"...You did an excellent job of capturing and organizing Dad's life. It is classic Dad through and through!" 



Requently Asked
Questions

From the first meeting to having a book in your hand, the process may take 9 months to well over a year, depending on your circumstances, how many interviews we do, and the overall scope of the project.

If you wish, you can jot down notes regarding events and experiences that you want to make sure to include. However, no preparation is necessary. We’ll have a series of easy, comfortable conversations, and out of that will come your book.

A life story can include your whole life, or it can be focused on a certain time period or experience, such as growing up years or experience in the military.

We make every effort to begin your project as soon as possible.

Yes, we can scan photos, military documents, wedding invitations, and even objects, like a favorite quilt, a piece of lace, or a medal.

It is one hundred percent your book, and you are the final editor. You’ll see drafts throughout the project and can add, subtract, or delete as we go along.

Quite the contrary! It is an act of generosity to your family, including descendants you may never meet. If you can imagine what it would mean to you to have your grandfather’s life story in a book, or your great-great grandmother’s, then you’ll have an idea what this will mean to your own family. It’s a gift of history and connection; it’s a way to share your traditions, your knowledge of the family, and your wisdom with your children. You don’t have to be brilliant or inspired in what you say. Rather, you’ll provide a glimpse of your life and the times that shaped you. That alone is the legacy. It will inspire (and possibly amuse, surprise, or delight) your family.

Since there is such variation regarding the length of books we write, there is no “average” cost.

Writing your life story is a significant investment with a profound value. The experience is meaningful to the client writing the book, and the product is a priceless gift to the family.

I very much want you to be able to complete your book project. To that end, if I know your resources at the outset, I can let you know what we might be able to accomplish within that framework, and we can focus on what’s most important to you. There is no cut and dried formula here; we are taking a journey together and neither of us knows where it will lead. However, I will do all I can to respect your budget, and at any point we can decide to wrap things up and move on to production.

You’ll sign an information sheet, saying that you have read and understood the process. There is no contract per se because of the custom nature of the project. 

I will invoice you monthly throughout the interviewing and writing of the book. You can see a draft any time, so you always know how the project is progressing in relation to what you’re spending. We’ll take a small deposit at the outset.

This varies according to length of the book, the number of photos we use, how we bind the books, and how many copies you order. All books must be proofread (more than once!) and all books must be designed. Invoices are larger toward the end and come closer together. Knowing this, you can plan for it from the start.

Yes. About half the time, the client writing the book hires us, and the other half of the time, an adult child or grandchild hires us. If you hire us to write your own story, it’s a gift to your family. If you hire us to write your loved one’s story, the experience is a gift for the loved one and the resulting books are a gift for the entire family.

No. You can order one book, or ten, or a hundred or more.

Yes. People often want a certain number of hard bound copies, plus some soft cover for friends and to pass around. Any combination is possible, including leather, premium and classic hard bound, and perfect bound.

Only if you want it to be. I keep a copy of each book I write, and unless you tell me otherwise, I may show it to a future client as an example of my work. However, I do NOT lend books out. Someone may flip through it to see what a finished product looks like, but they won’t be able to keep it and read it. Again, if you prefer your book not be shown to anyone under any circumstances, you can let us know.

For your self, because the experience is extraordinary. You’ll revisit memories and experiences that you haven’t thought about in decades, and in the process of reviewing your life as a whole, you may see unexpected meaning.

For your family, because they will be forever grateful that you invested the time and resources to do this for them. Your story will be treasured by descendants you will never meet as well as by the loved ones you have in mind as you write. Your family will learn the stories you haven’t yet told and be reminded of the stories they have forgotten. In writing your life story, you give your family a one-of-a-kind gift--the gift of your life's journey.

 

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