Our Services
Classic Stories creates private biographies, memoirs and family history books, ensuring an accurate historical record of our client’s lives, businesses, and activities. Our goal is to tell the story of your life in a way where your readers are entertained, enlightened and inspired.
Lets look at Our Process
Our Process
Review | STEP ONE
Before you commit to working with us, Classic Stories will discuss with you your goals for the project in order to create and share with you a simplified outline of your story and the anticipated scope.
Research | STEP TWO
Rigorously research the following areas, per your direction:
- Your family tree (beyond America, if possible and desired)
- The places and the times in which you and your family have lived (if desired)
- Your business and civic life, including the relevant industry or industries
- Your philanthropic endeavors
- Relevant historical information
Interview | STEP THREE
Use our research to develop a series of questions for your review and for anyone you’d like us to interview.
Record and Transcribe | STEP FOUR
Record and transcribe interviews with you and others you identify:
- In-person (in person meetings with you will yield the best stories)
- Video or phone meetings
Create | STEP FIVE
Create for your review and approval the following deliverables (including edit cycles):
- Your family tree
- A chronology of the key events in your life
- A detailed outline of your book
- A writing sample to make sure the tone and voice of the writing resonate with you
- A manuscript delivered in meaningful sections, including 3 or more edit cycles
Layout | STEP SIX
Layout the final manuscript, including black and white and color photos, other graphics, and the cover jacket, all for your review, edit cycles, and approval.
Print and Ship | STEP SEVEN
Print and ship the books to your friends and family.
Distribution
Classic Stories creates books that meet or exceed the production values of the best commercially published books.
We can produce and distribute books in the following formats:
– Printed Books:
- Professional design
- Contextual color and black-and-white photos
- Highest quality paper
- A small number of leather bound heirloom copies for you and your immediate family.
- 100 to 500 hardcopies, typically in a 7×10 inch format, with specialty design also available (the number of books and the format are flexible).
- Electronic archive of all materials
– Audio book, if desired
– Digital book, if desired
Types of Books Produced
Biographies and Memoirs
Many people use these terms interchangeably. Usually written in the third person, biographies span the entire life. Memoirs in contrast focus on an aspect of a life, like a relationship with a parent or child or a significant civic or business achievement.
Family History
This type of book tells the history of a family, with genealogical information and a narrative and may include family trees, photographic remembrances, and other personal details.
Business History
This type of book tells the history of a family, with genealogical information and a narrative and may include family trees, photographic remembrances, and other personal details.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Family History?
These books have a variety of elements, depending on what you would like to see:
- Historical Context. Detailed descriptions of the places your family lived at the exact time they lived there.
- Accomplishments. Descriptions of the type of work and key achievements of select family members.
- Values. Discussions of the life lessons espoused by select family members based on their specific experiences.
- Stories. Interesting vignettes regarding select family members culled from newspaper articles and other primary sources.
What is a Business History?
These books tell the story of the founding and evolution of highly successful companies:
- The original inspiration of the founder and the place and time of the founding.
- The triumphs and challenges the company faced over the years.
- Vignettes of key leaders and the corporate culture they created and evolved.
- A description of the industry and its changes over time.
These companies are often family businesses in which ownership passes down from one generation to one or more future generations.
How much time will I need to invest?
Most of our clients ask this question and then discover their reflection on life deeply rewarding. That said, our preparation and professionalism limit the time you must spend. Several factors impact the time required, including the scope of work, the availability of archived documents, news stories, and photos, the number of people we interview, and the rigor of your review cycles.
How long before I have a book?
Your availability and the scope both impact the timeline. Typically, Classic Stories will produce a book in 12 to 18 months. We do not start projects until we have the capacity to do so, which we will disclose before you make a commitment.
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