I need some advice.
I am ready to have a year's worth of blog entries printed as a book.
I just downloaded the BookSmart program from Blurb and am trying to get familiar with it. Blurb will slurp my blog (transfer all content at a click of the button.) That part is great. Now for the frustrating part--I am going through page by page, entry by entry, trying to make the thing look good and not having many options for layouts, picture sizes, etc. I don't want anything complicated but if I have 5 photos and text on my original blog entry, I want to be able to have 5 photos on my book page. These preset layouts chop off your pictures to fit in odd size spaces. If I choose a one photo layout that is oriented for a horizontal picture, then my portrait picture ends up being small and ugly. I'm okay with simple, I just want it to look good.
I'm not looking for fancy- I can go with simple. I just want it to look nice and not be all haphazard.
Who's done this? Did you still have any hair left on your head when you completed the book? Must it be so hard? Is there a better program? Am I going to be able to set up a book in less than a decade? Should I not have gotten rid of all my scrapbook supplies? Help!? Please!?
7 comments:
I'll have to refer back to this post after you get some feedback. I, too, wanted to do this, but you are even further in the process than me- didn't know of the pitfalls. I am sure whatever you decide-the memories will shine through.
Wow Clair,
The way you are describing it sounds really confusing. I was wanting to do that as well. Hum.
HI, me here. Sorry about all the drama. I'm probably just being picky. I don't mean to cause any heart attacks other than my own. Hopefully some reassuring advice will pour in... hmmm.... anyone?
Wow, I didn't even know you could do this!!! It is amazing and I will have to look into it, sorry I don't have any advice for you however.
Clair
I started this process for Emily's blog as well and ran into the same issues you described. I was also dissapointed to see that the program did not include the comments. The only other option I think is viable is to contact a Blurb Nation person who you can hire to do the work for you. When I get some more free time I am going to take another stab at it, if I find something I will be sure to share.
John Culpepper
i love blurb. it is a little time consuming to get things just the way i want. i've just committed myself to making a book around 100 pages. however many pages it takes me to layout my text and pictures nicely = however many posts i will fit in one book. sometimes i just put all text on one page, followed by 2-3 pages of corresponding photos.
celia just did a huge series on the options. check out her findings:
http://groundhogdaywithceliafae.blogspot.com/
on her sidebar you'll find links to all her findings.
my big thing is the promo codes. i never publish without one, but recently they've been hard to come by. so my stuff is piling up. annoying.
I've been waiting for a better program too. I think if it transfers your blog pages then it should look like it did on your blog. If you find anything, let me know. There's also this other one called blog2print or something like that.
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