BOUTWELL GENEALOGICAL PUBLISHING SERVICES
You want to write your family's history, your genealogy, but you aren't a writer. What do you do? You came to the right place! You've finished your genealogy research! You've learned more about history than a PhD, spent long hours in the dust of the archives, developed callouses on your fingers from reading books in the library, bought quadrofocles so you can see a microfilm reader, negotiated the labyrinth of LDS records, caught cold standing in a cemetery in January, had to endure Cousin Marmalaide's tale of chasing a grizzly bear one time too many ... now, it's time to write a book about your familly. But you aren't quite sure how to start, much less how to finish.
That's where Boutwell Genealogical Publishing Services can help you.
Greetings. I am Nathan Boutwell, and I want to help you publish your family's story.
I can offer you everything from simple editorial and design advice to actually publishing your genealogy in book form. The services you choose are up to you.
This Is What I Can Offer You:
WRITING: You've done all your research, finished your family interviews, gathered your photographs and now you're ready to write your book for your family. But you're not a writer! That's where I come in. You don't have to be a writer to have a well written book for your family. I can do all that for you. You send me your research, let me know how you want it written (folksy, humorous, scholarly, like Hemingway, etc.) and I will take it from there. And no, I won't ask that my name be put on your book as your ghostwriter. All the credit for your book goes to you; you deserve it! You can either email me your research if it's electronic, and send me your photos on a CD, or you can send me the original pieces and I will ship them back to you (insured) when I am finished with them.
EDITORIAL: Suppose you have your family history already written, but don't know if it's grammatically correct. Or maybe you just don't like the way it looks. I can help you fix all that by proofreading it, editing it, helping you with your word choice, etc. If I write the book for you, editing is included.
SCANNING: Don't have your primary documents and photographs scanned so they can be laid into the book? No problem! I can handle that for you. I have a high quality scanner. That will help you avoid that "made on a copier" look that all too often ruins a good old photograph. I promise that I will treat your documents and photographs as if they were my own, and will ship them back to you, insured, once I am finished scanning them. They are treasures and belong in your hands.
LAYOUT: Say you already have your book written and you like the way it reads, but you aren't sure about the chapters, the placement of photographs, and the type face. I can also help you with that, giving you a wide option of fonts, column layouts, endnote placement, photograph options, and things like that.
PRESS READY: If you wish, I can provide you with a press-ready PDF file on a CD. You can take that to a printer and have him print your book, or you can upload it to the internet for your family to read electronically. Or you can copy the disk and send it to your family and let them read it on their computer.
PUBLISHING: If you so desire, I can also publish your book for you. If you want me to do that, I will use Lulu.com. They are a professional publisher, and I use them for my books. Hardback, paperback, full color, or black and white. The choice is yours. The beauty of Lulu.com is that they won't print the book until it is ordered, and you won't have to pay for it when it is printed. Your family members can go directly to the Lulu.com website and order the book themselves, at no charge to you. You can even build in a profit margin (to pay the cost of hiring me, for example), that will be sent to you on a quarterly basis. If you order books for yourself, you only pay cost and you only pay for what you ordered. No more having to spend $5,000 for 100 books that you may not be able to sell or give away! I will even help you set up a Lulu.com account, and you can manage it yourself as you wish to. If you wish, you can obtain an ISBN for your book for a flat $100 fee. This way, you can sell your book through a genealogical bookstore, Amazon.com, Borders or Barnes and Noble. No, this isn't a paid endorsement for Lulu.com ... I'm just that enthusiastic about their services. To find out more, go to their website, www.lulu.com.
CONFIDENTIALITY: What you tell me remains strictly between you and me. I won't share your research or ideas with anyone else, not even that nosy cousin who has been snooping around your files! When I am done with your project, any material you sent me will be returned to you, and my copies will be erased. I won't use your research for my own gain. The only thing I will keep is a final electronic copy of your book, in case you need it again.
What I Won't Offer You:
I won't do your research for you. I can't! Only you know your family, and any efforts I may make to research your family would only be fragmented at best. I will leave the research and story-telling and interviewing in your capable hands, because you can do a much better job than I can.
Fees and Stuff Like That:
If you do choose to hire me to help you, I charge $15 per hour.
I will guarantee you that when I am working for you, that you will have my undivided attention during that block of time. If I charge you for ten hours, then those ten hours are all yours, not split with another client. My fee includes all services, from writing to scanning to setting up a Lulu.com account for you. I can either send you an invoice at the end of every week, or the end of every month, which ever works best for you. When I send you an invoice, I will also send you, via email, a copy of the work I have done for you during that time (If the work is too large to email, I will upload it to my server and let you read it there). You can either pay me by check or through Paypal, whichever you prefer.
If you choose to hire me, I will send you a questionnaire asking you tons of questions about your project. It's your project and your money, so you have the right to tell me how you want it! And I want to do it right for you. During the time I work for you, I will remain in constant contact with you via email. That way, you know what I'm doing for you and I have a written record of your instructions to me, so I won't forget them.
To hire me, click here.
This is, unfortunately, a first come, first served type of service. It would be unfair to all of my clients if I took too many at one time. I mean, why hire me if I can only give you three hours of time per month? There may be a waiting list. If there is, and I'm booked solid, I'll tell you.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at nathan@nboutwell.com .
ABOUT ME:
I am a 1985 graduate of Stetson University with a BA in English and a minor in American History.
I am currently a student at University of North Texas, pursuing my master's degree in English.
I have been researching my family history since 1985, so I am no stranger to genealogy, research or documentation.
I am a 1992 graduate of the National Genealogy Society's Home Genealogy Course.
I wrote a history of my wife's family.
From 1989 until 1994, I was the editor of the Autry Family Bulletin, a quarterly genealogical magazine.
I have written and published five books, and have also worked as a reporter for two small town weekly newspapers.
Member National Genealogical Society.
Member Association of Professional Genealogists.
Researched, wrote, edited and published The Horne Family of Wilmington, North Carolina, for a client.
Currently writing a 1,000 page family history for a client.
FAQ Page. You'd be surprised at some of the questions I'm asked. This page also includes detailed descriptions of the four major types of written genealogies.
Ancestry.com. One really thorough site.
Genealogy.com. What Ancestry.com doesn't have, Genealogy.com does.
Cyndi's List. A private site dedicated to a lot of obscure links. Cyndi covers it all.
Family Search. The official site for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. If you don't have PAF, you can download it from here.
Logos for this site and my photography site designed by Mandy Horne, 2008.