My book Ā© Ricky Yates
After sitting in a warehouse near Prague Airport for several days, awaiting customs clearance, yesterday, courtesy of UPS, a parcel containing three copies of my ‘Collection of Life Stories’ was delivered to me at my home. Yesterday evening, I posted this photo on Facebook and was rather overwhelmed by the number of ‘likes’ and ‘loves’ it received with several people saying that they wanted copies of the book. Therefore I decided that a blog post of explanation was called for.
For my 70th birthday in February 2022, my daughter Christa gifted me a one year subscription to Storyworth. What this has meant is that once a week on a Monday, I have received an emailed question about my life to which I had to reply. Each of my emailed replies were then collated by Storyworth and also forwarded to Christa. At the end of the year, Storyworth then promise to produce a hardback book of all of my answers, together with any photos I submitted.
Fortunately, Storyworth grant you a three-month grace period at the end of your subscription when you can go back and edit, change or correct what you have previously submitted, before the final book is produced. I took full advantage of that period of time which is why copies of my book have only just arrived.
Whilst the book is officially a gift for me, in writing my answers, I very much had Christa in mind, together with Phillip, her brother/my son. Phillip was aware of the gift and early on had expressed a desire to also read the end result.
Many of the questions were about my childhood, my parents, my education and early career, all of which happened before either of them came into this world. Neither of my children ever knew their paternal grandparents as my father died when I was eighteen and my mother when I was twenty-eight. Christa was born just before my twenty-ninth birthday and Phillip nearly four years later.
That is why three weeks ago, I ordered, and paid for š , two additional copies of the completed book, so that I, and both my children, each have one. Whilst I believe it is possible to order further copies, they will be quite expensive. Additionally, coming from the USA, customs duty also applies. I had to pay CZK 349 / GBP 12.80 to get my three copies released. However, if anyone is really interested in having a copy, please message me.
I have to say that I’m very pleased with the end result. So far, I’ve only spotted two typos š That, despite proofreading my text in advance of going to print! And I hope Christa and Phillip will enjoy reading their copies too.
What an exciting thing to do! Though Iām sure my life story would struggle to fill a book with interesting facts.
It was a very enjoyable thing to do though quite demanding with the questions arriving each week. I wouldn’t be so hard on yourself – I’m sure you would have interesting things to write about when prompted appropriate questions.
Hi Ricky,
Congratulations on becoming a published author. An interesting source of information for your grandchildren in future, they’ll probably be astonished at the absence of mobile devices and satellite TV in your youth. The “March of Time” has definitely accelerated in a few decades.
Take care,
Sean
Thank you for the congratulations, Sean. However, I can hardly call myself a published author when only three copies of my book currently exist š There will be a fourth as my eldest sister wants a copy, so I’ve recently placed an order for her.
However, what you say about mobile phones and satellite TV is very true & comes out in some of my answers. We always had a landline phone from when I can remember because my father was ‘on-call’ because of his work. But I know many of my contemporaries when I was growing up, didn’t have one. One of the things I recall in the book is my aunt, when staying with us, going berserk because the phone started to ring š She didn’t have a clue what to do because she didn’t have a phone and had never even used one. And we didn’t have a TV until I was seven years old.
So I do hope both my two children and four grandchildren will enjoy reading what I’ve written.
Well done, Ricky, on completing your book! I have also been contemplating writing a book about my travel adventures, but the entire process seems overwhelming. Currently, I have approximately 100 pages filled in my notebook and an additional 50 pages saved on my laptop. Eventually, I will need to convert it into both an ebook and a printed paperback.
Cheers,
Mattea
Thank you for the congratulations. Writing an answer to a question once a week certainly made the task easier & having Storyworth put everything into printed book form saved a lot of work.
Congratulations, my friend! Applause, applause ?
Thank you, Stephen š