Everyone has a story to tell! And if you have been thinking
about writing or recording your life stories, here are some reasons why adding
pictures is a must.
1. Let ‘em out!
You’ve diligently collected and digitized your boxes of
photos, home movies, and other memorabilia. Good for you! Now what? Are they in
a format that can be easily used and enjoyed, or will they remain buried on a
hard drive somewhere, forgotten and alone?
Incorporating your best photos with your best life stories
in a memoir book is a great way to make sure those pictures are viewed often
and cherished, perhaps especially by those who are not technically inclined or
don’t hang out on Facebook. Anyone can read a book, no special equipment
required.
2.
What is essential becomes more special.
Because our ancestors’ access to photography was often
limited, we cherish the one or two photos of our great-great grandmother. Today
we have the opposite problem—too many photos! When you sift through your
digitized photos and select the best or most relevant ones to include in your
personal history project, you are in effect creating “scarcity,” which makes
each chosen photo more special.
3. Pictures add emotional impact.
The touching story of how your dog Butch once saved your
life will become a three-hanky tale when your reader can actually behold
Butch’s droopy eyes and see his missing leg.
4. Pictures make your book more inviting.
Which one of these books would you rather read?
5. Photos help your book compete for attention.
Reports of the death of books are greatly exaggerated,
despite the explosion of social media, e-readers, and online content in our
technology-driven society. “People don’t read any more,” is the daily lament.
We disagree (especially after trying to get a parking space at Barnes &
Noble last holiday season—they weren’t all there to buy Nooks.) While
it’s true that the way people read has changed, books are alive and
well.
One
interesting result of the technical revolution: printed books are getting
more beautiful. The printed book has been elevated to an art form. We think
this is a most positive trend. But it has also raised the bar of expectations.
In order to capture the attention of your readers, you will want to make sure
that your book can “compete” in our visually driven society. It needn’t be
fancy or expensive, but it should be attractive and engaging. Adding photos
will bump up the “wow” factor in your stories.
Tom and Alison Taylor of Pictures and Stories, Inc. have
helped hundreds of people record their life stories in books and video. Their
step-by-step memoir kit “How to Save Your Life—One Chapter at a Time” is
available from Larsen Digital.
