Hiring a Memoir Ghostwriter vs. DIY Online Autobiography Service (like Storyworth)

Image by Sabine van Erp from Pixabay

Hey everyone!

I thought I’d take a minute today and talk about the differences between a DIY online autobiography service and hiring a professional writer to write and publish your book.

This is not to say that one method is better than the other, but I’ve just noticed these DIY services popping up in my feed a lot lately and thought I would give a little explanation for those of you who might be trying to decide which option is better for you.

The DIY Route

I’ll talk first about the “DIY” route. These services vary depending which company you use, but the general concept is that they email you every week with a question to answer about your life. Then, after a period of time or when you’ve answered all the questions either via writing or voice recording, they compile all of your responses in a book and ship it to you.

The PROS of this approach include its simplicity—just answer one question a week and in a year, you’ve got a whole book about your life. It’s self-paced, so you can take as long as you need or answer multiple questions a week to get your book done faster. And because you do most of the work, it’s a pretty budget-friendly option.

There are some CONS to the DIY approach as well. One is that you (or the aging loved one for whom you purchased the service) have to be committed to answering those questions every week. It sounds simple, but not everyone is great at checking emails, and for some people, writing even a little bit can be cumbersome and frustrating. In order for the DIY approach to really work I think it would be best for the storyteller to have an accountability partner who makes sure they are answering their question every week, or even sitting with them while they answer it and typing it for them.

Another CON to the DIY approach is that the service does not include editing, so when your book is printed, it will be exactly as you wrote it the first time, unless YOU go in and make the edits and do the proofreading yourself. 

You also don’t have much creative control or options when it comes to the design of your book—things like cover design, font and chapter headings, and photo layouts.

The Hire-A-Pro Method

So. Now let’s talk about the other alternative—hiring a writer, like myself, to write and publish your book. Obviously it’s very easy for me to talk about the pros of this option since this is what I do and I’m very passionate about it. 

But I think, in particular, when you compare what I do to a DIY service like I’ve described, the main advantage is that a professional writer is the ultimate accountability partner, who also happens to be an expert in storytelling—from biographical interviewing to building narrative structure to editing to final proofreading and polishing. (And some memoir professionals, myself included, can also handle the book design and publishing for you too.)

So, when someone hires a professional writer to create their parent’s memoir, they can rest assured that not only will the book actually get done, but also that both the content and design of the book will be expertly crafted in a way that honors the untold value of their loved one’s story.

The last pro I’d like to mention is something I believe strongly, and that is that the journey of writing your memoir is a life-changing—even sacred—experience, and I think it’s a lot more meaningful and validating to go through that journey with another human being, not just with your computer screen.

Of course, with this level of service and expertise comes additional investment, and that is why not everyone hires a professional to write their book. And though I truly believe in the value of what I and other professional writers do, I’m glad that the DIY services exist, because I think everyone should tell their story, regardless of their budget.

However, on that note, I just wanted to put it out there that I am able to work with most budgets. There are many ways to tell a story, and I love being able to provide customized packages to fit my clients’ needs and budgets.

It’s Up To You!

Whatever path you choose, whether you do it totally on your own, use an online autobiography service, or hire a professional writer, I wish you all the best in telling the stories that matter most to you!