You kept a mission blog so everyone could follow along. The letters are there, the photos are there, and now you would like to put them in a book. Copying every post and creating a book is too time consuming.
If the blog is on Blogger, you can use an export to bring the posts into Letters Home and prepare a book from the collection. A blog with a Blogspot address uses Blogger too. Here is how to get started and what to check along the way.
Find the Account That Manages the Blog
Use the Google account that owns or has the necessary access to the blog. If a parent or another relative managed it, ask them to help with the export. They can download the files without giving you their personal password.
Before exporting, open the blog and take a quick look around. It is always a good idea to figure out if there are any gaps or missing content.
This gives you something to compare with the imported collection later. Keep the original blog while you work on the book.
Download the Blogger Export
Google Takeout lets you download data from Google services, including Blogger. Follow Blogger's current backup instructions, select the Blogger data you need, and download the archive when it is ready.
Keep an unchanged copy of the download. You may want it again if you need to repeat the import or check a missing post.
Letters Home accepts the original Blogger Takeout ZIP or the feed.atom file inside it. The feed.atom file contains the blog's post data.
Important Note: Use the ZIP if you want to import photos too. Uploading only feed.atom will not bring the images into your collection. This is an easy detail to miss when you are looking through all the files Google gives you.
Create Your Collection and Upload the File
Choose the blog-upload collection option in Letters Home and follow the Blogger instructions. Upload your Takeout ZIP when you have it and want the available photos included.
The import may take a bit, depending on how much is in the blog. Once it finishes, open the collection and look through the letters.
If something goes wrong, keep your export and follow the message shown in the app. You can also contact us and describe what happened so we can help you work out the next step.
For a blog on another platform, check the import options currently offered before preparing an export. Different services produce different kinds of files.
Check the Posts and Pictures
Compare the collection with the original blog. Start with the first and last posts, then check a few throughout the mission. Look at the dates, the text, and a post with several photos or captions.
You want to make sure the pictures are with the right stories and that the important parts came across.
If a photo is missing, check the original export or ask the person who uploaded it whether they still have the file. An import cannot bring back a picture that is missing from the export and no longer available from its source.
If you cannot find A missing picture, check whether the letter or caption needs a small edit so it still makes sense.
Make the Posts Work on Paper
Your blog may have references to a sidebar, a video, or a link that says to click for more information. Those need a little attention before printing which is probably going to be to remove them (a random hyperlink that says “Click here” doesn’t make sense).
Add enough explanation for someone reading the book to understand what you meant. Keep the original voice, remove duplicate posts, and label any memories you add after the mission as later reflections.
Review the Book Before Ordering
Look through the book preview for missing pictures, awkward photo crops, and text that is hard to read. Check the name and dates on the cover too.
Importing the blog and buying a printed book are separate steps. Check current pricing for the options, and keep the collection digital while you finish reviewing it.
You have already done the work of writing and saving the updates. Now you can give them a place on the bookshelf! If you are still deciding about printing, read what a printed mission book adds to a digital archive.