Talking Points for Creating a BOOK

To begin, we first determine the story you want to tell, identifying the key characters and era you want to cover. Then we assess the source materials we have to tell the story: have you already written some version of your story? Are there archival reference materials? We determine how you want to create this book: what portion is narrative, what portion is compiled photographs. Below is a checklist of conversation topics to cover:

Duration
Timeline for completion of the project: 2-8 months
Time to invest each week: 1-10 hours
Length of final product: 100-150 pages

Elements
Existing written stories or stories to be captured?
Photography of memorabilia and maps
Interviews and transcriptions?

Story Consulting
We shape the Story and the Legend.
We identify family values, beliefs, and wisdom.
We embrace failures and successes.
We identify what it all means.

Story Research
Family stories
Ancestry research

Interviews
List of interviewees
Approval and scheduling

Getting clear on the story arc

Titles, Chapters, Captions for photos

Story Development and Review

Editing
Rough cuts and feedback
How many days of editing are desired?

Final Product on a Hard Drive or Printed?

Extend the life of the book to a website? Or a Facebook page?

Nitty-Gritty: Contract, deposit, schedule.