I Can Write Your Life Story

Would you like a free, no obligation discussion about what is involved in having your story written?

Or perhaps you want the story of a loved one recorded?

It can cost as little as $1,500

Phone 0409 447 609 or email garry.baker@denipt.com.au

Your Life Story in 5 Easy Steps

Step 1: Planning
Formulate a plan: the process will be much easier if you have a guide; a roadmap. Give some thought to the sections of your life that you want to cover. These may include, but are certainly not limited to:
- Family history
- Childhood
- Teenage years
- Education
- Young adulthood
- Marriage/partners
- Children
- Sport
- Hobbies/interests
- Career
- Retirement
- Grandchildren
- Travel
- Life's highlights and lowlights

Step 2: Research
The amount of research you undertake will depend entirely on the depth and detail you want to cover in your life story.
In today's technological age there are a plethora of sites to assist in your research efforts, including the likes of ancestry.com for family history, plus numerous other sites and resources to guide you through the journey. It is also easy to source information that provides important background for your story. For example, if you were born in Deniliquin let the reader know that Deniliquin is 300kms from Melbourne... that sort of information is very easy access on sites such as travelmate and googlemaps.
If you're talking about your first car - you know, the old FJ Holden - let the reader know that the FJ was made by General Motors-Holden in the mid 1950s.
Explanations such as these help paint a picture for the reader.

Step 3: First draft
If the planning in Step 1. has been completed, by now you will have determined the basic 'sections', or chapters, for your life story.
So we're at the point of putting it all together.
In draft stage, my suggestion is to write a section at a time, identifying which part of your life you are writing about. For example, 'Section (a) - Family History'; 'Section (b) - Childhood' etc. If there are no predetermined chapters at this point, you may find it easier to move anecdotes around later on.
When you finish a section, put it aside for at least a couple of days, then get it back out and review what has been written. This is a great time to tidy up loose ends, add anything you may have missed and generally make sure you are happy with your work.
Follow this process through each section.
NB: Don't leave it too long between completing a section and the review, or there's a risk you will lose interest in the project.

Step 4: Proof reading/polishing
At last... the draft has been completed!! While writing your life story, a section at a time, you should have put each section aside for a short time before the review, as explained in Step 3.
Now it's time to review the whole lot.
Read the entire story again, making any corrections, changes and additions you think are necessary.
You may even want someone else to read over your work... a different set of eyes can pick up glaring errors that you have missed.

Step 5: What do I do now?
So, your life story has been written. What do you want to do with it?
Do you want it just as a legacy for your family, or do you want to publish your life story and see if anyone is interested in buying the book?
If you only want a small number of copies, it's often best to talk to your local printer or copy shop. They should be able to help out.
If you want to self publish a number of copies, there are various companies in Australia who can assist. However, it is important to do your homework and make sure you deal with a reputable organisation. Some companies will consider partnership publishing, where the author and the publisher share the cost (and the spoils).
My preference, when affordable, is self publishing and self marketing. You should be able to get 500 copies of an A5 book printed for $5,000 to $6,000, although this will vary depending on page numbers and the amount of design and editing. If you effectively market and sell the books, you should generate a small profit.