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Start & Run a Personal History Business: Get Paid to Research Family Ancestry and Write Memoirs
Communities, families, and even corporations are increasingly seeking out professional writers and historians to record their stories. For anyone who is interested in personal history and writing, this is an essential resource for turning your passion into an income source. Written by experienced personal historian and entrepreneur Jennifer Campbell, it covers topics suchs how to actually do the work, starting up, education and training, marketing and expansion. All books in the Self-Counsel Press Start & Run series are written in clear language and includes a CD-ROM packed with resources and templates to help you get started. Includes a template for a first project, so anyone can get started! The CD-Rom includes a template for a first project, so anyone can get started! - a sample business plan - examles of a family tree - a sample marketing plan - examples of personal history research - and more!
- GenresReference
200 pages, Paperback
First published November 16, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 23, 2013
There are thousands of books on how to write and how to make money writing. And there are thousands of books of memoirs and how to write memoirs. This is the only book I’ve found on how to turn writing memoirs into a business.
Whether they are called memoirists, lifestory writers, or personal historians, they do the same work: “help people tell their life stories and publish them.” Campbell takes readers through the essentials of getting paid for their work:
What you need to succeed.
Who your clients are.
Where to find clients.
How to price your product for profit.
Finding your niche.
Communicating the value of your services.
How to market yourself.
Sales and public speaking.
Ongoing education.
Listening and interviewing.
No educational degrees or coursework are required to become a personal historian; only a strong enjoyment of dealing with people, gathering information, and being creative. People with all kinds of backgrounds get into this business: teachers, writers, broadcasters, counselors, health-care workers, genealogists, scrapbookers, and people involved in eldercare.
Campbell says a personal history business has low overhead, your office can be anywhere in the world, the work is important and satisfying, there are few barriers, and it’s a young industry with unlimited potential. It can be a part-time business or a full-time business. The essential thing about making it work is to have a business plan.
Whether they are called memoirists, lifestory writers, or personal historians, they do the same work: “help people tell their life stories and publish them.” Campbell takes readers through the essentials of getting paid for their work:
What you need to succeed.
Who your clients are.
Where to find clients.
How to price your product for profit.
Finding your niche.
Communicating the value of your services.
How to market yourself.
Sales and public speaking.
Ongoing education.
Listening and interviewing.
No educational degrees or coursework are required to become a personal historian; only a strong enjoyment of dealing with people, gathering information, and being creative. People with all kinds of backgrounds get into this business: teachers, writers, broadcasters, counselors, health-care workers, genealogists, scrapbookers, and people involved in eldercare.
Campbell says a personal history business has low overhead, your office can be anywhere in the world, the work is important and satisfying, there are few barriers, and it’s a young industry with unlimited potential. It can be a part-time business or a full-time business. The essential thing about making it work is to have a business plan.
September 25, 2015
As a researching, family historian and writer, this book is my "go-to" for helpful information in the personal history business. It's so important to document everyday people living ordinary lives because, in truth, they are more extraordinary than you might imagine.
August 2, 2017
This is the go-to book for those interested in exploring what it takes to develop a successful personal history business. Jennifer offers a practical, step-by-step approach no matter what specialty you choose to pursue. I dog-eared and highlighted the pages that I revisit when I need a refresher on honing my business.
August 16, 2017
Great book. I'm considering this as another career branch, and this book tells me pretty well everything I need to know. It's six years old, so some of the technology is a little dated, but that's what we have The Google for. The ideas and concepts remain the same.
January 14, 2015
Got me going as PerfectMemoirs.com thanks to the article about the author in More Magazine in 2011, thanks!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews