FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a personal history?
A personal history is the story of a life. Its telling can take any number of forms: an autobiography from birth through the present, a series of moments, a milestone event, an oral history, a picture book. Personal histories also can take nontraditional forms, such as a legacy letter or ethical will, an expression of values, a commentary on achievements, observations on life, a statement of regrets and lessons learned, a collage, a quilt, an audio-visual presentation. The types of personal histories produced by Life Sentences Publishing Ink generally involve the written word, published as high-quality soft- or hard-cover books.
What is a personal historian?
A personal historian is a creative professional who specializes in crafting their clients’ life stories as a legacy to be cherished by their loved ones and by many future generations.
Why should I hire a personal historian?
Writing your own life story can be an overwhelming undertaking, even for experienced writers. Working with an experienced personal historian relieves that pressure and helps produce a richer story in context to the historical events surrounding the period of time the client lived his life.
What collateral materials may I include?
Any number of your photographs, certificates, awards, letters, military discharge papers, licenses, and copies of other documents of importance can be scanned and included to add depth and expanded meaning to your personal history.
How do the interviews work?
During our consultation meeting, we will discuss the topics you would like your personal history project to cover. Based on that discussion, we can determine how many one-hour interviews will be necessary. I prefer interviewing clients, one-on-one, in their home, where they are most at ease. I take notes during our conversation but also tape record the session to transcribe later. Should you prefer to skip a question, you are always welcome to do so. When you hire me as your personal historian, you control the content 100 percent.
How do we get started?
Contact me by phone or email. When we meet, we will discuss the topics, photographs and documents to be included in your personal history. At that time, I will explain the various products I can create for you, and we will outline your interview questions, the project timeline and deadlines. Within a week of our meeting, I will submit a price quotation and a contract. I ask clients to pay 25 percent of my fee prior to the first interview. In addition, on projects estimated at more than $2,000, clients may pay in four installments prior to delivery.
How long does it take to get my finished product?
The length of time needed to deliver a finished personal history product depends on many factors — such as the topics to be covered, the number of interviews, the number of people to be interviewed, the number of photographs and documents to be scanned, and how long you take to return your proof of the manuscript back to me. I will discuss deadlines with you once we have decided on the particulars of your project.
A personal history is the story of a life. Its telling can take any number of forms: an autobiography from birth through the present, a series of moments, a milestone event, an oral history, a picture book. Personal histories also can take nontraditional forms, such as a legacy letter or ethical will, an expression of values, a commentary on achievements, observations on life, a statement of regrets and lessons learned, a collage, a quilt, an audio-visual presentation. The types of personal histories produced by Life Sentences Publishing Ink generally involve the written word, published as high-quality soft- or hard-cover books.
What is a personal historian?
A personal historian is a creative professional who specializes in crafting their clients’ life stories as a legacy to be cherished by their loved ones and by many future generations.
Why should I hire a personal historian?
Writing your own life story can be an overwhelming undertaking, even for experienced writers. Working with an experienced personal historian relieves that pressure and helps produce a richer story in context to the historical events surrounding the period of time the client lived his life.
What collateral materials may I include?
Any number of your photographs, certificates, awards, letters, military discharge papers, licenses, and copies of other documents of importance can be scanned and included to add depth and expanded meaning to your personal history.
How do the interviews work?
During our consultation meeting, we will discuss the topics you would like your personal history project to cover. Based on that discussion, we can determine how many one-hour interviews will be necessary. I prefer interviewing clients, one-on-one, in their home, where they are most at ease. I take notes during our conversation but also tape record the session to transcribe later. Should you prefer to skip a question, you are always welcome to do so. When you hire me as your personal historian, you control the content 100 percent.
How do we get started?
Contact me by phone or email. When we meet, we will discuss the topics, photographs and documents to be included in your personal history. At that time, I will explain the various products I can create for you, and we will outline your interview questions, the project timeline and deadlines. Within a week of our meeting, I will submit a price quotation and a contract. I ask clients to pay 25 percent of my fee prior to the first interview. In addition, on projects estimated at more than $2,000, clients may pay in four installments prior to delivery.
How long does it take to get my finished product?
The length of time needed to deliver a finished personal history product depends on many factors — such as the topics to be covered, the number of interviews, the number of people to be interviewed, the number of photographs and documents to be scanned, and how long you take to return your proof of the manuscript back to me. I will discuss deadlines with you once we have decided on the particulars of your project.
