I help individuals and families preserve their life stories and family histories as lasting heirlooms—most often as custom-designed personal history books.
Whether you’re just beginning to gather memories or already deep into writing, I can give your project the structure, expertise, and steady guidance it needs. My role is to help you move from inspiration to a finished, beautifully crafted legacy book that feels true to you and meaningful to the people you love.
From my studio in California’s Eastern Sierra, I work with clients across the globe. Clients in Southern California are within a convenient day’s drive.
Contents
Why hire a personal historian
Preserving a life story or family history can be deeply rewarding—but it’s also complex. A professional personal historian helps you approach the process with clarity, craftsmanship, and continuity.
Instead of facing a box of letters, transcripts, and photographs alone, you gain a structured path and an experienced collaborator who knows how to shape raw materials into a cohesive, beautifully written narrative.
Whether you want to document one person’s life, tell the story of a family across generations, or combine text, images, and archival materials into a single heirloom book, personal historian services provide the guidance and editorial discipline that ensure your project lasts for generations.
Elements of a personal history
The heart of a personal history is your story—told in your voice. Yet a life, like a fine wine, has its own terroir: the environment and details that shape who we become. A passport from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a favorite recipe, a love letter, an apology letter—each object reveals layers of meaning, emotion, and context.
A personal historian helps weave these materials together so your book reflects not just what happened, but the world in which it unfolded. Beyond written or spoken memories, a family history can draw from many sources, including:
- Family trees and histories
- Timelines
- Maps
- Family heirlooms
- Artworks
- Inventions
- Recipes
- Poems
- Photographs
- Videos
- Letters
- Government registries
- Church registries
- Passenger lists
- Homestead claims
- Business ads
Each of these elements adds dimension and authenticity, turning a collection of memories into a vivid legacy—one that future generations can read, see, and hold.
The personal history process
From the outset, I develop a plan to transform your personal history or family history from an idea to a printed book. The process of crafting your history includes some or all of the following:
Foundation
The project starts with a discussion of your personal history goals. Then, I review any stories or materials you may already have prepared or gathered. And we will also talk about your life. This is a way for me to get to know you and outline our work. I can either travel to you or meet virtually.
Storytelling & interviews
Personal interviews are the key to an excellent personal history or family history. Our interviews unearth your life’s rich, intricate details and capture your experiences, achievements, personal philosophy, and growth. Of course, each client’s needs are different. Interviews range from a single two-hour meeting to a series of longer meetings over months and even years.
Writing & editing
Once we have assembled the details of your life story, I transform the individual stories into a cohesive manuscript. The level of editing depends on each client’s needs and ranges from basic copyediting to full-service ghostwriting. The core editing process typically includes three phases: developmental editing, copyediting, and proofreading. In all of our editing, I endeavor to honor and elevate your voice.
Research
What did living in eastern Poland feel like before WWII? On what ship did your great-grandmother cross the Atlantic? What is it like to cross from north Africa to Europe? I answer these questions using diverse resources, from digital and printed archival sources to subject area experts (historical societies, museums, libraries, and other historians) to site visits.
Archiving
The personal historian service can include archiving of photographs, letters, and other personal items, using them as visual narratives to complement your story. Each item is handled with the utmost care, recognizing its irreplaceable value. I can bring archiving equipment to you, work with a professional in your area, or bring your items to my shop.
Design
The book design process starts after gathering and editing the stories. Whether the project is text-driven or image-rich, I let the content lead the design, resulting in an intimate interaction between the reader and the storyteller. I endeavor to create books that will endure through the ages. I often look to the past for inspiration, and I avoid templates.
Printing
I work with various printing partners to match clients’ needs to the best materials and production processes available. From simple paperbacks to archival-quality hardcovers, we can do it all.
Project delivery
I manage personal history projects using tried and true project management methods, custom-built databases, and a proprietary 250+ point quality assurance process. I am here to deliver.
Throughout the process, you remain closely involved, with opportunities to review, adjust, and reflect. The result is not just a finished book, but a creative experience that honors your memories, your materials, and the legacy you wish to pass forward.
Where I work
I’m based in Bishop, California, in the Eastern Sierra. Much of my work is with clients in Southern California. Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego are each within a day’s drive, close enough for in-person interviews, archival work in your home or business office, and hand delivery of finished projects. I travel throughout California and beyond when a project calls for it.
Distance doesn’t change the work. I currently have personal history projects running with clients I’ve never met in person, and the process is the same: interviews happen over video or phone, recorded with the same care as a conversation at your kitchen table. Photographs, letters, and documents travel by insured courier to my studio for digitization, or I arrange scanning with a trusted professional near you. You review proofs at every stage, on screen or printed and mailed. The only difference is the drive.
What people say
“Working with you has been a true pleasure and gift.”
– C. Kamler
“Can I hug you?! I’m going to cry now. I’ve waited so long to hold this project in my hands. Thank you.”
– Rhonda R.
Frequently asked questions
Here are a few of the questions I have been asked.
A personal history is a professionally guided project that captures your life stories, family memories, and experiences in your own voice. It often combines interviews, photographs, documents, and design into a beautifully crafted book meant to preserve your legacy for future generations.
It starts with a conversation—an opportunity to discuss your goals, materials, and timeline. From there, I provide a written proposal outlining scope, process, and cost. No commitment is required until you’re ready to begin.
That is perfectly okay and common. Many people feel they need to tell a story, but do not know what, where, how, or why. The narratives of personal history and family history projects emerge naturally by just sitting down and talking.
There are LOTS of reasons why preserving your story is important. Think of the shared experience of humanity as a puzzle. You are one of those puzzle pieces. Each piece helps to create a completed picture—for yourself, for the next generation, and for generations 500 years from now.
A memoir is usually self-written (or written with the help of a memoir ghostwriter) and focuses on a particular theme, period, or turning point in the author’s life. A personal history, on the other hand, is created in collaboration with a personal historian, who conducts interviews, organizes materials, and helps shape a complete narrative. Personal histories often cover more ground than a memoir and emphasize preservation as much as storytelling.
Project timelines vary by scope and complexity. A small memoir or guided writing project may take three to six months; a full-service, multi-generational family history book can take eighteen months or longer. Each proposal includes a projected schedule.
Project costs are highly variable and depend on your needs. Fixed-price consultations are available for those beginning to plan their projects.
Yes. I’m based in California and work in person with clients throughout the state, especially Southern California. For clients elsewhere, I work remotely — video interviews, couriered or locally scanned materials, and mailed proofs. Several of my current projects are fully remote. If the project demands it and the budget allows, I also travel.
Yes, you own the copyright and decide how the final book is shared. I may request limited rights to show samples in my portfolio if you approve.
Many clients choose to keep their projects private and printed in limited editions for family use. I treat all conversations and materials with care and respect.
While DIY is possible, personal history projects can be very large, and many people find it overwhelming. Hiring a personal historian brings interviewing skills, archival expertise, writing and editing experience, and design knowledge to create a finished book that’s professional and lasting.
Many clients come with partial manuscripts, recorded interviews, or family research. I can step in at any stage—providing editorial guidance, structure, and production expertise to bring the project to completion.
Each book is custom-designed and produced using archival-quality materials—professional typesetting, fine papers, and sewn or case bindings. You’ll have the opportunity to review proofs before printing to ensure every detail meets your expectations.
Simply reach out to schedule a brief consultation. We’ll talk through your ideas, assess materials, and discuss next steps. Whether you’re ready to begin or just exploring options, the first conversation is always the best place to start.
Absolutely. Many projects involve integrating archival materials, letters, or photographs. As both a designer and archivist, I help organize, digitize, and contextualize these items so they enrich the story rather than overwhelm it.
Writing a personal history follows a methodological process, including reviewing source materials, performing interviews, and following a structure editing process. Read more here.
Pricing
Project costs vary greatly depending on scope, materials, and level of service. Past projects have ranged from $1,000 (2-hour oral history, transcribed and touched up) to six figures (full-service personal history including digital archiving, ghostwriting, and custom printed books).
Each proposal includes a detailed scope of work, timeline, and deliverables so you know exactly what to expect.
Whether you’re starting small or envisioning a complete family archive in book form, the goal remains the same: to preserve your story with integrity, craft, and permanence. The result is not only a record of your life, but a work of art designed to last for generations.
Begin your personal history project
Preserving a life story is one of the most meaningful creative acts a person can undertake. Whether you’re ready to begin or still defining what form your project might take, the first step is a conversation.
Schedule a free consultation to discuss your goals, materials, and timeline. From there, I’ll prepare a tailored proposal outlining the process, scope, and cost.