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Question:I have traced three lines (so far) of my family tree and gotten oral records from a bunch of family members. How do you go about publishing such a book. Do you need written concent to used living people's stories in a book that is published? I am about the only one in my family with a live of geneology, and would hate for my research to fall into some corner of an attic once I am gone. I would like to have it all complied and donated to a library or such. I am not the best writter, but have used Legacy to make a few books, based on surnames. Any thoughts? And if I were to publish a book, would I be able to include copies of census records and such from ancesty.com, or are they copywrited? Thanks!


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I have traced three lines (so far) of my family tree and gotten oral records from a bunch of family members. How do you go about publishing such a book. Do you need written concent to used living people's stories in a book that is published? I am about the only one in my family with a live of geneology, and would hate for my research to fall into some corner of an attic once I am gone. I would like to have it all complied and donated to a library or such. I am not the best writter, but have used Legacy to make a few books, based on surnames. Any thoughts? And if I were to publish a book, would I be able to include copies of census records and such from ancesty.com, or are they copywrited? Thanks!

This is the type of publication that would be of interest to a relatively few people, so I'd produce a master copy on my computer, and have a few copies reproduced and bound at a place like Kinko's. ou could also go with an online publisher like Lulu dot com. That will be relatively expensive per copy, but since you're not making many copies, not bad. Government documents are in the public domain -- your taxes paid for them.

It's not like you could make money selling it anyway, family history should be something you give to your family for their own personal interest, sorry to say no one else will care.

If you do publish it you don't need anyones permission, it's not like ancestry.com can copyright the records of other families!

Each person defines their concept of family history, but I will share a personal story with you. I don't believe that living persons are appropriate to include in published books.. for one thing, they still have history to be "done". Their story is incomplete (they still may have babies, get divorces, etc).
One branch of my relatives didn't think the same way.. there is a certain thing about seeing their names in a book, and THEIR choice was to bring it down to present. It never worked. EVERY time the person doing the editing got close to finishing, a new branch would be found, wanted THEIR stuff included (even though the deadline passed 3 yrs before). It wound up being bickering and disputes, etc. Those that did work to contribute biographies have yet to see it done. One person wrote his own bio... it was close to 50 pages. I think he included what he had for breakfast, on his first day of school.
It is only decency to have consent from living persons. NOT everyone chooses or wants their personal facts known.
My advice... set a LIMIT of a certain couple, and perhaps to their grandchildren/ gr grandchildren, and as far as possible, the cut off is generations that are no longer living.

Submit them to you local historical society, to the local university, to the Church of Latter Day Saints (The Mormons).