Ask Design Mom: Preserving your Blog
Ask-Design-Mom Question:
Hi Design Mom, I love your site. I see that sometimes people ask questions and you post GREAT ideas back to them. Here's one for you: I don't have kids yet, but someday would love to. I’d like to keep some sort of paper trail of my blog to share with my children when they are old. Do you have any good ideas other than just printing the posts out? Thanks! Ashley
Design Mom Answer:
Hi Ashley! Your question is a great one and I think I have the perfect answer: Blurb. Blurb is a fantastic company that enables you to publish bookstore quality books in personal quantities — as in, you can publish just one copy if you please.
There are a few excellent book making sites, but Blurb is the go to one for bloggers because of their "Slurp Your Blog" service. "Have a blog hosted by Blogger, Live Journal, TypePad or WordPress.com? Slurp it into a book in seconds." Question answered. Problem solved. Books start from $12.95.
But Blurb isn't just about blogs. You can make a Blurb book about anything: That great ceramic collection you have. The elegant life of your Grandma Rudi. Your sister's favorite recipes. In fact, you could even write a book of poetry — and then print just one copy and hide it under your bed and wait for it to be discovered and published and make the New York Times Bestseller list. At which point you'll finally be recognized as the true genius that you are.
Blurb sidenote: I was contacted by Blurb last September to try out their service and see if I liked it and if you can believe, almost 6 months later, I still haven't made the time to publish my Blurb Blog Book yet. (I know. I know. It's only supposed to take seconds, so what's my hold-up?) And then, in the last 2 weeks, no less than 5 people have emailed — letting me know how much they like Blurb. So apparently it's destiny that you sent in this great question, Ashley. And apparently we're all supposed to make Blurb Books. At least. I am determined to do so. I'll let you know how it goes.
Labels: make something
posted by Gabrielle of Design Mom at Tuesday, February 26, 2008
27 Comments:
they can definitely contact me to try out the slurping! i have 2.5 years to slurp!
wow what great advice! i never knew such a pubishing service existed.
Those books look beautiful! I'd love to "slurp" my blog. :)
I LOVE BLURB! I've made one book of photos through them - which turned out FANTASTIC - and I'm currently working on turning my old blog into a book for my family. I plan to do one volume for each year of my blog.
Really reasonable prices too!
Thank you for pointing Blurb out! I have been looking for something like this for ages...obviously wasn't looking hard enough!
Brilliant question & answer. I wondered what the heck to do with my blog! This is perfect!
I'm so glad to know this exists!
I love your blog - haven't commented before - Blurb is a great concept! I am currently making a community book for my high school reunion alumni. They have a lot of great different types of books you can make. Enjoy "slurping" your blog!!
Wow, thanks so much for the tip!
I just used Blurb to create a book for my husband featuring pictures we took on a recent trip to California. It was easy and I'm so very happy with how it turned out. The quality is fantastic! Sorry Kodak but Blurb now has all of my future picture book business!
I slurped my blog and made it into a book for both sets of grandparents at Christmas time. They loved it-- since it is our "scrapbook" of our 4 boys! I have to admit though, not everything slurped, and I did have to fiddle with the layouts but in the end I was beyond impressed. Everyone who sees it is amazed. We plan to do it every year now. LOVE LOVE LOVE it!
This is a brilliant find, thanks. I may reference it in the future (with credit to you, thank you very much)!
Blurb makes awesome books - I made one about my travels and the places I'd been and it turned out great. The people there are super nice as well!
I haven't had too much luck with their Slurping feature, but hopefully they'll continue to improve it a bit (or perhaps I just messed things up :P)
I love blurb. Thanks for another great push, I've been meaning to get myself together and make one. It's on my "spring goals" list ; )
Oh, and I just figured out that for a very short period of time you and I were in the same ward in NY. I spent my frosh year at Sarah Lawrence, but don't remember meeting you, but Betsy did tell me about you.
Small blogging world!
Oh FANTASTIC! Thank you so much. I love your site.
Thanks so much for posting about this! I have an blog about my life in Germany that I no longer post in but I want to record somehow and this looks like the perfect solution!
I'm glad to see that so many people recommend it!
this is on my to-do list as well!
For Christmas my husband published my entire blog into one handy book. He spent a lot of time editing and making it look "artsy" and I must say it was the best Christmas present. So clever. I love Blurb. I've also discovered new artists via the Blurb bookstore. I'm hooked.
Thank you thank you thank you! I was wondering how I could preserve my blog without having to transfer everything and then print it in a word document. Or whatever. This sounds like a great idea to do once a year or so.
that is the best thing ever invented.
Thank you so much for posting about this, I have been wishing for something just like it to come along so I could preserve my blog, what a great service!
i love my Blurb book.
I made a family book for my persnickety husband for the holidays and he was blown away by the quality.
Design Mom is one of THE best blogs in the blog-o-sphere because you share stuff like Blurb with us! Thank you! I started "slurping" my blog yesterday and I plan to do one for each year I've blogged and then giving them as gifts to our family and children. It's good to hear all the great reviews and satisfied customers. I can't wait to hold the finished product. :)
I tried this yesterday. I have been dying for away to save my blog. The problem is my blog is 4 years old. It was really hard to arrange that much content. The program puts each entry on its own page. Most of my entries are short. I also use small pictures on my blog and none of the are high enough resolution to use. I spent hours moving the small entries onto one page, and finding my photos in iphoto. It is a great service, but I would pick a few key entries to use not a whole blog. My end result was not very eye-catching but I am pleased to have a hard copy of my blog.
I want to slurp my blopg so so so bad. But I can't Why> Cuase I don't have a new enough version of OSX I only have 10.3.5 not 10.4 SAD! I am devistated.
Oh wow. I am so keen! Is it open to International visitors too? Coz if it is, I am IN!
Oh pretty please!!!
I love your blog - haven't commented before - Blurb is a great concept! Its really nice blog.
Post a Comment
<< Home