Leaving your life history/story is a tremendous legacy to your family. Children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and those even further will treasure your life history. When photos are added to you life history the importance of your history will increase the value to your descendants.
Writing your life history is a ten-step process:
- Interview: the interview is really a 15-hour conversation. It is important to understand that when Voices and Images spends these 15 hours with you it is an enjoyable time as we together walk down your memory lane. We have a series of questions that are designed to spur to memory. As we travel down through these memories it is fun reliving the past. Generally the history we cover includes these eight basic sections:
- Ancestry
- Childhood
- Teen Years/High School
- College/Military/First Jobs
- Courtship and Marriage
- Children
- Career/Work
- Retirement
Voices and Images have found that these eight sections, usually take about fifteen hours to cover. It should be understood that these sections are not written on stone and sometimes deviations can happen. For example if you are LDS one of the sections could include your mission.
- Transcription: after the interview is completed the audio needs to be transcribed. Once the transcription is completed a Mircosoft Word document is created. This text document is used to create the draft narrative. This draft narrative is the beginning of your history.
- Photos/Slides Scanning: During the interview process and the transcription Voices and Images will scan and digitize 200 images. If we need to travel to complete the interview phase we will bring a portable scanner and scan photos/slides in our hotel room in the evening, this way we will not need to take the photos with us. Any additional photos/slides (over the 20 included) can be digitized for an additional cost.
- Narrative Edit (Content): Once the rough draft narrative is created it needs to go through an edit to make sure we have maintained your voice. What this means is that when your children read the book they can hear you on the pages.
- Narrative Copy Edit: This is the stage where we go over the manuscript for grammar and all spelling.
- Client Review: At this point you are given a copy of the manuscript to review. This is the first chance you have to spend some time with your history. We want to review and make any corrections to names, dates and places. Also this is the time to delete any thing you might not want to include. You will also find that things were not discussed and we can include them at this time.
- Book Design/Layout: At this point Voices and Images will design and layout your book including the photos. We use Adobe “InDesign” to design and layout the manuscript and insert the photos.
- Second Review: With the photos added and the manuscript designed and layout completed you will have a final chance to review and check the photo captions.
- Book Ready for Printing: At this point you will need to decide how many copies you will want printed. You will be provided with one Hardbound copy, which is included, in the package cost. Any additional copies will need to be paid for at this time. Print cost is determined by a number of factors and can be discussed as the project proceeds.
- Deliver Printed Books: Books will be hand delivered or shipped Overnight to your location. Usually the printing takes about 4 weeks.
Cost:
The cost to produce your life history/story is:
$8,500 for one
$15,000 for a couple (living at the same address)
Payment Schedule:
Individual History ($8,500)
$4,000 upon contract signing
$2,000 Completion of transcript
$1,500 Submission of 1st draft to you
$1,000 Approval of History
A Couple, 2 histories ($15,000)
$8,000 Upon Contract Signing
$4,000 Completion of Transcripts
$2,000 Submission of 1st Draft
$1,000 Approval of History
If travel is required, clients who live outside a 200-mile distance from Salt Lake City, an estimation of these travel costs will be provided to you. These estimated travel funds include, hotel, airfare, car rental, and a $50/day Per Diem rate. This amount needs to be paid upon contract signing. A full accounting of these advanced travel funds will be provided when all travel is complete.