Putting a book together: How it works and how it can happen

It’s really quite easy to write your life story and get your life’s adventures into a book!
As an experienced writer, I’ll be very happy to show you how to get your family and life history into a book.

Fortunately, it is not necessary to win the lottery to pay for such a project – you’d be surprised how easily it can be done, thanks to progress in today’s technology.

Your input does not have to take place face to face. If you live some distance away, we can collect information using the phone, or Skype and making arrangements to mail or email photos and any written material to me.

Writing your life story can be a loving tribute to someone special in the family. It would make a wonderful gift – for example, families could facilitate payment to help family members to produce their books e.g. Christmas, birthday or any occasion.

Well-known writer, journalist and cyclist, the late Keith Dunstan, wrote the Foreword to my book, “On Your Bike, Son!” just a few years ago. Keith lamented that no one had any memories of his own British ancestors. He said that he’d love to know more about them – but alas, nobody wrote anything down or kept photos.

So – a book on your life can bring pleasure now, and also be a source of valuable information to your family for future generations.

How can all this happen for you? Very easily!

Sometime, people have already kept some sort of a diary or written down their memoirs, so there is an excellent place to begin. Another good starting point is albums of photos kept as reminders of the past.

However, if not, I just prepare a template of basic information to be collected, and chat with you on a range of topics and periods of life. These comments can be recorded. If you have any photos or special awards, I can also scan them to be included in your book.

I then prepare the booklet in draft format on computer, returning it to you for checking and suggestions on how it might be improved.

I can then arrange to have the book professionally (but economically) printed in book format, in either full colour or black and white, complete with a front and back cover design, and return it to you. It’s that easy, and need only take a few weeks at most from beginning to end.

As I discuss ideas with people about how to write your life story, and then later bring a draft copy, their eyes light up with excitement and pride.

People tell me that it’s extremely satisfying to share these life memories with their loved ones while they are still with them.

Can you imagine how you would feel if your grandchildren came in and asked you to read your life story to them?

I invite you to contact me now to discuss this project further, helping you to write your life story. I’d be delighted to help to facilitate this for you and your family.