Family histories and genealogies are always a staple with authors. They want to know more about their own origins, leave a record for descendants or distant relatives, or just provide the world's genealogists with useful research material.
This author traced his origins back to England in the 1640s through 200 years of sugar plantations in Barbados. His own immediate forebears were some of the founding families of Hastings in Hawkes Bay.
A small private book launch for friends and family
Interest in family genealogies can start early in life. For Bob it began when he was 6 with visits to his great grandmother in Hastings. It continued when he inherited two family photo albums, and later in a trip to Barbados in the 1990s to find out more about his forbears. It finished with a book launch. Bob chose to self-publish and BriarsBooks looked after interior and cover design work, photo-editing and rescue of the family crest to use on the front cover.
Bob was a mineral exploration geologist and, naturally, his research was detailed and meticulous. His book suited a large format, landscape layout with plenty of space to feature important photographs and family trees. All of the photos needed rescuing, and Bob was delighted with the end result.
Where it all started in the 17th C. Front cover
Back cover
Bob ordered 40 copies and looked after their distribution round family, friends and interested parties. Because his family forebears were founding fathers in Hawkes Bay, it made the book of wider general interest so Bob put it on the RealNZ Books online bookstore run by The CopyPress, Nelson. Copypress also printed the book.