You want to make a mission book, so you start looking around at different services. Some are built around photos. Some can collect emails. Others expect you to arrive with a document that is already laid out and ready to print.
Before choosing a cover, check how your letters will get into the book. The right missionary book service should work with the files you have, handle your text and photos well, and show you what you are ordering.
We make Letters Home, so that is the perspective behind this guide. Our recommendation is to test the import method, one long letter, and the full price before choosing a service.
Start With What You Have
If your missionary is about to leave, you may want somewhere to collect emails as they arrive. If they have already returned, you may need to upload saved messages or import an old blog.
If most of the missionary collection is photos with short captions, a general photo-book tool may work well. If you have long weekly letters, check how those fit before getting attached to a particular design.
Pick a short letter, a long letter, and one with several pictures. Keep them handy when you try a tool or ask questions. Use those examples to check how much editing and page arrangement you will need.
Decide How Much You Want to Do Yourself
You can make a book in several ways. The main difference is which parts you want help with.
| Approach | When it may fit | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| A mission-focused service | You have regular emails and want help bringing them into a book | Import methods, collection options, and book proofs |
| A general photo-book tool | Pictures are the main content and you want to arrange the pages | Long-text support and how much you need to place manually |
| A document you lay out yourself | You know the tools and want direct control of each page | The printer's file requirements and the time to prepare everything |
Whichever you choose, plan to review the finished pages. There is usually something you will want to check once you see the letters and photos together.
Find Out How Imports Work
A service might receive new emails at a collection address, accept saved email files, import a blog, or have you add letters manually. Those are different starting points.
See which files it accepts and whether dates and photos come across too. Do not assume that every email-book service connects directly to your inbox.
With Letters Home, ongoing email collection and saved-email uploads are separate options. Blogger has a supported archive-upload process as well. You can see how collection works, or follow our Gmail import guide if you already have the emails saved there.
Keep your original files after any import. It is helpful to have them if you need to check or add something later.
Look at a Long Letter
A page with two sentences and a photo is different from a page with a long weekly update. Check that the text is comfortable to read and that pictures stay with the right story.
Find out how to correct a date or replace an image. Ask whether you can see a preview or download a proof before approving the book. If a particular editing feature matters to you, check that it is available in your account.
Our fictional sample book shows three emails across eight interior pages, including continuation pages and photos. It demonstrates the Letters Home format; it is not a customer testimonial or proof of physical print quality. Check your own long letter in a preview before ordering.
Test Trial and Previews
Check whether you can try the import and inspect pages before paying. Compare what the trial includes, any message limit, and whether a PDF download is available.
Letters Home offers free saved-email imports with a book preview and PDF download. For new forwarded messages, you can try five emails free; continuing that forwarding collection costs $49 once. Printed books are separate. Start with saved-email upload if you already have an archive, or see the sample pages before signing up.
Check privacy as part of the trial. Letters Home collections are private by default. Consider who will receive the finished book, and ask permission before publicly sharing someone else's letters or photos.
Look at the Full Price
Check the collection or import cost separately from the printing cost. Then look at page charges, binding choices, extra copies, shipping, and any applicable taxes shown before checkout.
Also check whether PDF downloads are included and whether there is a subscription. A starting price can be helpful, but you want to know what your particular book will cost.
Letters Home hardcovers currently start at $99 through 150 pages; extra pages, shipping, and tax are separate. Our pricing page explains the current collection and print options. Use that for the latest amounts when you are ready to compare.
Try the Part You Are Unsure About
If you are worried about importing old emails, start there. If you have long letters or lots of photos, look closely at those in the book preview. Answering that question first makes it easier to decide whether the service fits.
For help getting your material together, follow our guide to turning missionary emails into a book. Once you know what you have and how it comes across, you can get back to the fun part of making the book yours.