Some people are naturally great storytellers, while others are shy or have memories that are pretty well shot. We’ve done books about people who have been gone for 20 years. Every project is unique, so our process flexes accordingly. It forms around your interests, your archival collection, your closest friends and relatives. We accompany you along the pathways into your past.
We begin by taking stock, so you should too. Make some notes on your best available sources—for interviews, old photos, any previous writings, genealogies. We’ll help you locate and identify all the raw materials. We know what to do once they’re gathered.
What’s the story you want told? Everyone has a story to tell; most people just need help telling it. Maybe you want to pass along how you built your business from a sketch on a cocktail napkin. Perhaps you want Dad to recount his proud years of military service. We can help to create an outline and a plan of action.
You may not even know the whole story. Who else has critical information? Where should we look to build on what you know? News clippings, family scrapbooks, old photos and documents all add to your story. We work together with you to identify the best places to start uncovering your story.
We interview. We research. We write. We bring together the pieces of your story to create a narrative that’s clear and engaging.
We do the editing, but you’re in charge. Want to omit the less flattering parts of your story? No problem. Want to include every detail, warts and all? That’s fine too. As editor-in-chief, you make the final call on what stays in your book.
Time to create an attractive visual package for your story. We print and bind your book to your specifications. We deliver as many copies as you want for family, friends, associates or customers.
You end up with an organized archive of the project’s many pieces. All the images and documents we've scanned for your book are saved on a flash drive, along with a digital copy of the book itself and audio files of major interviews. It's a comprehensive archive of the entire project.
The core of our process lies in the interviews. We approach the project as story gatherers and storytellers. We collect material through conversations with those who know the story, or parts of it. We record and transcribe and edit the interviews, then lean heavily on this material as we create the story narrative.
Nothing brings a story to life like pictures. Your old photos not only will illustrate your story, they may also trigger more memories. An original land title or wedding certificate can be duplicated and shared by having it scanned; everyone can have a copy of the same quality. As part of our process, we take your old family archive and turn it into a new digital archive. The story and its archival record can be perpetuated and shared across the generations.
There are a hundred excuses not to plunge into this celebration of your past. None of them is very convincing.
The time isn’t right. Nothing is gained by waiting, but plenty can be lost—memories fade; people pass away; archives are dispersed.
My life story isn’t exactly a best-seller. You might be surprised. And our books aren’t for sale, unless you want them to be. The audience is limited to your family, close friends, business associates, only the people with whom you want to share it. To them, it will be better than a best-seller; it will be priceless.
The family isn’t interested. Really? Most people aren’t interested in their own family history when they’re young, but check back with them in their 30s or 40s and you’ll get a very different response. This book is for future generations. Wouldn’t you love to know more about your grandparents or great-grandparents? The same will be true for your grandkids. You have lived in times they can’t even imagine. Your book will bring those times to life for them.
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