Welcome to
Peter E. Randall Publisher's Town History Herald, an e-newsletter for groups and individuals who are planning a history related book project
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Now Available:
Ships of Mercy: The True Story of the Rescue of the Greeks, Smyrna, September 1922, by Christos Papoutsy
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 New from Peter E. Randall Publisher...
Men of Granite, by William F. McGee, with Foreword by Fritz Wetherbee
Chronicles true stories of New Hampshire's fighting men, beginning with the Revolution, right through to Viet Nam. Bill McGee has written a fine chronology... Read more ...
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Raising Funds for Your Town History
By Deidre Randall, CEO
One of the most daunting tasks of launching a town history book project is to secure funding for it. Once funding is confirmed, the writer or writers can proceed with confidence. Often times either the town or historical society establishes a committee to support the publication in all aspects, from funding to writing to distributing copies of the finished volume. Undoubtedly there are a number of ways to raise funds for your town history book project. We will highlight a number of options here.
Most towns actually fund the book through a vote at a town meeting or a city council meeting. Sometimes, local historical societies agree to produce the text if the town will pay for the publication of the text. Towns also occasionally use a local trust fund to help support the publication.
In the end, the total cost could be anywhere from $25,000 to $40,000. While this amount may seem beyond your group's reach, it is in fact usually just a tiny portion of a town's actual yearly budget. Some towns elect to fund over several years, so the costs are spread out over time, as the work will be.
"The amount of money you might have to spend for the book, when you think of what towns have for budgets these days, would hardly have any impact on the tax rate at all. It's just a matter of a town making the commitment to do it," suggests Peter Randall, publisher and author. "Over the years, we have seen towns use many approaches to funding. In one case, the finished books were given out to residents, free of charge, since all costs had been covered prior to publication. The town made a gift to the residents of their new history."
There are several factors that will contribute to the cost of your book. Some of those are:
- Number of pages
- Number of photographs and other illustrations
- Number of copies to be printed
- Design and layout
- Copyediting
- Indexing
- Individual compensation for an author, if not written by a committee
Another option is to create sponsor pages within the book. This means people will pay an additional amount to have their names printed in the book, or on the cover of a special deluxe edition, which often includes a slip case. This is a good option to stir up interest for the town history. By necessity, these are advance sales, as you have to have the information confirmed before you print, so it could bring in thousands of dollars before books are even printed.
Local businesses may also be interested in donating money to fund the project. It is a good opportunity for them to promote their business while at the same time being involved in a fun and educational town project. They can receive special mention in the book itself, and can be tied into the promotion in the town for the new book.
Sometimes a private individual will offer funds for the publication. Jean Foley Doyle, author of Life in Newburyport: 1900-1950, used her own private funds to finance the town history of Newburyport, MA. "Because I did not represent a non-profit organization, I could not solicit money from banks or private donors. Instead, I invested my own money in the hope that I would break even. It was never intended to be a money-making operation," Jean advises.
Jean was able to recoup the cost of her investment in the publication and then some, as her marketing effort was very organized. It extended for over a year, beginning before, and continuing after, the publication arrived. "This has gone so well, I am now considering doing another book," says Jean. "The feedback has been wonderful and I am getting requests to take the history up to the present day." Ms. Doyle sold all 1100 copies printed in under five months and then reprinted the volume, so sales could continue.
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