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You hear the grumbles and the sighs as you tell your family to read their family history. They say they are not interested, and they would rather watch the grass grow. How can this be when it’s their legacy?!?
There are likely two reasons why the family history book you want your family to read does not generate positive feelings. The first is the book is too large, and the second is what you created is boring.
Reduce the Size of Your Family History
Just as not everyone likes reading history, many of your family members do not want to read about their family history. The reason may be that history teaching in schools typically involves 8×10 paperweights known as textbooks. If a family history book looks like a textbook, your family will not jump at the chance to read it.
In the past, compiled facts of multiple generations of ancestors and their descendants became the staple of what genealogists created for their families. Book size options and the lack of one-off printing runs made it cost-prohibitive to create anything else.
Andy’s family has a book featuring over 200 pages measuring 8.5×11 inches. The book consumes a lot of space on our bookshelf. Its hefty weight makes it difficult to read casually.
Your family members will likely not want to read a family history of similar size.
Break the Family History Into Smaller Books Your Family Wants to Read
Your family members will more likely read smaller family histories on a Sunday afternoon, as a bedtime story for children and grandchildren, or a yearly reading goal. Give them smaller books that are an easy yes.
Strive to publish books that range from 90-120 pages sized 6×9 inches, filled with stories, photos, documents, and maps to add visual interest to the text. The 6×9 inch book fits easily on a shelf or in a purse or tote bag for reading on long commutes or at the beach.
My cousins and aunts absolutely love this book that I wrote about Lewis Brown (grandpa or dad to my relatives). Not only was the story a quick read, but they saw photos and documents they never knew existed. My family read their family history and asked when I’m writing the next one.
Write an Interesting Family History Story
A lyric from a popular song says, “If you want to make the world a better place, look in the mirror and make the change.” (If you can identify that song and artist, leave it in the comments of this post.)
That line applies to the discussion of writing when no one wants to read the family history that you created. Take a hard look at the family history you compiled. Is it worth reading?
In 1984, a family member compiled my Comfort family history into a book. It took a lot of work, and I won’t discredit their efforts. However, there is NOTHING TO READ here. 95% of the book contains charts.
Since we live in a day when publishing family histories is cheap (free if you blog or for a fee if you convert your writing into a book), you have no excuse to create these kinds of family histories. Spend your money on family histories that have content to READ.
Leave family trees and charts to the online space. Spend your time crafting and retelling family stories, and maybe your family will want to read their ancestor’s stories.
↪️ Do you want to write a family history book?
Grab your copy of this FREE Writing Guide:
Turn Genealogy Facts Into Paragraphs
The easiest way to begin writing a family history your family wants to read is to turn facts into paragraphs, not just one sentence.
Extract all the details on each record that documents your ancestor’s life. Add familial context and historical context, and you have begun to make your family history story have more interest.
You’ll be surprised how easy it is to write such a story. And if you need help, you can order my book, A Recipe For Writing Family Histories.
Your Family Will Want to Read Their Family History
If you stop trying to write ‘THE BOOK’ filled with your genealogy research in charts and instead write several books filled with stories where the ancestors become more than dates and places, you will produce a family history library that your relatives will want to read.