Custom Books

An Akin book is like no other—because it is curated for your family and its unique history.

Commemorating Ancestry Through Curated Design

Akin guides the process so you don’t have to. We review what you know — and research what you may not know. We then compile what we’ve learned and gather imagery and illustrations to design your one-of-a-kind book.

Schedule your free consultation here

Book Themes

From research summaries to stories that span generations, we offer an assortment of book themes to choose from — to suit your style and your pocketbook.

Lineage Collection

Create summaries or short stories for a family line to capture the unique history of each generation.

Children’s Books

Turn your story into a children’s book for your grandkids and for future generations — we can develop playful illustrations and graphic elements to make your life story engaging and memorable for the young people in your life.

Life Timelines

Choose from Akin’s timeline designs to represent a family, or family member’s, phases of life — in remembrance of their milestone events and their special times.

Memoirs

Would you like to share your life story in the form of a memoir, but you’re not sure where to begin? Or, have you written your life story, but you’re not sure what to do next? Akin can provide services to help you write the story you want to tell — providing a once–in-a-lifetime book to share with those you love.

Special Occasion

Commemorate an individual or a couple by highlighting the special moments in their life — a great gift for birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, and more.

Biographical Shorts

Whether you want to tell a story for one family member or ten — we can review what you already know and research what you may not know — we then compile what we’ve learned and tell each person’s story individually or collectively.

Genealogical Reports

Looking to turn your genealogical report into a book that is more narratively and visually engaging? Rather than just storing a collection of names, dates, and documents, we will design a book that invites people to share in the history of your ancestors.

Research Summaries

Let Akin do the research for you and provide a beautifully designed summary that includes supporting documents, photos, and a family tree — from one to three generations.

Book Pricing & Services

Our tiered pricing provides you with options when considering ideas for your family book. When you schedule your free consultation with us, we can discuss what you’d like to create in more detail and propose the best book design solution for you.

$300-$500
A great option for a 3-generation Research Summary or a small format Special Occasion Book.

$500-$2,000
Consider a 10-30 page Biographical Short or a Life Timeline Book.

$2,000-$5,000
An ideal budget for an expanded Special Occasion Book or Biographical Book with specialized print details.

$5,000-$7,500
This amount provides you with the perfect opportunity to create a higher volume, large format book such as a Lineage Collection.

$7,500-$10,000+
This tier allows you to choose from multiple options for book themes and formats such as a Memoir or multi-volume series. You may also choose to create A Collection which combines your book with other keepsakes and memorabilia in a Custom Box.

Akin book costs are estimated based on the following considerations:
• Book copy length, page count, image quantity, copy and photo editing
• Design & Production Services
• Genealogy Research Services
• Print Management
• Printing Costs

Formats & Styles

Standard Sizes:
5 x 7, 6 x 9, 8 x 10, 8.5 x 11,
11 x 14 (landscape or portrait format)

Cover Options:
Softbound: semi-gloss or matte finish, or hardbound: semi-gloss or matte finish, or linen

Page Count:
A minimum of 10 pages is recommended for a paperback
or accordion-style book. For a hardbound book, the minimum number is 32 pages

Hardbound Binding Styles

Additional copies of your book may be ordered with your initial order, or you may order them at a later date—costs for additional copies will be determined by the number of pages, size, and printing method. All books include a table of contents, page numbers, Akin logo and web address, and copyright symbol.

Discovery & Design Process for Books

Timeline: 6-12 weeks

Step 1

Consultation

Akin will schedule an initial consultation with you to gather more information about you and your family, and any stories you may have to share. This will help determine what design requirements are needed for your custom book.

Step 2

Discovery Presentation

We will compile and present the information gathered through conversations with you, as well as any new research discoveries, in order to establish what content you would like to include in your custom book.

Step 3

Design Presentation

Using the established content, sourced photos, records, and memorabilia, Akin will present a design that is representative of your family's unique history.

Step 4

Proofing, Printing & Delivery

The presented design will be reviewed by both parties for accuracy and to accommodate personal preferences — and the required changes will be implemented for your approval.