How to Collaborate on a Family Photo Book

Creating a family photo book means browsing pictures of your favorite people, remembering the special moments you’ve experienced together, and anticipating the pleasure of sharing your beautiful printed photo book with them. While working on such a project, it might occur to you that just about everything is better in life when you have loved ones to share it with.

It’s a sweet thought, and one that might even extend to the project itself. So, why not invite your family members near and far to collaborate on the photo book with you? Mixbook’s handy collaboration features let you do just that, all with a few clicks.

Collaboration options are versatile, too. You can invite others to view your project, edit it, purchase their own copies, or do all three. Invite as many family members to join your project as you wish; all you need is their email address.

Want to know how to make a family photo book together with your loved ones? Here’s everything you need to know about collaborative family photo books.

Benefits of photo book collaboration

Collaborating with family members on a photo book gives you all the major benefits of teamwork – lightening the load, sharing creative ideas, and enjoying each other’s company as you work toward a shared goal. Here are some other benefits of family photo book collaboration:

• More photos: Family members joining your photo book project will also be sharing their own photo collections, giving you even more options for inspiring content.
• More memories: Other family members can contribute their own memories of events captured in photos, filling any gaps and broadening the perspective of the story you’re telling.
• More help: There are many different ways family members can help with a photo book project, from taking on specific tasks to providing thoughtful feedback that leads to easier decision making.

The benefits of collaborative projects are even greater with certain types of family photo books. For example, creating a family history book definitely requires input from as many multi-generational family members as possible. A grandparents book filled with photos of grandkids from multiple family units also calls for a collaborative approach.

You might ask for a loved one’s input on personal family photo books as well. Perhaps you have a family member who is especially skillful with photography, design, or writing creative captions. Invite them to view your book and share some tips. Plus, sharing a photo book project is a lovely way to connect with family members who are far away and won’t have the chance to see the printed book in person.

Different ways to collaborate

Mixbook’s versatile collaboration feature offers three distinct ways to share your project with others:

• Share Your Project: Family members will be able to see a digital preview of your project, but will not be able to edit it.
• Invite to Edit: Family members can work directly on the project in their own Mixbook accounts. (Only one user can edit the project at a time.)
• Invite to Order: Others will be able to purchase their own copy of your family photo book.

Choose whichever option is best for your particular project, and each particular family member. You can choose more than one option for the same project. Example: You and your sister are making a milestone birthday book as a gift for your mom. Your brother wants in, which is fine, but you don’t want him messing around with your meticulously designed layouts. Send a “Share Your Project” link to your brother, while your sister gets an “Invite to Edit.”

Here are a few other ways you can adapt the collaboration features to suit your specific needs:

• Fully shared project: From start to finish, a select group of family members all have editing access and will communicate about all design decisions.
• Divide and conquer: Each family member or household gets X number of pages in the same book project. Think of it like chapters of a single book, all united by a cohesive theme. Everyone has editing access, but agrees not to touch each other’s pages.
• Filling the gaps: You just need a few more photos of certain family members for fairness and balance, or are struggling with a couple of final decisions and need a second opinion. Invite a family member to view and/or edit an almost-finished project and help you cross the finish line.
• Asking for feedback: You just need some reassurance that your family photo book is perfect, or feel like it’s missing something you can’t quite put your finger on. Invite a family member to view it and share their thoughts.

How to invite collaborators to your family photo book project

Inviting collaborators to your family photo book project is very easy. All you need is their email address. You can invite others at any stage during the project, starting either in the Mixbook Studio™ space, or in the “My Projects” tab of your Mixbook account.

In the Mixbook Studio™:

With your family photo book project open in the Mixbook Studio™, click the “Share” button at the top-right of the screen. Choose one of the following options (described above):

• Share Your Project
• Invite to Edit
• Invite to Order

Next:

• Enter the email address, or multiple email addresses separated by commas, of your family members.
• Write an optional note for family members to read in the invitation email e.g. “I’m making a photo book for Aunt Lil and I’d love you to help!” or “Please add photos of the cousins.”
• Or, copy the link to share with family members outside of the Mixbook platform e.g. by email or text.

In “My Projects”:

While you are logged into Mixbook, open the “My Projects” tab and find the family photo book project you want to share. Look in the project description section for the following links, and click whichever one is appropriate:

• “Invite to collaborate or order” link: Click for options to invite to edit, invite to order, or invite to view, plus additional options for managing collaborations.
• “Collaborate” link: In the right-hand column of the project description, click the “Collaborate” link – the fourth link down in the list. It functions in the same way as the link above.

How family members can join your project

Once you send a collaboration invitation to a family member, they will receive an email with an “Accept Invite” link. It’s smart to give family members a “heads up” that they will be receiving an email invitation. The email will also include your optional message.

When the family member clicks the link, they will be directed to Mixbook to either sign in to an existing account or create a new one. The family photo book project you shared will appear under their own “My Projects” tab.

Ready to try a collaborative project?

So many family photo album ideas benefit from a collaborative approach. Whether you’d love a ton of help or just another set of eyes before sending it to print, Mixbook’s collaboration tools adapt to whatever approach works best for you. Collaboration is available in the Mixbook app, too!