A family history book is a unique, highly personal project, and our clients come to us with a very specific set of goals and concerns. They want to work with a team of writers who will genuinely enjoy listening to them and getting to know their family – and they want to know that they’ll end up with a finished book that they’ll be proud to pass on to generations to come.
Perhaps most importantly, they want to make sure that they choose a writing team that they genuinely like and want to work with. A family history project requires you to spend a great deal of time with your writers as you share memories and family stories. It’s critical that you not only choose a ghostwriting team that can technically complete the work – but that you choose a team that is enthusiastic about your project and enjoyable to work with.
Here’s what you and your family can expect when you work with us:
- We will take the time to get to know you. Before we write a word, we visit you in your home (or whatever space you choose) and spend two to three days interviewing you and your family, learning more about your story, and discussing your style preferences, timelines, additional interviewees, and printing options.
- We will listen to you. Your writing team wants to hear what you have to say. We come to every interview ready to learn more about your story – and we take detailed notes and make recordings so that we don’t miss a word.
- We won’t disappear for months at a time. Ghostwriting is a collaborative, back-and-forth effort – not at all like working with a ghost! We communicate with you regularly, and you’ll always know the status of your book.
- If you don’t like something, we’ll change it. It’s your book, and we want you to be 100% happy with it. We seek feedback from you on everything we write. You tell us what’s working and what you’d like to change, and we revise based on your comments.
We love working on family history projects, and we’re always honored when someone considers our team for the job. It would be an even greater honor to be selected to help you create a family history book.
As a standard procedure, we record all the interviews, and you get to keep all the recordings. As an add-on service, we can provide a digitally edited version with your family's most memorable soundbites.
What Is a Family History Book?
Rather than focusing on a single person, a family history book chronicles the lives of multiple generations, often within a greater historical context. Your ghostwriting team will use a variety of sources – from personal interviews to historical records to family documents and photographs – to craft a book that will preserve your family’s legacy for years to come.
Some of our past family history projects include:
- An anthology of stories, favorite traditions, and wedding memories from a family of German immigrants.
- A multi-media history project about a heroic Texas police officer, commissioned by his niece and nephew.
- An illustrated family history from the early 1900s until today, told from living memory. The Writers For Hire interviewed more than 20 family members and chronicled the family’s successes, stories, and adventures.
If you’re looking for an alternative to a traditional book, your ghostwriters can work with you to create a custom family history project as unique as your family:
- Showcase treasured family photos in a one-of-a-kind coffee table book.
- Collect your favorite family stories in a single anthology-style volume.
- Create a book of collected interviews with various members of the family.
- Create a website or mini-book to recognize a family member’s accomplishments.
Beyond Writing: Interviewing, Organizing, and Project Management
Large book projects require more than just great writing skills. A family history project involves extensive interviews, background reading, and research – and it requires a team of skilled project managers to keep things organized and moving.
Our team can handle every part of your family history project, including:
- Helping you decide what kind of book is the best fit for your family and your goals.
- Gathering and organizing information from a variety of sources.
- Coordinating and conducting interviews with family members anywhere in the world.
- Helping you explore your printing options.
References Available
Sure, we think our writing team is pretty great – but we’re just a bit biased. If you’d like to learn more about what it’s like to work with us, from our real ghostwriting customers, we can provide references upon request.
Our Process
FAQ’s
A: You do. It’s your book, and you retain 100% of the rights to it.
A: You do. In addition to retaining 100% of the rights to your book, you can claim sole authorship. Some of our clients choose to credit us as editors or co-writers. Although it’s nice to get a shout-out now and then, the majority of our clients don’t disclose the fact that they used a ghostwriter – and that’s fine with us.
A: Of course. Your ghostwriter is simply helping you say what you want to say in a clear, engaging way. The ideas are 100% yours – all a ghostwriter does is help you get it on the page.
A: We take your privacy seriously. Most of our ghostwriting contracts include a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
A: Our ghostwriters are professional, full-time writers and editors – and in order to keep them on our team, we have to pay them for their time. Our business model simply isn’t set up to take projects on spec.
A: Yes. Our diverse writing and editing team includes experienced writers with backgrounds in science and technology, oil & gas, journalism, education, and software engineering. They’re smart, naturally curious, and genuinely interested in learning more about your area of expertise. And, because ghostwriting is a collaborative effort, you’ll have the opportunity to review and fact-check every page we write.
A: We can publish your book through KDP, an Amazon subsidiary. If you are interested in other publishing options, we can recommend and provide introductions to several traditional and self-publishing companies.
A: Technology makes it easy for us to work with anyone, anywhere. Plus, we love to fly and will to travel to you if you prefer. After the initial kickoff meeting, most of our ghostwriting clients communicate with us via email, phone, or Skype. We’ve worked with hundreds of happy clients from all over the globe – from Singapore to San Jose to Scottsdale.
A: Ghostwriting is a back-and-forth process, and we seek specific, constructive feedback from you every step of the way. Once we get a feel for your style preferences, we write a few pages and send them to you for review. You tell us what’s working – and what’s not working – and we send you a revised copy. You see every chapter as we go, which means there won’t be any surprises at the end.
A: We don’t offer illustrations and infographics in-house, but we can provide introductions and recommendations for design work, and we can project manage the design portion of your book.
A: A lot of people get nervous about the idea of talking to writers; that’s why all of our family and personal writing projects begin with a face-to-face meeting. A book – especially a biography or family history book – is a big project that requires a lot of collaboration. It’s important that we take the time to get to know you, and it’s also important that you like us and feel comfortable talking to us. (So far, we’ve got a great track record. By the end of most book projects, most of our clients feel like we’re members of their extended family.)
A: If you are referring to self-publishing, which is now almost 20% of the current market, then yes. If you are referring to traditional publishing, no one can guarantee publication. We can, however, provide you with introductions to a few local/niche publishers; we can help guide you through the self-publishing process; and we can pitch your book to traditional publishers.
A: A full-length book typically takes between 6 and 12 months. However, a compressed scheduled can almost always be accommodated. Just tell us what your deadline is. Chances are, we can make it.
Who Gets Family History Projects?
YOUR LOVED ONES
Give a unique gift and preserve cherished memories. It would be an honor to be entrusted with your family member’s memoir or autobiography project.
FAMILIES
From a traditional book to something a little different, we will work with you to create a one-of-a-kind heirloom.
INDIVIDUALS & CREATIVES
Express yourself. Write your novel. Tell your story.
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