogger and know that many of your posts do not comply with this advice - that's ok. I can still make you a beautiful book!




This tip is mainly for those who are just getting started and know that down the road they want to publish their book - either on their own or hire me to do it.