Self-Publishing Your Family Genealogy

Self-publishing isn’t just for novelists or poets. Anyone can self-publish, and self-publishing a genealogy is a great way to get into the industry. A genealogy, or a family history book, is not only a creative and fun way to record your family’s history, it’s a creative and fun way to learn more about your ancestors and bond with your living loved ones. At DiggyPOD, we offer quality genealogy printing that promises a preserved family legacy.

Family genealogies can be passed down to further generations, or they can be gifted at family holidays. Plus, you don’t even need to be a writer to self-publish your genealogy. Genealogies are something anyone with the time and desire to learn can accomplish.

Step 1 to self-publishing your genealogy: Research your family

More likely than not, you don’t know everything about your family’s long history. To begin your self-publishing journey, you’ll want to gather as much information as you possibly can. Get photos from grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. Ask your parents to tell you stories from their childhood. Ask to see any family heirlooms that remain. You’ll want a firm knowledge source to draw from. Plus, this is the fun part! Take a trip down memory lane and listen to stories about those who came before and paved the way for you.

Step 2: Choose your format

There are two common ways genealogies are formatted: as a scrapbook or as a memoir. If you aren’t much of a writer, the scrapbook option is the best way to go. Print photos, old letters, newspaper articles—whatever tells the story of your family—and you need only write the captions and page titles.

Going the memoir route will require a little more creativity. It helps to pick a theme when writing a memoir-esque genealogy. Decide what common threat combines your family’s experience—is it resilience? Humor? Love? Whatever you choose, weave the theme throughout the decades of your family’s history. Still need a little help on the memoir part? Don’t worry—we’ve covered that, too.

Step 3: Write!

Transcribe the stories your loved ones have told you, and write about your own experiences within your family unit. You could even get a little more creative and write fictional stories that are inspired by your ancestors. Include photos and letters, of course, but give the reader something to actually read about your family. This step, though it requires more work on your part, is an excellent time to reflect on all that you’ve learned about your family.

While writing your genealogy, be sure to take care in choosing a cover. Cover design is incredibly important, and genealogies have the potential to lead to beautiful, eye-catching covers. Maybe there’s an old photograph of a great-great-great-grandfather, or maybe there’s a piece of artwork by a loved one that you’d like to put on display. Be sure to embrace the potential and invest time in perfecting your cover.

Step 4: Print it with DiggyPOD

Still with us? Once you’re done with the above steps and your genealogy has been edited, choose DiggyPOD to print your book. Self-publishing with DiggyPOD is easy, and all of your hard work will be accumulated in a beautiful, one-of-a-kind genealogy that you can be proud of. Have one printed for every member of your family. It will become a family keepsake that is both precious and enlightening.

So whether you’re a writer, or you’re just interested in learning more about those who came before you, printing your genealogy with DiggyPOD is an excellent way to learn more and to get into self-publishing. For more information on how to publish your genealogy with DiggyPOD, click here.