Services
Our team is proud of our reputation for creating lovely and compelling memoir books and other legacy documents. We work one-on-one with our subjects, bringing our skills in interviewing, editing, writing, design, and photographic restoration to each project. Browse our Book Gallery.
Legacy books
The Legacy Book is our most popular offering. Each one is unique and customized, and includes 100-plus pages and 50-plus photos.
The Legacy Book package includes: Informal, guided interview sessions (up to ten hours); your oral history • An edited first-person narrative drawn from the recorded interviews • Choice of personalized design templates • Classic photo restoration and reproduction • Inclusion of letters, documents, and other ephemera • Social history and maps: attractive framed sidebars that complement your story • A beautifully-designed family tree using your genealogical data • Full front matter, including dedication, preface, and table of contents • Choice of front and back cover designs • Publisher’s proof of an artfully designed legacy book, suitable for printing and distributing.
small books and booklets
Small Books: Up to 100 pages and 50 photos
Booklets: Up to 50 pages and 20 photos
The Small Book package includes: Informal, guided interview sessions (up to six hours); your oral history • An edited first-person narrative drawn from the recorded interviews • Classic photo restoration and reproduction • Custom book design • Inclusion of letters, documents, social history, maps, etc.
The Booklet is a short commemorative keepsake to distribute on any occasion where a life story would be cherished, including a birthday, anniversary, or memorial observance.
Each Booklet includes: Informal, guided interview sessions (up to three hours) • An edited first-person narrative drawn from the recorded interviews • Professional graphic design and layout.
Legacy Letters
A Legacy Letter, also known as an ethical will or a spiritual autobiography, summarizes one’s values, spiritual beliefs, and hard-earned wisdom.
Each letter is based on in-person interviews and generally results in a document of 3-5 pages. It offers your reflections upon such questions as:
What values and principles have guided your life? • What are the family traditions or practices that you hope your children and grandchildren will maintain? • What lessons have you learned? • Of what are you the most proud? • What do you regret? • What are your greatest hopes for those who come after you?
A Legacy Letter can be shared with family and friends or included as a heartfelt, personal addition to your standard will and testament.
For more inspiration, see “Writing Down a Recipe for a Life Worth Living."
Family and Philanthropic Legacies
Ensure that your descendants understand your core values and philosophical and financial commitments. I’ll help you to articulate and record your family’s vision, hopes, and beliefs — a too-often-neglected process that is especially important for family foundations.
Together, we’ll craft a document that clearly communicates your wishes to those who will steward your wealth and your legacy.
Corporate, Organizational, and Community Legacies
The best way to honor the dynamic people who created a business, an organization or a community is to document their hard work and values. Share the story of your family business or other entity with a high-quality corporate history or executive biography.
Obituaries and Memorial Programs
When a loved one dies, grieving family members scramble to assemble an obituary and a brief biography for a memorial program. To avoid that stress and ensure that these life summations are accurate and compelling, I work with foresighted clients to craft them in advance of death — a natural complement to a personal history project, and a valuable service for those who choose to prepare for the inevitable.
Research, Restoration, and Design
Family trees • Life timelines • Genealogical research • Photo scanning, restoring, and archiving • Heirloom catalogues • Printing and binding
Pricing
A personal history is your legacy, a way of keeping your experiences and hard-won wisdom alive. It is an invaluable investment whose benefits will be reaped for generations.
Think about the long-term value of the heirloom book you will create. Its cost might be close to that of a gala party or a fancy cruise — but unlike a party or a cruise, a finished memoir project lives on, becoming more valuable as it ages.
Fees range from several thousand dollars for a Legacy Letter or Booklet to substantially more for a Legacy Book. Often, several family members contribute, making it affordable for all.
Contact Trena for a complimentary consultation.
