| What sort of book fits you?
Here are examples (ask to see some) of what you could create with Private Biographer's help:
A) A "Best-Of" album, by-hand-leatherbound, in as many copies as you have family members, presenting the most artistic and/or significant of your family photos, enlarged to full-page size (or oversize). Sometimes the art is well-hidden in old pictures you never envisioned enlarged. Other photo selections are obvious, but need some restoration or color correction. Each would be captioned with as much copy as needed to put the shot in context. At the back would be a CD in a leather pocket, containing the whole book's contents. Such an object is less conspicuous than a wall-full of framed photos, but easier to see, on one's lap. The essential captions enjoyed by readers aren't usually included in wall-hung photos except at museums.
B) Grandpa is no longer with us, but three hundred letters arrived when he died, many extolling his wonderful nature and qualities. Instead of putting these into a shoebox to be eventually tossed by a punk heir-in-a-hurry, extract the best comments and organize them by date, era, nature, etc. Put them in a website and/or just a bound book which can circulate among family and friends. Include relevant photos, scanned, digitized, and cleaned-up for the ages. Before publishing, circulate paper or electronic drafts so additions and corrections can be made.
C) Your beloved house was torn down to make way for newcomers. Put the best photos – or all the photos featuring your "Tara" (GWTW) into chronological order for the kids. Enlarge the best for hidden details.
D) A loved one dies suddenly and it's impractical to assemble far-flung friends for a celebration-of-life service. Instead, have Private Biographer do a FaceBook page and invite friends to contribute reminiscences, to celebrate, to grieve instantaneously and without limitation. Call the Biographer for access to detailed examples of this novel and permanent way to create a "working model" of the departed.
E) Take all your photos from all branches of the family and put them in sequence (after digitization – it's done on a screen with "thumbnail" versions). Attach captions electronically so the photo is always identified. Extract particular parts of the photos which relate to organization other than chronological (for example, family-tree mugshots). Show the pictures, enlarged, to elders and get more captions and corroborations. Update the captions. Produce DVD versions of the results for particular branches of the family. Produce visual, portrait-based family trees for the kids.
F) You have a houseful of antiques. Have Personal Biographer make a proper videotape of you describing each one's provenance for your heirs and insurance purposes. Put the results onto DVD and distribute. If you just want one for the safe-deposit box, perhaps specify who-gets-what (after you make your ultimate change-of-address).
G) You or your family have built a business; the kids think money grows on trees. Private Biographer assembles and makes a compelling story of what seem to be scrambled videotapes, speeches, clippings, and photos. The story's theme is the principle on which the business was built. Copies are scooped up by hundreds of employees, friends, and family.
H) A son or daughter dies young, and the grandchildren have no idea of the catastrophe this was/is for a family. A solid book of photos, interviews, artwork, clippings, even yearbook-inscription extracts – builds a model of the lost one's essence. Thumbing through the book is like a sweet visit at one's own pace. Clients find this is different from a video slideshow, which may not allow time for lingering, and may use "off-the-rack" music.
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