6.10.09

To Print

November 10th will mark the four year anniversary of this blog and over 400 posts in the last four years. So I have decided to do something that I have been thinking about for awhile. I want to make a hard copy of this blog for myself. A limited edition (1 copy only) Jeweled Concrete 2005-2009 book.

From the first post The Leap until present day, my life has changed in ways I could never have foreseen and no matter what happens next I am glad I have this little journal of these years of my life.

While I can always access the full history on line there are two reasons I want to make my own hardcopy. One is that technology changes and is imperfect and in the long run I don't want to risk losing all these posts even though the world would probably still go on. Yes I joke. The other is that I like how paper smells. It's just not the same clicking through internet as it is flipping through a book and seeing and smelling the pages.

I plan to try this software and publishing site called blurb. Before I do though, I wanted to see if anyone has tried it or any other sites for making their own books? Any recommendations welcome!

Posted from Ashford Kent

8 comments:

Expats Again said...

I am new to your blog, having only lived in Munich six months, but I think your idea to publish your blog (for yourself) is a great idea. I can't help you with publishing sites, but I do have a question for you. Did you write with the purpose of using your entries as a journal over the last four years, or did you blog and just recently decide to keep them as a journal? Just curious--you know, the chicken or the egg thing.
I've been pretty good about blogging for the last 6 mos. mainly because I didn't during our last expat experience in China and in hindsight, I wished I did. But I've never stayed with anything for four years like you have. That is wonderful in itself! Good luck with your publishing--I will keep reading to see how it goes.

ian in hamburg said...

I've wanted to do that for a while, but can never seem to set aside the time to do it. Blurb came recommended about a year ago - I looked at it, but that's it.

Megan said...

I also heard about Lulu and then also there's this magazine publisher called magcloud.com. That last one might give you more flexibility with images.

Haven't used any of them though.

C N Heidelberg said...

Great idea! I would love to try it, so please let us know how it goes.

vailian said...

Great idea! Your hard copy will be around a hundred years after the website shuts forever.

Michelle said...

Hi Expats Again, I didn't originally make any plan. Mostly I just wanted a way for my family to follow me as they were upset that I was moving to Germany. Then I found that I really liked to write even just for myself. A couple of years ago I nearly lost all my photos and was really upset. Made me think twice about losing all these posts so thought I should find a way to save them and liked the idea of having a book format but still haven't done anything about it. Keep up the blogging - its fun to back from time to time and see what you were thinking and doing!

All - if I manage to do this I will let you know how it goes!

cliff1976 said...

its fun to back from time to time and see what you were thinking and doing!

I agree! I also like this nifty service at photojojo.com where they send you a photo from your flickr photostream uploaded from the same week(-ish) the previous year. If you are a flickr user, it's nice to get a graphic reminder about where you where, etc.

The Big Finn said...

Both blurb.com and lulu.com were recommended in this month's Esquire.