Chronicle your life & family history
Share your life story in a beautiful heirloom book
Create a legacy your family will treasure for generations
A life story book is one of the most valuable gifts you can give your family. It’s an opportunity to record the events of your own life and precious memories of your parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.
I offer a professional ghostwriting, editing and publishing service that makes capturing your personal and family history simple and stress-free. All you need to do is sit back, relax and talk.
Through a series of informal interviews, I’ll gather the details needed to bring your story vividly to life for future generations.
My interviewing style - honed over thousands of interview hours as a journalist - is thorough, but sensitive and empathetic. You can speak freely knowing that you have complete control over what is included in the final book.
You may wish to write a full-length autobiography that covers all the major events of your life so far. Or perhaps you’d rather focus on one particular chapter in your life, such as your childhood days, your career or your life in business. The choice is yours.
I’ll capture your unique voice on the page during the writing process, weaving a lifetime of memories into lively, articulate prose.
When required, I’ll research broader historical events to add context and colour to your story. I can also carry out family history research on your behalf or incorporate existing research into your book.
Once you’ve approved the final draft and picked out family photographs for inclusion, your books will be professionally designed, proofread and printed in a handsome hardback edition.
Three reasons to preserve your stories
An enjoyable and enriching experience for the storyteller. Many people find it deeply satisfying - therapeutic, even - to reflect on their past with an empathetic and encouraging listener. You may experience new insights, greater self-knowledge and a profound sense of contentment.
An investment in your family’s future well-being. Children familiar with their family history are more resilient, displaying higher self-esteem, better self-control and an enhanced ability to overcome adversity, researchers at Emory University in Atlanta, USA, have found.
A truly priceless family heirloom. Your autobiography is a time capsule in book form, capturing a lost world and its inhabitants in vivid detail. It allows you to communicate your ethical values, beliefs and advice to future generations, guiding them for centuries to come.
Meet your personal historian
I’m Rachel Wareing, founder of Attic Life Stories. As a trained journalist, copywriter and editor, I’ve been helping people from all walks of life share their stories for over twenty years.
I know from personal experience what a precious legacy it is to inherit an ancestor’s autobiography. I believe passionately in the importance of preserving personal and family history. After ghostwriting and publishing my own parents’ memoirs, I decided to use my skills to help other families.
I live with my family in Cambridge, in an old house full of books, many of them autobiographies and memoirs.
“Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic.”
Pricing
I offer three done-for-you packages. These include ghostwriting, designing and printing your autobiography as a beautiful hardback book. Bespoke packages are available on request.
Ghostwriting, editing and book production services are also available as standalone services. Contact me or book a free consultation call to find out more.
Our Services
-
Rowan
Take readers on a whistle-stop tour of your life - or focus on one special period. Prices start at £3,000.
◦ Four hours of interviews
◦ Up to 12,000 words
◦ Up to 50 pages
◦ 20 photographs
◦ Four cloth-bound hardbacks
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Beech
A more detailed account of your life story, with extra space for photographs. Prices start at £5,850.
◦ Ten hours of interviews
◦ Up to 25,000 words
◦ Up to 100 pages
◦ 40 photographs
◦ Six cloth-bound hardbacks
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Oak
An in-depth, full-length autobiography, published in a luxury linen-bound edition. Prices start at £9,500.
◦ Fourteen hours of interviews
◦ Up to 50,000 words
◦ Up to 200 pages
◦ 60 photographs
◦ Four luxury + six standard hardbacks
How it works
1
Your welcome pack arrives. Inside you’ll find a beautiful notebook, so you can start jotting down ideas for your book. We’ll meet for your first interview, usually via telephone or video call (face-to-face may be possible depending on location). Sessions generally last around two hours.
2
In our first session, we’ll outline your personal timeline and family tree. I’ll use this information to develop an interview plan, including a list of questions. If you wish, I can also gather questions from your children, grandchildren and other family members.
3
Once we’ve completed our interview sessions, you’ll receive an outline of each chapter in the book and a sample chapter by post, to ensure you’re happy with tone & style. We’ll discuss any changes needed by telephone or video call. I’ll then start work on the remaining chapters.
4
You’ll receive the first draft, along with additional questions that emerged in the writing stage. We’ll discuss your feedback over the phone. I’ll then produce the second draft. We’ll discuss any further amendments needed before the book is professionally designed, printed and bound.
FAQS
I want to write my own story. Can you help me?
Absolutely! I offer a range of courses and workshops for those who want advice, accountability and support in a group setting.
There are some aspects of my past I’d rather forget. Do I need to talk about them?
Not at all. This is your book. You decide which episodes of your life you want to share.
I’ve already written my story. Can you help me get it into print?
Yes, I’d be delighted to help you turn your manuscript into a professionally-designed book. Simply send me your completed manuscript and let me take care of all the hard work of editing, proofreading, typesetting and designing, as well as navigating the print production process for you.
What’s the difference between standard and luxury hardbacks?
Our standard hardbacks are cloth-bound with dust jackets. They’re printed on good-quality paper and bound with highly durable PUR glue, which should last for many decades.
Our cloth-bound luxury hardbacks are an excellent option for those who want an archival-quality book that will last for centuries. Hand-sewn in Britain by artisan bookbinders, these books are works of art that hark back to the golden age of publishing. They’re printed on acid-free G.F Smith papers, with beautiful endpapers and foil-stamped covers. Optional extras include a bespoke dust jacket, handcrafted slipcases or a pocket folder to store maps, family trees and other treasures.
Can you help me with family history research?
Absolutely. I have traced branches of my family tree in England and Scotland back to the 18th century, uncovering many fascinating stories along the way. I’d be delighted to do the same for you. I can also commission family tree charts to include in your book.
How long will this take?
On average, a project will take around six months to complete - but this partly depends on your availability, and how quickly you review drafts and respond to questions.
BOOK A FREE 20 MINUTE CONSULTATION
If you’d like to find out more about ghostwriting, editing and book production services, you can either send me a note via my contact page, or book a free consultation with me on Zoom below.
There’s no obligation to take things further after our call, and there certainly won’t be any Glengarry Glen Ross-style hard selling!
The goal is simply to chat about your proposed project and how I might be able to help with it - and of course, for us both to see if we might get on.