“My family threw me a surprise 70th birthday party, and what blew my mind was the gift of my family story gathered in a hardcover book,” said Debbie, a DIYBook gift recipient.
Debbie always wanted to learn more about her family and preserve that story for future generations. But she never had the time to do the research or write it all down. She wanted to know how her grandparents came to America and learn more about their origins. There were some surprises in store.
Writing the family story
“I always thought my family was German,” Debbie said. “My son uncovered records that showed my family was from Poland! And with DIYBook, my son Mike was able to compile the family story and all his research in one place.”
Mike used many DIYBook resources to fill in some of the gaps in the narrative. “Though I had the family’s geological record, I didn’t know exactly how to write it all down in an interesting way. I didn’t want the book to just be a list of dates and places,” he said. “The prompts in the family story section were a big help, and I liked uploading pictures and putting them directly onto the pages where I wanted them to go!”
Writing help on demand
After Mike finished writing, he wanted an extra pair of eyes on his project. “I’m not a professional writer, and I wanted this to be really special for my mom and future generations of our family. I booked five hours with a DIYBook professional ghostwriter who reviewed my manuscript for style and flow. She had some great tips on how to make the story more readable and enjoyable.”
“Now, thanks to DIYBook, our family story is safely preserved for generations to come,” said Debbie. “I am forever grateful to my son for taking the initiative to use this program and preserving our legacy.”
Barbara Basbanes Richter founded DIYBook, an affordable and easy-to-use book writing program. She also founded In Ink Ghostwriting, a full-service ghostwriting firm helping politicians, pundits, scientists, CEOs, professional athletes, and others get their stories into print.
Under her own byline, Barbara’s writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Daily News, The Vineyard Gazette, Humanities, The Sewanee Review, Fine Books & Collections, Literary Features Syndicate, High Country News, Ravishly.com, Westchester Magazine, and other outlets.
Barbara is a fluent French speaker, and her translation from French to English of Mademoiselle de Malepeire was called a “clever, inspiring gem.”
