Discover The Stories StoryTerrace Help Share.

Creating Your Story with StoryTerrace

A book takes a lot of time and expertise to get right. At StoryTerrace, we’ve overseen the creation of more than 2,000 biographies, so we have a good idea of just how much work is involved!

In addition to the actual writing of your book, there’s plenty more that happens along the way to get to the final product. There’s the preparation of the cover and images, laying out the text for printing, and — if you’re planning on self-publishing your memoir — a whole lot of promotional work, too.

Of course, you don’t have to take on all those tasks alone. When you work with StoryTerrace, we handle all of the difficult technical parts of the process for you. That leaves you with the time to do the thing that only you can do: tell your story.

Once you’ve done that, our team of experts will do the rest. Let’s meet a few of them.

Our Pool of Writers

StoryTerrace has hundreds of talented writers from all over the world in our database. These include published authors, accomplished journalists, freelance writers, and a number of award winners. You can find out more about each of them on our author profile pages.

Having so many vetted writers available means you can find one who suits your style and can help you tell your story exactly the way you want to tell it. Want a writer local to you, or someone who was born in the same decade? You’ll probably be able to find one in our database.

Your chosen writer is the person you’ll be seeing the most of during your journey with StoryTerrace. They’ll be responsible for interviewing you, compiling notes, and putting together the text of your memoir. Your writer is someone you can bounce ideas off of, share memories with, and ask any questions you have about the best way to get your story across.

Our Editors

Your writer isn’t the only person who works on the text of your book. Before going to print, your memoir will also be read by one of our sharp-eyed editors. Their job is to catch any errors, flag any parts of the story that don’t quite work yet, and generally make your story as close to perfect as possible.

When you go it alone, you have to contend with finding, assessing, negotiating with, and paying a qualified editor. With StoryTerrace, editing is all part of the package. In fact, by the time you see a draft of your memoir, it’ll already have been reviewed by one of our experienced editors.

Our Designers

Now that you have the text of your memoirs, how can you transform that into a complete, bound book? This is where our design team takes the reins. Working with your photographs and your input, they’ll create a professional-quality cover and also make sure that any photos featured inside your book look the best they possibly can.

The design team is also responsible for taking the text created by you and your writer and arranging it on the page ready to be printed. That means setting margins, adding in page numbers, placing images in just the right spot, and styling your chapter headings, dedications, and annotations.

Our Printers

Once our design team has perfected your print-ready files, you’ll have the opportunity to look over a digital copy. Whereas before you only had the text of your story to work with, now you’ll be able to see everything, from the presentation to the positioning of images. This is exactly what your book will look like once it’s in print.

And if something doesn’t look quite right? Just say the word, and we’ll take care of it. Likewise, if your book is good to go, all you have to do is say so. We’ll send it off to the printer and take care of communicating print specs and shipping the finished product to you.

Our Publishing Experts

For many of our storytellers, we’ve reached the grand finale of the process. With a beautiful bound book in hand, they’re ready to share their story with friends and family, shelve it for future generations, or simply enjoy the process of revisiting their memories.

If your story is for a wider audience, though, we can also help you reach them.

If you choose not just to write but also to self-publish your book with StoryTerrace, you’ll have our team of promotional experts on hand to help. They can assist you with every part of the process, from getting your book on the virtual shelves of retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble to approaching reviewers and the press.

Promoting a book is almost as big a task as publishing one. If you’ve never done it before, it can be hard to know where to start. Working with StoryTerrace gives you instant access to our contacts and our promotional know-how — something that can give your book a boost when it needs it most.

Our Years of Experience

Between your writer, your editor, your design team, and your promotional team, you’ll be working with a group of experts who have decades of collective experience in memoir creation and book publishing. Our experience means that we handle the process smoothly and professionally.

Going it alone requires a steep learning curve, and it’s a process that can take years to master. We’re always happy to save our storytellers the time and trouble by lending them our years of experience instead.

In Conclusion

At StoryTerrace, we offer our services as a package – and it’s a package that contains a great deal of expertise and experience. Writing a book is a big job — but with the right team on your side, it doesn’t have to be a difficult one.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/hYP2KiExmoo

Ready to start writing your memoirs? Or want to talk about the possibility of publishing a book? Get in touch and schedule a quick chat to see how we can help, or sign up for our newsletter to get more updates in the future.

Premium Writer

Ana Morales is an award-winning journalist with experience in editing and ghostwriting. Originally from Venezuela, Ana graduated from the University of Zulia with a degree in journalism. She worked as a crime reporter for several years and covered stories about smuggling at the Venezuelan border. Her work also focused on education, human-interest, and community issues.

Ana moved to Texas in 2017 and is currently a freelance writer. When not working to tell amazing stories in both English and Spanish, Ana enjoys photography and literature.

ST: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I was 14 years old when I fell in love with literature. I had a magnificent Spanish teacher that introduced me to this world. At that age, I started to read novels, to understand the symbolism behind words, and to admire the creative ways that writers use to express their thoughts. That is when I decided to be a writer. Years later, when I had to choose which professional path to take, I went for journalism.

ST: Why do you enjoy writing for StoryTerrace?

StoryTerrace bloomed a new side of me as a writer. I enjoy their work structure because it makes the interview and writing process incredibly smooth. I appreciate having a conversation with the storytellers, listening to their life battles, and understanding how they’ve overcome their struggles.

ST: What is the most memorable story you've told as a writer?

I covered the story of a 9-year-old boy who had a skin condition that wouldn’t let him receive sunlight. He had severe skin and eye damage. For that reason, he lived hidden at home behind curtains, and he could go out and play only at night. When I met him, he was as happy as any other kid; he had a great sense of humor, and he sparked hope and excitement despite his condition. His testimony touched me.

ST: What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Being healthy and surrounded by my loved ones. I cannot ask for something better.

ST: What is your biggest fear?

To regret not achieving my dreams because of being tired or not having enough time.

ST: What trait do you admire most in others?

The ability to adapt to changes; especially in this unexpected 2020.

ST: If you hadn't become a writer, what career would you have right now?

Criminal investigator. I love to research, to ask what seems unclear, to visit the places where important events happened. I am always in need of checking facts.

ST: If you were writing a StoryTerrace book of your life, what would be the title and why?

If I had to write that book right now, the title would be Craving Excitement. Being a mom of small children implies having strict routines that make life more predictable and consistent. Even though this is good to keep days rolling smoothly, it is also good to walk new places and go beyond our routines.

ST: Who are your favorite writers?

Ernesto Sabato, Edgar Allan Poe, Truman Capote, and Gretchen Rubin.

ST: If you could have been born in any time or place, what would you choose?

I wouldn’t change the time, but I would change the place. I was born in a Caribbean country where it is summer all year long. Once I traveled abroad and experienced the four seasons, I loved to feel and see the change of seasons.

ST: What is your motto?

Do it despite the fear.

ST: How do you want to grow old?

I want to spend the rest of my adulthood feeling satisfied with the life story I created. I expect to grow old surrounded by my family, seeing new countries and writing as much as life lets me do it.

Lightning Round!

ST: Salty or sweet?

Sweet

ST: Morning lark or night owl?

Night owl.

ST: Truth or dare?

Dare.

ST: Summer or winter?

Winter.

ST: City or country?

City.

If you’re looking for a bilingual writer like Ana to preserve your family history, we can help! Contact StoryTerrace or sign up for our newsletter today.

Did you ever wake up wishing your life were completely different?

Daniel Szor did, so he changed everything.

Daniel’s story illustrates what happens to a person when success doesn’t add up to happiness. Daniel grew up the son of a Polish immigrant who always told his son never to work for "The Man," yet also instilled values centered around the importance of stability and security — understandable, since his father escaped the Janowska concentration camp during World War II. Daniel was taught to value freedom and creativity, yet at the same time to work hard to create a solid, stable life for himself to take advantage of all that the United States had to offer.

Daniel ended up working in finance in New York City, where he spent 26 years living the Wall Street life. "No matter how much money I made, I never remember feeling rich or even secure there," he says, "and the knowledge that this was not what I wanted to be doing with my one precious life was always in my peripheral vision." He was unable to spend quality time with his family, and he knew he wanted something more.

But then Daniel was struck by a bolt of inspiration. Looking out the window of his holiday home in the Cotswolds — the quintessential English countryside — he saw a field of barley rippling in the wind. And it hit him:

I should quit my job and open a whiskey distillery right here.

So he did. Today, the Cotswold Distilling Company is a popular tourist destination and producer of about two dozen fine whiskeys and liquors. Knowing that this was a story worth telling, Daniel decided to put his lockdown time to good use. In the spring of 2020, as the world stopped, Daniel worked with StoryTerrace to write his book.

Daniel's book - Spirit Guide: In Search of an Authentic Life - designed by StoryTerrace

"I wanted to do this for a very long time," Daniel says. Writing the book served to help Daniel burnish the Cotswold Distilling Company brand, but for Daniel, the brand is also highly personal. He approached writing the book as a process of discovery that would also allow him to process his Wall Street life — and finally lay it to rest — as he pivots fully into his role as distiller and entrepreneur.

The spring barley field that started it all

The Writing Process

Daniel never doubted that he had a book to write, but he wasn’t certain that he could get the job done on his own, especially given his time commitments to his family and his growing business. When he began to ask around for help, one of his business investors recommended StoryTerrace. "It’s a brilliant idea, just a great concept," Daniel says.

Daniel knew he wanted to work with an experienced writer to take advantage of their significant experience in writing and publishing. He marvels at how perfectly matched his writer was to his project. "The connection I had with Olivia was unbelievable," he says, recalling how they discovered many personal and familial similarities as they worked together. He also remains impressed by her writing: "I just rambled. She put it all together, and I’m still amazed by her prose."

Watch Daniel read an excerpt from his book discussing how the pandemic can be an opportunity to reassess what’s important in life: https://www.youtube.com/embed/4K_hjqK9qmM

Daniel also benefitted from additional StoryTerrace Pro services, including working with a publishing coach to format and market the book on Amazon. Daniel plans to sell copies in the distillery's gift shop as well as make it available around the world as an ebook — additional options that StoryTerrace offers to entrepreneurs who want to reach a wider audience.

The distillery today, complete with whiskey pot stills

Daniel knows he’s not the only one out there ready to examine their life and take charge of their destiny. "I would be hard-pressed to say there's anyone that doesn’t have a story in them worth being told," he says. "StoryTerrace makes it doable. It’s a great, life-changing legacy."

The Cotswold Distilling Company has grown from a wisp of an idea to a destination for vacationers and serious whiskey fans alike. Daniel's dedication and attention to detail has led him to create a niche single-malt whiskey, finish writing his first book, and create a life worth living.

We can’t wait to see what he does next.

Daniel signing copies of his finished book at his company HQ in the Cotswolds

You can find out more about Daniel's unique story on his website. Are you an entrepreneur with an amazing business story to share? Contact StoryTerrace to learn more about how professional writing services can be an integral part of your marketing plan. You can also sign up for our newsletter to read more inspiring stories from StoryTerrace clients.

Writing a business book is a powerful way to add value to your business and grow your personal brand. When you are passionate about your work and believe your knowledge can truly help people, a book will help you stand out, spread your message, and build visibility for your company.

Whether you are an entrepreneur, executive, coach, consultant, or inventor, publishing a book in your name will help boost your reputation as a thought leader and provide many additional benefits for your business overall.

1. It Positions You as an Expert in Your Field

Authoring a book provides you with extra authority and credibility in your industry and beyond. It shows you are serious about what you do and are ready to teach the world what you know. In today's business climate, credibility matters: Research from BrightLocal found that 86 percent of all customers check reviews for online businesses before they make a purchase.

With this in mind, your potential customers will be able to see that you mean business by having a book. It will build that crucial trust factor with them, giving them reassurance that they are investing their money in the right person.

2. Your Readers Could Become Customers

Dr. Adam Abodeely, a board-certified surgeon based in New York, had been treating patients with medical cannabis for years before putting his knowledge into a book with the help of StoryTerrace. A Surgeon's Perspective on the Science and Truth of Cannabis has helped Dr. Abodeely attract new customers for his CBD products. He explains:

“The book has helped me in several aspects; it's helped my business grow, but it's also helped me gain credibility in this industry. It has also helped me tremendously with sales of our current product line ... it's provided a great resource for patients and consumers to try and figure out if medical cannabis is something they would benefit from.”

No matter what niche you work in, publishing your own book can help boost visibility of your products and services and have a direct impact on sales.

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Our client Dr. Adam Abodeely established himself as a thought leader by publishing his book with StoryTerrace's assistance.

3. You’ll Generate PR Opportunities

Whether you hire a PR agency or take charge of your own publicity, having a new book out is a great opportunity to generate press coverage for you and your business. Newspapers, websites, TV stations, podcasts, bloggers, and social media influencers are always looking for new stories and content. If your book has a fresh outlook that pushes your industry forward, you'll have a greater chance of getting press coverage — and that’s worth its weight in gold.

4. You Can Use Your Book for Content Marketing

It takes many hours to write and refine your book, so you’ll be glad to know that your gems of wisdom don’t have to be limited to its pages.

The same content that you create for your book can also be repurposed and used across your marketing channels. For example, you could post photos of people holding your book on your social media channels or use excerpts in email newsletters to give your subscribers a taste of what they can expect.

You could also create an online course, blog posts, ebooks, webinars, and podcasts built around the themes you have covered in your book. No need to reinvent the wheel! This will save you lots of time, help you to nurture and engage your audience, and give potential customers even more opportunities to discover you.

Dr. Charles Redd created his book Don't Stop Now through StoryTerrace. He's since gone on to self-publish his book through Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Waterstones, and promotes his work through podcasts.

5. You’ll Enjoy Additional Revenue Streams

While your book could be an additional revenue source to your core business through sales alone, you can also harness it to build additional streams of income. For example, you could create a series of ticketed webinars, an app, or use it to land speaking engagements. You could also use your book as a platform from which to build out consulting services.

Diversifying your revenue streams means more security for you and your business, which is especially important in today's climate. And if you're looking for investors, your book could help position your company as a more attractive option to potential backers.

With our StoryTerrace Pro service, we support you at every stage of your business book, from matching you with the perfect ghostwriter through to cover design, publication, and promotion. Our team turns your one-of-a-kind idea into a beautiful, professional book to promote your business or personal brand.

Are you ready to write your business book? Get in touch to arrange a chat with our friendly team, or join our mailing list for more updates about StoryTerrace Pro.

Self-publishing is the act of publishing and promoting a book yourself, rather than working with a traditional publisher. Just a decade ago self-published books were almost unheard of, but in recent years self-publishing has been on the rise in a big way.

Self-published books have recently won literary awards, have been turned into films, and have even become cultural phenomena.

At StoryTerrace, our mission is to help ordinary people tell their stories. In many cases our clients want to keep those stories private, sharing them only with friends and family. When someone does have a story they want to share with the wider world, though, our self-publishing service helps them do just that.

Why Publish?

There are many reasons to publish your memoirs. First and foremost, publishing makes your story accessible: Complete strangers can pick up your book and be inspired, educated or entertained by your life experience. A desire to share your outlook on life is a good enough reason alone to want to publish.

There’s also the added benefit that, once your story is out in the world, anything can happen. Your book might end up in stores. You might be invited to speak about it at events, or see yourself profiled in a local paper. Publishing a book is the first step of a big adventure.

Why Self-Publish?

Seeking out a traditional publisher for your memoirs is possible, but it’s very tricky. Traditional publishers have to be extremely selective about what they select. In a given year, a publisher might choose only a dozen titles out of the thousands sent to them by hopeful authors.

Self-publishing puts you in the driver's seat. You won’t have to deal with a complex contract, and you’ll have the final say when it comes to things like your book cover and title. Plus, you get to keep 100% of the royalties from every sale when you self-publish.

The Self-Publishing Process

It takes several steps to turn a manuscript into a book. Here are the most important ones to understand.

Editing

The first step in publishing a book is to get your manuscript into the best possible shape. A professional editor will read through and catch all the grammar and spelling errors you might have missed. They’ll also tell you when a section of your story doesn’t quite work and suggest ways to fix it.

You can find an editor for your book via the Editorial Freelancers Association, or through sites like Upwork and PeoplePerHour. Working with an editor should be a collaborative process, so pick one you like and trust. Their input will help shape your book into a story that you can be confident in.

Typesetting

Next, you need to format your manuscript so it’s ready to be printed — or uploaded to eBook distributors like Amazon. Great typesetting is an art. A good typesetter will make sure that your book doesn’t have any printing errors and will also adjust spacing so that the text looks great on the page.

You’ll need to typeset your print edition and also format an eBook edition as a separate file. If you feel like taking on the challenge of typesetting yourself, you can do so with a desktop publishing package like Microsoft Publisher or Scribus — or, again, you can look to the EFA for professional help.

Cover Design

They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but everyone does. That’s why covers are still hugely important. The cover image tells a potential reader about the tone and genre of your book before they even pick it up.

A professional cover designer is the way to go. Find one with experience in your genre, and give them as much input as you can. You can send along notes, sketches, and mock-ups to convey your ideas. Your cover designer will turn these into a finished, eye-catching design.

To find a cover designer you can explore a dedicated cover design agency or designer-for-hire sites like Freelancer.com. You can also tackle your cover design yourself using our bookmaker toolkit — the same software we’ve used to put the finishing touches on more than 1,000 memoirs.

Printing

Once you have all these elements in place, you can send your files off to a printer. They’ll get back to you with a single “proof,” or sample copy. Once you approve that, your book will officially be in production.

If you want your story to be available as an eBook, now’s the time to upload it. There are many eBook retailers out there, but only a few big ones that you’ll definitely want to include. Among them are:

• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble
• Apple Books
• Kobo
• Google Play Books
• Smashwords

Each retailer has different guidelines for the files you’ll upload. You can find the exact specifications on their websites.

Promotion

Promotion is an ongoing step. Throughout the self-publishing process, you’ll want to dedicate as much energy as you can to getting the word out about your book. That means:

• Posting on social media
• Getting in touch with local news outlets
• Putting together flyers for local bookstores
• Contacting reviewers to get reviews and cover quotes
• Seeing if the theme of your book ties in with seasonal celebrations
• Thinking about organizing a launch event
• Booking targeted online adverts

These are just a few ideas, of course. There are nearly limitless things you can do to promote your memoir. The more smart, targeted promotion you do, the more copies you’ll sell. A lot of authors neglect promotion, but for a really successful book you should make it part of your plan from the start.

How Can StoryTerrace Help?

While there’s a lot that’s great about self-publishing your memoir, it’s not necessarily an easy process — especially if you’re new to publishing. If you’re unsure about tackling the self-publishing journey solo, StoryTerrace can help.

If you like, we can take care of the whole process from beginning to end — everything from interviewing you and writing your memoir to printing your book and putting together a promotion package. All you have to do is decide how you want your story to be told, give your input and ideas, and approve everything before it goes to print.

Alternatively, you can take a more hands-on approach. We’ll provide marketing support and coach you through the more complicated parts of the process. We’ll make formatting and printing simple, so you can focus on the more enjoyable and less technical parts of being an author.

As one of the largest memoir-writing organizations in the world, we’ve had a great deal of experience making beautiful books, and getting them out there into the hands of readers.

With our self-publishing service, those years of experience are at your disposal. Self-publishing is a long and sometimes complicated road to follow, but it’s also a hugely rewarding one. With our experts on your side, it’s not a road you have to walk alone.

Read about our bespoke services from Fortune 500 business leader Dr. Charles Redd, a client of ours who went on to self-publish his book Don't Stop Now through a range of outlets, including Waterstones, Amazon and Barnes & Noble:

"I wanted to inspire and motivate my readers in finding their purpose and passion for their career and personal journey. StoryTerrace was able to assist me in sharing my personal journey and professional experience in my book, Don't Stop Now. If you've been thinking about sharing your personal journey and leaving a legacy for others, then I strongly recommend StoryTerrace to assist you in bringing it all together."

Think that self-publishing your memoirs could be part of your story? If so, schedule a time for a quick chat about our self-publishing services. Alternatively, sign up for our newsletter for more updates!

Premium Writer

Amarpreet Basi

Amarpreet Basi is a rare breed of writer with experience in finance and IT as well as the humanities.

Though he always enjoyed writing as a child, he temporarily abandoned those ambitions to work in more technical fields. However, his passion for writing was rekindled by a chance encounter with Richard Yates’ novel Revolutionary Road.

One of Amarpreet's short stories was included in an anthology called Never Wicked. It was put together as a charity project for The Mayhew Organisation, an animal rescue service. All of the stories had an animal theme, and Amarpreet's was called 'Rat Love'. The compilation book has since been published on Amazon.

Amarpreet has since earned a master’s degree in Creative Writing from City College and is working on a novel. His writing has been praised as "delicately rich," and he puts his fine prose to work for his StoryTerrace projects as well. Amarpreet resides in London with his partner Sonia and two cats Max and Emi.

Amarpreet at his first home in Leamington Spa

ST: When did you first realise you wanted to be a writer?

When I was a boy. I can’t pinpoint it to a single moment of realisation. Back then I wanted to be so many things. Musician and film director were among my ambitions. Creativity was obviously the overarching theme of these hopes.

ST: Why do you enjoy writing for StoryTerrace?

StoryTerrace editors are friendly, accessible, and supportive. As a writer, nothing is imposed upon you — you are afforded the trust and mental space to create the book you feel best represents the client.

ST: If you were writing a StoryTerrace book of your life, what would be the title and why?

Cape Hill. It’s the name of a high street in Birmingham where my parents owned a grocery store. That store is where I lived for much of my childhood and teenage years. It was a ramshackle building in a rundown part of town. I used to enjoy losing myself in its vastness — from the dusty wine cellar to the pigeon-haunted attic. It was fun to pretend all these spaces were corners of an enormous cosmos — they were the grand backdrops to the silly comic-book dramas I played out with my action figures.

ST: Describe StoryTerrace in 3 words.

Intimate, supportive, exciting.

ST: What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Living somewhere cosy and peaceful with my family.

ST: What trait do you admire most in others?

Equanimity.

ST: Who are your favourite writers?

Richard Yates, Yukio Mishima, Cormac McCarthy, Irvine Welsh, Eckhart Tolle, Yuval Hurari, and Camille Paglia. I’m sure there’s more that I’ve forgotten about at the moment.

ST: If you could have been born in any time or place, what would you choose?

Japan. Not sure what era I’d choose: It’s a toss-up between the modern day or the Edo period. The country fascinates me. I’ve been there twice and I’m constantly reading up about its history. I’m also trying to learn the language, albeit very slowly.

ST: What is your motto?

The Golden Rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Amarpreet visiting a tranquil temple in Kyoto in 2017

The Lightning Round!

ST: Salty or sweet?

Sweet.

ST: Truth or dare?

Daring to tell the truth.

ST: Paperback or e-reader?

Both are fine.

ST: Summer or winter?

Autumn.

ST: City or country?

Country with easy and quick access to the city.

If you’re interested in having a creative writer like Amarpreet write your life story, contact StoryTerrace or sign up for our newsletter to learn more about the process today.

If you've ever had the experience of watching your parents tell stories about their youth to your own children, you know exactly how magical it is to share family history and build connections across the generations.

But if you're like most people, you may not know as much about your parents' lives as you would like to — but you definitely do know that you want to find out more about their past and preserve a slice of your heritage for posterity.

And if the pandemic has taught us anything, it's that time is of the essence.

It's one thing to want to capture your parents' life story. It's another thing entirely to tackle that big project. What's the best way to get it done? How long will it take?

How can you possibly find the time to record, preserve, and share your parents' stories when you have all the rest of your responsibilities to deal with?

We have a solution.

Our client Nalini Pillay - who purchased a biography package for her father Jothie - is now starting on a second book for her mother.Professional Writers for Regular People

If you've ever browsed a bookstore — online or in person — you know that famous people write books about themselves all the time. They don't have more hours in the day than you do, but they do have a secret weapon: a professional writer.

Even so-called autobiographies usually have a ghostwriter to help get the job done. The professional writer listens to the famous person tell all of their stories and then turns their words into a full book. Great ghostwriters know how to make it sound like the subject of the autobiography did all of the writing themselves by listening carefully to their voice and capturing their style on the page.

But did you know that there are ghostwriters for ordinary folk?

StoryTerrace works with a team of carefully vetted professional writers who are interested in working with normal, everyday folks to capture their life stories. We match you up with a writer who has experience and interests that are a good fit for the type of book you want to write. From humorous tales of the "good old days" to full family histories, these experienced biographers do the heavy lifting to capture your parents' priceless words.

We've put together a user-friendly process that allows for hours of personal interviews with your professional writer, who then turns their extensive notes and audio files into a complete book. Each chapter contains the most important stories of your loved one's life and includes all of the priceless photos from the past that you wish to include. The result is a beautiful, hardcover book that you can keep forever — and give copies to anyone you'd like.

StoryTerrace takes a writing process once reserved for the rich and famous and makes it available for everyone.

A selection of our talented writers at StoryTerrace, from across the world.

The Benefits of Working With a Professional Writer

Why should you choose a professional writer for a project about your family? Glad you asked!

You'll Save Time: If you're like most people, you very much want to honor your parents and preserve all of their memories, but you are just too busy to do this project justice. When you are tasked with caring for aging parents, raising your own children, and supporting everyone else who relies on you, there's not a lot of time left to write a book or even just get old photos into an album.

You'll Enjoy Professional Project Management: StoryTerrace takes charge of the entire process of writing your parents' biography, from finding the writer to keeping tabs on revisions and having the book sent to the printer. You won't have to waste time researching next steps or playing phone tag — we take care of all of the logistics.

You'll Give the Gift of Self-Reflection: Experienced writers know how to draw out the best stories from their subjects — including ones you may not have even known about. They know how to ask the right questions to get at the "hidden" memories and revive the most interesting details to create a full, vivid scene. The interview is a gift in itself, as it provides priceless hours of reflection for your parents as they tell their stories.

You'll Get More Than Just a Collection of Anecdotes: Anyone can record a few of your parents' favorite stories and transcribe the "greatest hits" that have been retold countless times. But great writers know how to sift through your family history to highlight themes and ideas that will resonate for generations. They turn a collection of stories into a history that reveals who someone really is, not just what they've done.

You'll Have a Keepsake to Treasure for Years to Come: Though many storytellers most value the interview process as a life-changing experience, you'll also have a physical book as a permanent keepsake to enjoy. These are worthy of a place of honor in your home and can be passed down to future generations to cement your parents' legacy and ensure they are never forgotten.

One of our Premium writers, Diana Holquist, is a bestselling author whose work has been published by Hachette Book Group and Penguin Random House.

Finding the Right Writer

StoryTerrace makes it easy for everyone to find an outstanding ghostwriter for their personal projects. We know that when it comes to family histories and autobiographies, it's so important to have the right fit.

To help you get started, we've developed a new Writer Search Tool to pair you with the best writers based on your needs. With just a few quick questions about your location, interviewing style, budget, and book preferences, we can narrow the field to make the writer selection process easier than ever. It's the fastest way to finally get started on capturing your parents' stories for good.

Ready to find the ideal writer to interview your parents? Try our Writer Search Tool now, or sign up for our newsletter for more helpful tips to learn more about the process of writing and publishing your priceless family stories.

Every couple has a story of how they first met.

One of my great professional pleasures is interviewing StoryTerrace customers to find out more about their amazing life stories. Each one is different and completely fascinating in its own way, but I must admit I have a soft spot for the love stories. There’s something so inspiring about sitting down with a couple and hearing them finish each other’s sentences as they recount the history of their relationship.

And so it was with Alex and Barbara Lutkus. Though we weren’t face to face for our talk, I could still hear their deep connection in their voices on the line as they told me about their 50-year marriage.

Alex and Barbara’s StoryTerrace biography.

Alex and Barbara, like so many storytellers before them, received their StoryTerrace package as a gift from their daughter. "She discovered the service through a neighbor," Barbara recalls. The couple received their StoryTerrace gift to mark their fiftieth wedding anniversary and completed a series of four interviews with a professional writer this past spring.

When asked if the pandemic made working with a writer more challenging, Alex had no complaints. They each sent the writer prepared thoughts ahead of time and then answered follow-up questions over the phone. "We just followed the process," Alex recalls. "She always kept us informed of the progress."

One Marriage, Two Voices

Alex and Barbara on their wedding day in Oakland, California in 1971.

From the moment they met, Alex and Barbara had two distinct voices. As Alex tells it in the book, he was initially attracted to Barbara due to her London accent, which floated to him on the air through a crowded club. Their relationship is the story of blending two unique backgrounds — she's from England, he's from New York City — as they settled together in California, thousands of miles from where either grew up.

In their StoryTerrace book, Barbara and Alex chose to maintain their two voices. Each section of the book is devoted to an era in their lives, but the writer cleverly crafted the book so that the narration bounces back and forth between Alex and Barbara. In this way, the readers — which will eventually include the couple's grandchildren — get a good sense of exactly what each of them was thinking as they met, married, and began their life together.

Some Valentine’s Day Advice

By the time Alex introduced Barbara to his family in New York City in 1969, he knew he would propose.

I spoke to Alex and Barbara in February, so I couldn't resist asking them to share some advice to other couples for Valentine’s Day. Barbara didn’t hesitate: "Enjoy the time on your own as much as possible first," she says, listing traveling and time with friends as important parts of a well-rounded life. "The fact that we were 29 and 30 when we got married was huge because the older you are, the more you appreciate what you have."

Alex agrees. "If you’re young, naive, and immature, that’s a bad time to get married. You’ll know when you’re ready."

On Making Love Last

Alex and Barbara celebrating Thanksgiving with their children and grandchildren in California.

Five decades of marriage is an incredible milestone, so I asked Barbara and Alex about the secret to staying together for so many years. For Alex, communication is key: "Talk to each other — a lot," he says. "You want to develop plans and stay in tune with each other so that you’re doing things together, not separately."

Barbara was a bit more philosophical. "There are many reasons we’re still together," she says, "but above all, we both began with the determination that we expected it to last."

And so it did.

Does your family have an amazing love story to tell? StoryTerrace can help you get it down on paper to preserve it forever. To find out more about working with our professional writers, get in touch today or sign up for our newsletter to read more real-life stories from our customers.

5 Tips for Writing Your Life Story

1. Gather Old Photos to Jog Your MemoryDig up old photos and make notes to help recall past events.

2. Break Your Life Into Personal ErasDivide your life into distinct periods or "chapters" to make the task more manageable.

3. Find Your ThemeChoose a central theme or message to guide your story and focus on relevant anecdotes.

4. Write a Little Bit Each DaySet aside a specific time each day to write, building a steady habit.

5. Find a Trusted Sounding BoardDiscuss your progress and ideas with a friend for accountability and feedback.

How StoryTerrace Can HelpIf writing alone feels overwhelming, consider working with a StoryTerrace ghostwriter to transform your memories into a well-crafted memoir.

Ready to start writing? Contact StoryTerrace or sign up for our newsletter for more tips.