scooterbug44 avatar
scooterbug44SoWal Expert
3,424 views
Does anyone know of a local business or internet site where I can get a book printed for a reasonable price? It would be approximately 10 copies of a 40 page book - no pictures or color.

My great-grandmother wrote a short autobiography and I thought it would be a great gift for my family if I retyped it/put it in a computer and had it printed & bound. I think I am the only great-grandchild who has ever read it and there is some great stuff in there.

Replies

24
beachmouse avatar
beachmouseBeach Fanatic
#3
For bigger runs, Mr. Mouse uses Tom White the Printer in Pensacola. He thinks you'd be better off using a Kinko's sort of place for a ten book run.
scooterbug44 avatar
scooterbug44SoWal ExpertAuthor
#4
Thanks, can they make "book" books at Kinkos? I'm not doing anything fancy as far as color, font etc, but want a nice finished product that is a book as opposed to a pamphlet/manual etc.
DuneAHH avatar
DuneAHHBeach Fanatic
#5
Scbg44 -- What a lovely idea for your family. I don't know any publishers but am interested to hear the follow-up on the solution you ultimately choose. I'd like to do something similar...
Matt J avatar
Matt JSWGB
#6
You never made books in school? PM or call me and we'll talk. ;-)
scooterbug44 avatar
scooterbug44SoWal ExpertAuthor
#7
You never made books in school? PM or call me and we'll talk. ;-)

Yes, but I was shooting higher than badly cut construction paper tied together w/ yarn 😀.

Would be VERY cool if I could make something presentable as most of the sites are running more than $20 a book before shipping.
NoHall avatar
NoHallhmmmm......can't remember
#8
Is there a 2nd hand book store somewhere down there? We used to have a grayt one here, and the owner knew quite a bit about book binding...:idontno:
scooterbug44 avatar
scooterbug44SoWal ExpertAuthor
#9
That is exactly what I need - a book binder!

I know a great little shop in Florence that would do a fabulous job, but think the budget dictates a closer shop!
Sea Sothebys avatar
Sea SothebysBeach Lover
#10
The guys at CopySystems in SRB do a great job. They may have what you need.
scooterbug44 avatar
scooterbug44SoWal ExpertAuthor
#11
Thanks, are they on 98 near the original Fabrice?
jpbhen avatar
jpbhenBeach Fanatic
#12
kinko's or office depot or staples can do a book that is bound with a comb binder - like a lot of cookbooks have. you could also design and print covers for the books. that's what we did for school projects, pta cookbooks, etc. they work great, look great, and are inexpensive. my sister bought her own small comb binder (you can get supplies at office depot, etc) and writes and binds personalized books for her grandchildren.
scooterbug44 avatar
scooterbug44SoWal ExpertAuthor
#13
Thank you, but I want a real binding, not a comb binder or similar. My idea was to make something durable that could be passed down for several more generations, which is why I was trying to find an online publisher or local book binder. It's a really cool story and I want to do it justice.

Her autobiography starts w/ my great great grandfather's emigration to the US to avoid military service in Germany pre-WWI (my great great great grandparents tagged along too), includes her childhood activities of making skis out of barrel staves to ski down the sides of indian mounds, her summers homesteading in Montana in a sod house/dugout, and only seeing her husband once a month for 6 years during the depression when he went to Chicago for work to support the family.
TreeFrog avatar
TreeFrogBeach Fanatic
#14
You want a company that the publishing business calls a "vanity press". They are companies that specialize in low-volume private runs of books. They can do proper printings, with paper, type, bindings, etc. to your specs.

I wish I knew one I could recommend. Google and Wikipedia both have lots of links you can use to find one. Good luck.
scooterbug44 avatar
scooterbug44SoWal ExpertAuthor
#15
The one Kurt posted a link for looks promising, my google searches were coming up with sites for serious authors willing to pony up hundreds and thousands to start the process and many warnings from BBB et al.

I was trying to find someone local so I'll check out Copysystems.

Think sowalgayboi severely overestimates my ability to do something creative without supervision and duct tape :blush:.
LightWorker avatar
LightWorkerBeach Fanatic
#16
This is such a cool idea !!

:wub:​
Geo avatar
GeoBeach Fanatic
#18
Does anyone know of a local business or internet site where I can get a book printed for a reasonable price? It would be approximately 10 copies of a 40 page book - no pictures or color.

My great-grandmother wrote a short autobiography and I thought it would be a great gift for my family if I retyped it/put it in a computer and had it printed & bound. I think I am the only great-grandchild who has ever read it and there is some great stuff in there.

Hi Scooterbug,

Check out booksurge.com

I don't know if they do the vanity publishing but it is a great resource for self publishers...

And pls do share who you decide to go with and the result, lessons learned, etc.

Cheers,
G

P.S. Neat idea!
DuneAHH avatar
DuneAHHBeach Fanatic
#19
Thank you, but I want a real binding, not a comb binder or similar. My idea was to make something durable that could be passed down for several more generations, which is why I was trying to find an online publisher or local book binder. It's a really cool story and I want to do it justice.

Her autobiography starts w/ my great great grandfather's emigration to the US to avoid military service in Germany pre-WWI (my great great great grandparents tagged along too), includes her childhood activities of making skis out of barrel staves to ski down the sides of indian mounds, her summers homesteading in Montana in a sod house/dugout, and only seeing her husband once a month for 6 years during the depression when he went to Chicago for work to support the family.

I'm already captivated... I adore family stories & particularly ones that include a homesteading element. I wonder if they were anywhere near the Doig's in Montana(as in Ivan Doig, author of The Whistling Season)?
beachmouse avatar
beachmouseBeach Fanatic
#20
If you do go through with it, could I suggest that you see if any libraries around where she grew up would be interested in a copy of it. Some of them take an interest in archiving state/local history and welcome those kinds of journals in their collections.

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