Writing and Publishing Your Family History Dec 2024

Thank you for registering for the online course, Writing & Publishing Your Family History!

Now is the perfect time to write your family history! Think about the legacy you will be leaving if you write and publish your own family research: not only a legacy for current and future family members, but an important resource for current and future genealogical researchers. This five-session online seminar led by the writing and publishing experts at American Ancestors will provide you with a step-by-step approach to turning your raw data into an illustrated narrative, Register-style genealogy or Ahnentafel. Topics include: organizing your materials, choosing a genealogical format, writing family stories, adding citations, page layout, and final steps in self-publishing.

This course includes five 90-minute classes and exclusive access to handouts and recordings of each presentation. These recordings and all course materials will be available for the foreseeable future.

CLASS TOPICS

Monday, December 2 – Class 1: Getting Started, Sharon Inglis
Ready to write? Learn about the decisions you'll need to make before starting: Who is your audience? What families in your ancestry do you want to cover? Learn about helpful tools and how to organize yourself before beginning to write.

Monday, December 9 – Class 2: Structure, Sketches, and Citations, Kyle Hurst
Time to get technical! In this class, we consider the genealogy's overall structure and master the numbering systems for the Register-style and Ahnentafel formats. Learn how to write a genealogical sketch in each format while properly citing sources.

Thursday, December 12 – Class 3: Adding Story to Family History, Kyle Hurst
Going beyond names and dates, how can we add narrative that brings our ancestors to life? This class will cover story structure, writing tips, and how to add biographical and contextual details that show how each ancestor lived.

Monday, December 16 – Class 4: Photos and Illustrations, Cécile Engeln
Get a handle on photo-research basics. Learn how to choose, scan, edit, and insert photos, documents, and other images to make your family history publication come alive.

Thursday, December 19 – Class 5: The Publishing Process, Sharon Inglis
Learn how to edit, lay out, proofread, and publish your work. Gain valuable tips on finding freelance editors and indexers and working with publishing vendors.

COURSE HANDOUTS

Class 1 Handout

Class 1 Slides Worksheet

Class 1 Slides (large)

Class 2 Handout

Class 2 Slides Worksheet

Class 2 Slides (large)

Class 3 Handout

Class 3 Slides Worksheet

Class 3 Slides (large)

Class 4 Handout

Class 4 Slides Worksheet

Class 4 Slides (large)

Class 5 Handout

Class 5 Slides Worksheet

Class 5 Slides (large)

RECORDED PRESENTATIONS

Class 1: Getting Started

Presented by: Sharon Inglis

Broadcast: December 2, 2024

Running Time: 01:30:44

Class 2: Structure, Sketches, and Citations

Presented by: Kyle Hurst

Broadcast: December 9, 2024

Running Time: 01:43:41

Class 3: Adding Story to Family History

Presented by: Kyle Hurst

Broadcast: December 12, 2024

Running Time: 01:28:10

Class 4: Photos and Illustrations

Presented by: Cécile Engeln

Broadcast: December 16, 2024

Running Time: 01:16:27

Class 5: The Publishing Process

Presented by: Sharon Inglis

Broadcast: December 19, 2024

Running Time: 01:15:35

INSTRUCTOR BIOS

Cécile Engeln, Assistant Publishing Director; cecile.engeln@nehgs.org Cécile joined American Ancestors with nearly ten years of editorial and project management experience in academic publishing. She has developed a variety of books, ranging from a guide to U.S. citizenship to graphic novels, and managed the production of complex foreign language programs. She graduated with a B.A. in English Literature and a minor in French from Andrews University in Michigan. She received her M.A. in Publishing and Writing from Emerson College.

Kyle Hurst, Senior Genealogist of the Newbury Street Press; khurst@nehgs.org Kyle holds a B.A. in both History and Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and a Master’s certificate in Museum Studies from Tufts University. For the culmination of this program, she completed a semester-long internship at the National Archives in Waltham, MA. After two years as a volunteer, Kyle joined American Ancestors in 2008. For several years a member of the Research Services team, she focuses on research in the mid-Atlantic, Midwest, New England, and various European countries. A skilled writer, she has been credited for her contributions to The Root, the Vita Brevis blog, and American Ancestors magazine. With Newbury Street Press, she authored the Ancestors & Descendants of Lester Lowry Mays and Peggy Pitman, edited An American Family: Four Centuries of Labor, Love, and Reward, and is currently working on several other book projects.

Sharon Inglis, Publishing Director; sharon.inglis@nehgs.org In nearly 30 years in the educational publishing industry, Sharon developed and directed the production of French, Spanish, Italian, German, social studies, science, and math textbook programs for secondary school and higher education. She is very happy to be at American Ancestors applying her editorial and project management skills to Newbury Street Press publications and the Mayflower Descendant journal, and searching for her Croatian, Scottish, English, and Yankee ancestors in her spare time.