Understanding Cemetery Symbols has companion workbooks!
After a lifetime of exploring historic graveyards and several years of earnest research, I’m finally releasing my cemetery symbols book this summer. Hooray!
As you can see from the image above, in addition to Understanding Cemetery Symbols: A Field Guide for Historic Graveyards, I’m releasing two different workbooks.
Graveyard Fans: I need your input!
This is where you come in. Let me know in the comments section at the bottom of this post what you think about the following plan for Graveyard Journal: A Workbook for Exploring Historic Cemeteries.
What the Graveyard Journal is:
Graveyard Journal: A Workbook for Historic Cemeteries is a place for you to write down information about all the different cemeteries you visit. It offers a way to keep track of interesting monuments you saw, write down inspiring epitaphs and names, and other pertinent details. Having all this in a nice-looking book that you can keep in your bag or glovebox makes a fun keepsake as well as a unique reference book for you and your family.
How big is the Graveyard Journal?
I made all three of the books in this series the same size. So, just like the other two books, the Graveyard Journal will be 8.5 x 5.5 inches. Personally, I love that size! It’s small enough to fit in a purse or glovebox, but large enough to comfortably write in.
Make Your Own Table of Contents
Each book has a brief introduction chapter written by me, but the rest of the book consists of journal pages for you to fill in. I thought it would be helpful, then, to set up the workbook so you can create your own table of contents! The first 10 or so pages will be my introduction, but after that the Table of Contents is a “fill in the blank” affair. Here’s what I mean.
Graveyard Journal Table of Contents:
Introduction by Tui Snider_________________________pg 1
____________________________________________________pg 11
____________________________________________________pg 13
As you fill in each entry in the workbook, you will make a title for it on the Table of Contents. You can name each chapter whatever you want! Isn’t that fun? This also makes it quick and easy for you to look up specific trips without having to thumb through the whole book.
Info on main journal pages:
For each cemetery that you visit, there is one one whole page (front and back) for you to jot down the following information. Where it says “Follow Up Trips” is where you would write down the page number for your notes on subsequent trips to the same graveyard – ‘cuz we all know that some cemeteries are so pretty that you just have to go back!
CEMETERY NAME:___________________________________________
DATE & TIME: ______________________________________________
ADDRESS: ________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
HEADSTONE DIRECTION: _________________________________
FOLLOW UP TRIPS: _______________________________________
OTHER NOTES: _________________________________________(this is the biggest section of each workbook page.)
What do you think?
So what do you think? Would you use a journal like this? If you think I need to add something or do it a little differently, tell me! I would really appreciate your feedback. I really want this workbook to be a helpful tool for people who enjoy historic cemeteries. Even just a quick comment or suggestion would mean a lot!
About the other workbook:
As I mentioned earlier, Understanding Cemetery Symbols has two companion workbooks. The other one is called Ghost Hunters Journal, and if you’d like to give me some feedback about how it’s arranged then click over and see what I’ve got planned for that one. Go here to share your ideas with me: Ghost Hunters: I need your advice!
Want to join my Launch Team?
Would you like be part of my book launch team? A book launch team is a group of readers who help an author get the word out. So, for instance, as a Launch Team member, I could tag you on Facebook when I mention the books. You could also help out by sharing my posts and telling friends about these books, etc…
Launch Team members get FREE books – just saying!
Plus, in addition to my undying gratitude, Launch Team members will be mentioned in the book’s ‘Acknowledgments,’ get copies of the books in advance, as well as other goodies along the way. I’m super excited about this book series and plan to have as much fun as possible along the way! So, if this sounds fun to you, leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you (gimme a day or two) about this whole Launch Team thing!Click here to learn more about the Launch Team
Hey, you! Want to keep up with me?
PRIVATE NEWSLETTER: If you’d like to keep up with me, you might like my newsletter, which comes out twice a month. Use the form below to sign up if you’d like to know:
- What I’m up to
- Where I’m speaking next
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As a thank you for signing up to my newsletter, you’ll receive a historic cemetery symbols guide I created called “A Quick Guide to The Many Meanings of Hands.”
Tui Snider is an author, speaker, and photographer who specializes in North Texas travel, cemetery symbols, and haunted lore. As she puts it, “I used to write fiction – but then, I moved to Texas!”
Snider’s best-selling books include Paranormal Texas , Understanding Cemetery Symbols, and 100 Things to Do in Dallas - Fort Worth Before You Die.
Snider has several more books in progress, and enjoys connecting with writers and readers all over the globe through social media, her newsletter and her website: TuiSnider.com.
When at the cemetery, make note in the Journal of veterans’ information given on headstones and military markers about military service, rank and unit, etc.
Also, extra items of historical value on headstones—example: it used to be noted on stones if someone was murdered, who the murderer was. Then look online for associated ghost stories.
Great suggestions, Ron! Do you keep notes from cemeteries you visit, too? Thanks so much for dropping by! :)
Yes, I do indeed! Headstones tell some great stories. I also take lots of headstone photos. And now, digital cameras make it so easy and inexpensive.
I would add a section to list headstones to visit and why,: fI am.amily, famous or for the cemetery art. We were in Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis and clearly I’d not done my homework before we went. It’s huge! As a photographer I get carried away looking at the art. As a genealogist I need to focus on who I came to find and as I am a curious sole I want to visit the famous…even if they are just famous to me! I’m also studying the plant material. Listing plants even the dead can grow! Master Gardenders are becoming more involved in Cemetery Preservation, they might find this helpful as well. Just my 2 cents.
Great ideas, Beth! Thank you! :D
Dear Tui,
My favorite part of visiting cemeteries are the headstones. While reading headstones, often I find myself envisioning their whole life story… I love remembering those moments by gravestone rubbings. I had a couple of ideas about this. Below the space for the headstone direction, there could be space to write the information that is on the headstone and then there could be a place in the workbook that has tracing paper for the rubbings. Or for a few more dollars you could offer to send a pad of tracing paper that is the same size as your book ( they exsist in that size, I checked!) Or you could just up the price of your book to meet the cost of sending out a special little tracing pad! Rubbings are so beautiful and an important part of my time in cemeteries. Another idea I had is ordering a roll of origami washi paper. You could cut the paper to the appropriate size and put the pieces in the workbook!
I would like to volunteer to be a part of your launch team!!! I talk about you and your accomplishments all of the time anyway! Please consider me for your team! Thank you! I also need to add, you are doing a kickass job and I am so proud of you!
Alycia Forbes!
Hey there, Alix! Great to hear from you! Gravestone rubbings, eh? Could even become an idea for a whole new workbook! And thank you so much for all your love and support.
I’m creating a separate newsletter just for the Launch Team. Once I get that figured out (I hate reading directions!) you will get an official email from me! Yay! :D
Maybe a spot for family members in the same plot? So if you are working on a family tree it would be easy to write down the names and later go back to look up info on those other members.
Oh, good ideas! Thank you, Susan! :D
Hey lady I would love to help you with your launch team. Anything I can do to help you!!!
Wonderful, Susan! Thank you so much! I’ll be creating a separate newsletter just for the Launch Team. Once I get that figured out (I hate reading directions!) you will get an official email from me! Yay! :D
[…] If you love exploring historic cemeteries, then I’d love to get your input regarding Graveyard Journal: A Workbook for Historic Cemeteries. Even just a quick comment or suggestion would mean a lot! Click here to share your ideas with me: Cemetery Lovers: I need your advice! […]