Along with my literary pursuits, I also enjoy restoring vintage furniture. In 2002, I was poking around an abandoned farmhouse in Tennessee when I discovered a 19th-century handmade oak chest.

The item was covered in decades’ worth of dust, dirt, and animal droppings. The brass hinges were tarnished and rusty and the keyless lock was nonfunctional.

The only items found inside were a few bloated cans of factory-packed meat from the early 1960s. One had ruptured and spilled its contents, creating both a ghastly black stain and an odorous, mold-covered mass.

Most people might have closed the chest in disgust and walked away. But I saw its potential beneath its imperfections. I tracked down the owner and purchased the item for two dollars.

It took weeks of diligent cleaning and loving care, but I ultimately restored the antique to its original glory. My wife and I proudly displayed the chest in our home for over a decade before donating it to a charity auction, where it fetched more than $1000 for cancer research.

This simple story is an analogy for my approach to biographical writing. After all, everyone has moments in their life that are worth sharing with the world. The challenge is to uncover those precious treasures, so that others can see the amazing details in what otherwise may seem like a rather ordinary life.

To accomplish this goal, I will use my considerable writing skills to polish, refine, and perfect every word of your book. The result will be a treasured keepsake that your loved ones will return to again and again for inspiration and epiphanies. What better way to build a legacy that will stand the test of time?