{"id":4727,"date":"2022-04-30T19:51:29","date_gmt":"2022-05-01T00:51:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.circalegacy.com\/?p=4727"},"modified":"2023-11-08T15:32:13","modified_gmt":"2023-11-08T21:32:13","slug":"compare-four-companies-that-record-your-family-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.circalegacy.com\/compare-four-companies-that-record-your-family-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"Compare Four Companies That Record Your Family Stories"},"content":{"rendered":"

Congratulations on taking the amazing step to record your family stories!\u00a0 Your decision to preserve your family’s unique memories and experiences is a testament to the profound impact these stories can have on current and future generations.<\/p>\n

Compare Options to Record Your Family Stories<\/h3>\n

Many companies, including mine<\/a>, want to help you record your family stories.\u00a0 Some companies create books, others create videos.\u00a0 Some are inexpensive, some are an investment.<\/p>\n

When deciding what company to partner with to record your family stories, there are a few factors to take into consideration.\u00a0 Remember to prioritize your specific needs and the abilities of the loved ones you’d like to record. Older generations may prefer a face-to-face experience, instead of trying to type their memories through an online program. Conversely, family members who are tech-savvy and enjoy written communications might want to write their own memories.<\/p>\n

Research each company’s background, experience, and reputation in the industry.\u00a0 Look for testimonials or reviews from previous clients to gauge the quality of their services and customer satisfaction.<\/p>\n

Next, consider the range of services offered by each company.\u00a0 Some may specialize in audio recordings, while others provide video production.\u00a0 Evaluate the technology and equipment they use.\u00a0 High-quality recording equipment can significantly impact the audio or video output.\u00a0 Assess your needs and choose a company that aligns with your desired format and goals.<\/p>\n

Another factor to consider is customization and personalization options.\u00a0 Some companies allow you to tailor the experience to your family’s unique preferences.\u00a0 Options like personalized interview questions or one-of-a-kind book design might appeal more to you than off-the-shelf options.<\/p>\n

Finally, take a quick look at their customer support, samples and portfolio, recommendations and referrals, and of course, their pricing and packaging options.\u00a0 Assess everything that is included in each package, like the number of interviews, editing services, length of interviews, number of books you receive, etc.\u00a0 This is a lasting family heirloom.\u00a0 Something that future family members will read and interact with.\u00a0 Choose the service and end-product that align best with your goals.<\/p>\n

Companies That Record Your Family Stories<\/h2>\n

Circa Legacy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Circa Legacy was founded in 2020 in Nevada, Iowa.\u00a0 The mission of Circa Legacy is to help families define their legacy and keep their stories from disappearing.\u00a0 The company is owned by me, Keesia Wirt.\u00a0 I have 25+ years of journalism, writing, and interviewing experience.\u00a0 I started this company, in part, because of the tremendous regret I feel about not recording and preserving any legacy stories from my two grandmas, Betty and Maxine<\/a>.\u00a0 Circa Legacy offers several services, depending on your needs and budget<\/a> from four-hour interview sessions with you or a loved one up to a full-service custom book package that includes virtual video interviews, writing your stories, and custom book design and printing.\u00a0 We offer a three-month production schedule.<\/p>\n

What makes my company different than the competitors? Two things set me apart:<\/p>\n

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  1. I provide free resources<\/a> and how-to guides<\/a> to help you do this project all by yourself, if that’s what you choose.\u00a0 There’s no catch.\u00a0 I know preserving your family stories can be expensive, but that shouldn’t prevent anyone from doing it.\u00a0 So, I compiled everything I’ve learned from 25 years of writing and interviewing people into the helpful articles and guides on my website.<\/li>\n
  2. I will interview you or a loved one through virtual interview sessions.\u00a0 It’s more than just hitting the “record” button and transcribing everything you or they say.\u00a0 I work with the families to determine what stories and experiences they want to record, so we’re sure to capture those in the interviews. I also allow the interviewee to open up and talk about their experiences and accomplishments, asking for details and encouraging them throughout the interviews. I always uncover facts and details that the family has never heard before.\u00a0 Sometimes it just takes having a friendly stranger asking the questions to get you or a loved one to really open up.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    4-Hour Interview Package:<\/a> $500<\/p>\n

    Interview Package, plus Writing Package:<\/a> $1,500<\/p>\n

    Full-Service Custom Book Package<\/a>: $2,800<\/p>\n

    Story Terrace<\/h3>\n

    Story Terrace<\/a> started in 2014 and is located in Beverly Hills, California.\u00a0 According to its website, its mission is: “A biographer for every person.”\u00a0 Story Terrace ghostwrites your biography.\u00a0 It’s an impressive service that allows you to choose one of 600 different writers to interview you and craft your life story.\u00a0 You will receive a finished, hard cover book at the end of the project.<\/p>\n

    Their target customer: People who want to capture their own life story.<\/p>\n

    Story Terrace is my closest competitor. They offer three tiers of service: compact (a junior writer interviews you), complete (a senior writer interviews you), or novella level (a premium writer interviews you).\u00a0 I have not tried their services, but you can read some reviews on their site to see what other’s think of the experience.\u00a0 They have a seven-month production schedule.<\/p>\n

    Custom book projects with a premium writer: $9,050<\/p>\n

    StoryWorth<\/h3>\n

    StoryWorth<\/a> started in 2013 and is in Claymont, Delaware.\u00a0 According to the site, their mission is: “Preserving family history, one memory at a time.”\u00a0 StoryWorth will email your loved one a different question each week for a year, and send their answers to you and other family members.\u00a0 After 12 months, they bundle all those memories together into a black-and-white book.\u00a0 It’s a great concept and a very inexpensive option compared to custom books.<\/p>\n

    Their target customer: Children and grandchildren of seniors who have good stories to share.<\/p>\n

    But, there are some trade-offs with the low price.\u00a0 It’s up to your loved one to actually answer the questions…\u00a0 \u00a0Some of my customers said their parents and grandparents good naturedly complained that the gift felt more like homework.\u00a0 Without a professional interviewer to ask questions, you may not get as many details with the stories.\u00a0 Finally, there’s no one to curate and write the memories into a compelling and interesting story.\u00a0 So, the final memories may not be as deep or interesting as you wished.\u00a0 But, they will be saved and recorded, which is important!<\/p>\n

    One-year subscription to StoryWorth: $99<\/p>\n

    A Life Untold<\/h3>\n

    A Life Untold<\/a> started around 2019 by a husband\/wife team in Australia.\u00a0 Like other companies in this market, they offer a low-effort, low-expense option for recording family stories.\u00a0 A Life Untold sends you or a loved one 101 thought-provoking questions to answer.\u00a0 They combine the questions and answers, along with some photos into a templated book and send you a hard copy.<\/p>\n

    According to their website, their mission is: “To make it easy, fun, and affordable for absolutely anyone to write and print their life story into a beautiful book.”\u00a0 This company’s approach is very similar to StoryWorth with all the same benefits and cons.<\/p>\n

    Their target customer: Children and grandchildren of seniors who have good stories to share.<\/p>\n

    Cost of a finished book: $199<\/p>\n

    June 2023 update: I’m adding two bonus companies to the list for you to compare!<\/em><\/p>\n

    Positive Emissions Life Documentaries<\/h3>\n

    This is an insanely cool idea and it is run by a very cool woman here in Iowa.\u00a0 Brittany is as passionate about family stories as me and I am so excited for what she’s doing!\u00a0 Positive Emissions<\/a> will create real-life documentaries about your love ones’ life stories with filmed interviews and photography.<\/p>\n

    Brittany is such a talented photographer and videographer (I can say that from experience!).\u00a0 She has four session types you can choose from: life legacy documentary, love story documentary (so perfect for a couple celebrating a big anniversary!), a serious illness life documentary, and portrait sessions.<\/p>\n

    Cost of a session: Email Brittany to discuss<\/p>\n

    Tribute<\/h3>\n

    Tribute<\/a> is a video-recording service started in 2013 that’s based in Brooklyn, NY.\u00a0 This company allows users to create video montages to celebrate important occasions.\u00a0 Users can upload many different videos created by friends and family, edit them together, and send a finished video tribute to their loved one.<\/p>\n

    It’s a very different offering than the other companies listed, but people often mention it for recording family stories.\u00a0\u00a0You might have heard of or participated in a Tribute recording during the Covid-19 pandemic.\u00a0 It was a very popular option for celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and other events when people could not get together in person.<\/p>\n

    Their website says: “We are on a mission to spread gratitude in the world.”<\/p>\n

    Cost of one Concierge video editing service: $99<\/p>\n

    Why It’s Important to Record Your Family Stories<\/h3>\n

    If you’re on the fence about investing in these services, here are a few of the benefits of capturing and preserving your family’s stories:<\/p>\n