Write what you remember first before getting feedback from your family. Contact living relatives once the first draft is complete to compare specific dates and events.
Edit your document by double checking important settings of where particular events occurred and the date in relation to those events. Note that these dates can include things such as birth dates as well as wedding anniversaries. Try to get the dates as close to the day as possible. If the exact date isn't known, use the month and the year instead.
Include a family tree to aid you in processing certain relations such as couples, children and siblings. These details will work as a road map when writing the autobiography books.
Map out dates when family members may have moved away from home for the first time, special vacations they might have taken and any photos they were in during that time. Include photos of your family members at various ages, from weddings, to parties and summer vacations.
Include details of certain family members based on jobs they worked, such as working in the coal mines or being a member of a fishing village. Remember to tie members of your family tree together whenever possible. Introduce new family members by listing who they're related to and how.
Finish up the autobiography by talking about present family members, how old they are and what plans they might have for the future. Note that unlike a memoir that covers a specific time period in one's life, an autobiography covers an individual's entire life up to the point of the book's publication.
Layout your book by setting the page layout to have the same dimensions as the finished product. For example, if you're working on a book that will be printed at 6 X 9 inches, set the dimensions of your word document so that it's also 6 X 9 inches.
Add a margin so you can fit the title and page numbers in the header and footer areas. Include a quarter to a half an inch margin on all sides. Make sure the gutter area, or the area where the pages are glued to the spine, had an additional quarter of an inch. This will make it so none of the text falls within the tight area of the book's spine.
Save your document and convert it to a PDF file. Check with your publisher or printer to see what file type they prefer. However, most online printers and publishers use PDF files for the interior and cover files when printing books. Convert your cover art to a PDF file as well.
Burn your files onto a CD and take it to a local printing shop or upload the files online to digital printing services such as Createspace and Lulu.
Order a proof copy of your book and check for errors before making it available to the public. Make any necessary changes and share your books with friends and family.