I'm listening to an NPR interview with the founder of the blurb.com web site. You can download free software that allows you to create the layout for your own book. Text, pictures, graphics, the works. You send them your completed file and they ship to you a hardcover commercial-quality copy of your book. A 120-page book costs less than $40 to publish.

Imagine what you could do with your travel photos and journals with this!

Ed,
What a great idea!!
Looks terrific!

Thanks for the link. It looks like something worth doing!

Wondering what the privacy / ownership rights are?.. can they use your material?...

Does this statement say that Blurb will not use your content for any other purpose than to print your order?

"..Subject to Blurb's ownership of the Blurb Template Library, you shall own all Content that you include in any Books you submit to Blurb for production hereunder. You agree, however, that the combination of the Content with the Blurb Templates may only be used for the production of Books pursuant to this Agreement.."

To me, that statement says that you own the content (which means that they do not). What it prohibits is reproducing your book that you prepared with their design elements.

This is great, many thanks. I do want to put together trip photos narrative and this looks like just the thing.

You can also download mypublisher.com and it seems more user-friendly, but costlier. I have done two wonderful looking books through them.

You can also do these 'books' at various online photo sites for similar costs. Just need to compare the features and see what 'fits' the best.

I'm working on one at www.Kodakgallery.com for our "First Ten Years" of travel to Europe. I think the "Blurb" one will allow more pages for less money, though...so I might have to jump ship!

I second My Publisher. I've done about 10 now, from my travel photos to family photo albums. The software isn't that intuitive, but the end product is astonishing. Definitely coffee table book quality!

amyb,
I received a gift photo album-journal from my friend of our 2 weeks in Provence last summer done with My Publisher. You're absolutely right! It's coffee table quality. I was really impressed!

I've used Blurb a few times now, they are fantastic. The 40 dollars quoted must be for a small book, I can assure you the ones I've made weren't 40 bucks! I have always used their largest format (10x13, but it might be a little bigger now). I believe you can make 300+ page books, I've made 160-pages as my largest so far.

I am making a Blurb book right now.. of my July 2009 trip to Provence/Tour de France with my Mom. Yes, a little behind (4 trips to Europe since then... oops).

bookmarking