August 23, 2011
My Publisher Software
Making Your Own Book
Part 2
This is the second part (instalment) about publishing your own photos in book format. As previously mentioned, I was fortunate enough to to get the permission from Maggie McKemie of My Publisher.
Although I have only mentioned writing a book with photos and text for what seems to be for your personal use, My Publisher and other publishers offer much more than that.
You could get professional advise at a cost to seriously have someone guide you. You can get an ISBN that would classify your book in the library system with an actual unique ID. There are also other paid services and "free" items, but I won't delve into that. You can go to the actual site and find out for yourself.
Their e-mail address is www.mypublisher.com
I decided for the second instalment on My Publisher to create a different book on the same topic of toys.
In this way, the instalment would be more interesting.
Below is my opening page.
The problem here is that I forgot to add an introduction.
If I was to write a "real Book" for reader interest, I would have an introduction, a table of contents, an thank you page, and so on and so forth.
Here is the window capture for adding a page.
I kept the photo of all of the toys, and decided to place the intro page before this one.
I kept the photo of all of the toys, and decided to place the intro page before this one.
So the intro page takes the place of the multiple-vehicle photo
You get a small ""enter text here", and you simply expand the dialogue box that you see below
I expanded the "enter Text" box
I wrote the introduction.
Notice how I've changed the page design in this variation of my toy book.
Notice that I didn't add any text.
I'll need to so readers will know that these are Tootsietoy Toy Graham Cars from the 1930's
The top of the computer screen of My Publisher also shows you the pages that you've already created.
Here is a double-spread (side-by-side pages) with a coloured background.
The background could also be a photo. So if I had a chapter on restoring toys, I could add a background of brushes, sandpaper, paints and so forth.
Another double spread.
Again, I'll need a text box to inform my readers what it is that they're looking at.
I purposely chose 2 different font designs.
This is an "error" as the "norm" is to avoid too many different fonts, font colours, styles, designs such as bold and oblique, and sizes.
Notice also, that the font on the left page may be harder to read.
The Inner Right Sleeve Photo and Dialogue Box
The Back Cover Jacket Photo
As you can see, My Publisher certainly has a lot to offer in terms of creating your own book. They also offer on their site selling opportunities for your book on their site. I've only "touched the surface" of this new endeavour of self-publishing. From what I have seen, this software is user-friendly, moderately "easy" to use, moderately priced, and with a lot of variety. The variety is both in the end product of the book, and in the actual construction of the book itself.
So if you've ever thought about writing a book, why not try it? You don't have to buy the book right away, but it will certainly provide you with a means, for starters, to put together a family history album with dialogue. Who knows where you might go from there?
