Writing a memoir, life story or biography is very popular now and no longer the domain of the rich and famous only.

Ordinary people want to pass down the stories of their everyday lives, experiences and adventures in a consolidated form as opposed to the scatter-gun approach of the proverbial shoebox. In a world of rapid change and movement, there is so much of interest to share from only a generation or two ago.

Reciprocally, later generations have a desire to know the stories of their past and living ancestors. They are curious and identity focussed but sometimes lack the opportunity to ask until it’s too late. So, leaving a book of life is important for them to appreciate when it’s time.

Stories can be produced in many forms, including:

• as private books for family and friends;

• as commercial books if we believe our story has wider significance;

• as simple booklets of a few pages and photos;

• as captioned photo collections in albums and photo books;

• as straightforward compilations of biographical details and documents;

• as ancestor profiles; and

• as family anthologies.

The options are numerous and depend on your preferences, goals, content and materials to hand. The finish is important too - hard cover, soft cover, digital – are all options.

Stories are produced for different purposes including: family legacy, special occasions and celebrations, and public events. It is always important to understand the purpose of your publication and the intended audience and occasion.

I offer the following services:

• Story definition and structure - I will meet with you to discuss your story and ultimately how it could be structured for a book or publication.

• Memoir, life story and biography writing and ghost-writing – I will write your story with you as the co-author giving feedback and factual corroboration.

• Editing – I can edit a book or copy you have already completed.

• Research – I can research historical events and ancestor information which is lacking.

• Production and Finish – I can research and provide printing/publishing options and associated costs.

Costs

To get the ball rolling, email me at Perthwriter@hotmail.com to arrange an obligation-free phone chat.

Any following face-to-face or phone meetings or other preliminary tasks to gather, research, analyse or assess information will be charged at $110/hr (incl. GST). Payment is upfront.

Thereafter, small writing projects will be charged at hourly rates paid in advance. Larger writing or editing projects will attract a project fee (as opposed to an hourly fee). Project fees are paid in staged instalments. Depending on the work involved, project fees start from $15,000 upwards.