This hands-on online course helps you write and publish your family history book. Learn storytelling, photo scanning, genealogy, and design software
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This hands on online course series walks you through the steps to publishing your own family history book. This course will jumpstart your process so you can joyously click the “Publish” button and receive your printed family history book in the mail. You’ll be able to give it as a gift or even sell it online! That book will become a cherished family heirloom that parents in your family will be reading to kids as bedtime stories for generations. Getting your book done is your chance to tell your own story, honour those who’ve passed on, and inspire the next generation of your family. This course is a hands-on journey that gives you the skills to tackle that book idea, break down any obstacles, and actually get your project done.
Planning Your Book
Free Online Technology
Organizing Your Story
Storytelling Basics & Writing
Images: Digitizing, Developing, & Storage
Research, Genealogy, & Interviewing
Book Design
Proofing & Preflighting
Publishing & Sharing Online
Eight weekly 2 hour online classes
Instruction, examples, Q&A, group discussion, and links to reference materials
Free Windows & Mac software for manuscript writing, photo editing, and book publishing
Access to a private Facebook Group with your fellow book publishers where you can ask questions, get advice, show off your work, and cheer each other on.
Two 60 minute 1-on-1 online coaching sessions with personal historian Cory Bretz
Online Book Reading Debut Party streamed live on Facebook where you’ll get a chance to show off part of your book to the world
Beyond the course, ongoing Alumni access to training materials, group, & free attendance at future book publishing classes
This course is perfect for you if you like to do-it-yourself, gather skills to work at your own pace, or you need accountability to get it done by partnering with others.
We'll be using free software like Google Docs and Google Backup and Sync, Google Photos, and Blurb BookWright. There is also commercial software available that you could buy that is more sophisticated but the free software has been tested and works just fine.
This course is led by personal historian Cory Bretz who has been producing print books for years for clients. He’s already made all the mistakes, learned the hard way...so you don’t have to! Cory focuses on helping you move past whatever obstacles you feel like you’re facing in your bookmaking project so you can get it done and inspire the world.
Copyright 2026 Heirloom Films and Storybooks, all rights reserved.