In today's fast-paced world, where memories easily fade and are forgotten, the services of a professional personal historian have gained immense popularity. However, embarking on this journey comes with a price tag, and--depending on a number of factors--it's one that can vary significantly. In this blog post, we will delve into the cost of a professional personal history, explore factors influencing the price, and provide insights into what you can expect when hiring a personal historian.
What Are the Most Popular Personal History Projects?
Before diving into the costs, it's essential to understand the varying types and scopes of personal history projects. The following are some popular options for projects, with a short description of the end result you might expect:
Ranging anywhere from a few paragraphs to a few pages of information, an overview project captures the simple essence of someone's life. Often used for funerals or in family collections, an overview can be a great option for someone whose main concern is budget or time. Depending on the personal historian hired to write the overview, the project may or may not include interviews.
Typically longer than a basic overview, a life sketch is still a great option for those looking for something quicker and more budget-friendly than a more in-depth project. These packages tend to include 4-8 hours of interviews and result in finished pieces of anywhere between 6000-12000 words (tip: page count will always be determined more by the size of the printed book than the amount of words in the story).
As a work that captures the major moments, rather than the chronological story, of your life, a highlight reel is a great option for those who have specific stories in mind but don't want the pressure of including everything. The size and scope of highlight reels can vary greatly, depending on how much information you want to include. Examples of highlight reels could be your spiritual life, your career journey, your love story/family memories, your travel experiences, health challenges, etc.
Also known as a memoir or auto/biography, a life story is the feature-film version of your life. The main difference between a life sketch and a life story is the scope--a life story generally requires 10-20 hours of interviews and results in finished products of 25,000-50,000+ words.
Family history books vary from straight genealogy but can include genealogical information as part of the story. These works generally include life sketches of each member of a family, from the parents to the children. They are fantastic documents that help to capture not only the personalities of individual family members, but of the shared family culture, memories, traditions, recipes, and other things which make the family unique (games, songs, etc.). Because they generally include multiple narrators, interviews, and the weaving together of a host of outside information, family histories are among the larger, more involved projects offered by personal historians and often range anywhere from 15,000 to 90,000+ words.
Depending on the age and complexity of the company and the desired outcome as far as a history goes, company history projects can also be involved and complex.
Other Personal History Options
While the options above cover many of the more popular and prevalent options offered by many personal historians, other types of projects are possible. For instance, photo books, recipe collections, tribute/memory books, ethical wills/legacy letters, and audio and video histories are a few of the other options you might be interested in. Again, the price tag on these projects vary but overall, it's important to remember that for most professionals, the scope of a project is generally what most affects how much it will cost.
How Much Does it Cost to Write My Life Story?
The cost of a professional personal history can vary widely, primarily based on the project's scope, the professional's expertise, and the services included. Professionals will usually bill based either on a flat-rate fee agreement or on an hourly basis based on an initial understanding of the scope of the project. For the above-mentioned projects, here are some general cost ranges you can expect to see:
Life Overview: A few hundred to a few thousand dollars
Life Sketch: Typically ranging from $1000-$10,000
Life Stories: $15,000 to $100,000+
Family Histories: $12,000 to $80,000+
Company Histories: $10,000 to $60,000+
Other Projects: $500 to $15,000+
Why Does it Cost So Much to Write My Life Story?
Although it may seem expensive, the cost of a life story or personal history project is often more understandable when you consider all that goes into its creation.
What Influences the Cost of a Life Story?
Several factors influence the cost of a professional personal history project. It's important to consider these elements when making your decision:
How Much Does it Cost to Write My Life Story With Everyday Legacies
Here at Everyday Legacies, we offer every type of personal history project, from basic life overviews to extremely detailed, in-depth memoirs and biographies. Far from being newbies, our teams are experienced professionals whom you can expect to provide the best quality production and service, yet we are priced so as to be accessible to a wide range of budgets and financial situations, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to preserve their cherished stories and family legacies for generations to come.
Instead of charging flat rates, which often come with huge built-in price buffers to protect the professional, to provide the best value to our clients, Everyday Legacies' projects are all charged at a simple hourly rate, with average total prices falling in the following ranges:
Basic Life Story Interview Package: $1,200
Life Sketch: $3,200-$8,000
Memoir/Tribute Book: $2000-$3500
Photo book: $3500-$12,000
Highlight Reel: $12,000-$15,000
Life Story: $22,000-$38,000
Family History: $20,000-$45,000
What Questions Should You Ask a Personal Historian in Your Initial Consultation
Most professional historians will offer a free consultation and project quote before beginning a project. Once you have made your vision clear, make sure to ask them informed questions about their approach, including how many interviews they expect to do, their proposed timeline, and what, if any (and how many), outside resources you can include (i.e. photos, journal entries, etc.). To ensure that they are a good fit for what you are looking for, ask to see examples of their previous work, including their portfolio. Any professional historian should be able to provide all this information quickly, helping you weed out options and find the best fit for what you are looking for.
Ultimately, the cost of a professional personal history is an investment in preserving the memories and narratives that make our lives uniquely special. It's up to you to decide if it's worth it.
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