We recognize that each person and business will have different goals for their memoir and we are keen to adjust our process to meet those objectives. Below is a description of our typical memoir writing process to give you an idea of how your story can metamorphize into a legacy.

Step 1 - Visioning
Before we embark on the journey of telling your story, our creative director and writer will meet with you to gain insight into your life or business. From here, we will draft a map of the main story elements we expect to cover in your final book. Upon your review of this outline, our writer will begin preparing relevant and thought-provoking questions for the interview process. Our creative director will be in regular contact with you throughout the process to keep you updated on your book through the different stages of production.

Step 2 - Story Gathering
An Echo Memoirs writer collects the stories for each memoir by connecting one-on-one with the individuals who will be contributing to the book. This process can unfold through in-person or phone interviews. All in-person interviews are held in your home or office to ensure a quiet environment where you are most comfortable. The amount of time per in-person interview session ranges from half an hour to two hours and all interviews, including those over the phone, may be recorded.

Step 3 - Transcription
After all of the story gathering is complete, an Echo Memoirs transcriptionist types out the interviews directly from the recordings.

Step 4 - Writing
At Echo Memoirs, our goal is to write the most compelling story possible while retaining the uniqueness of our clients' voices. We often integrate additional interviews with people who add new perspectives to the story, as well as external research, archived newspaper articles and excerpts from relevant books. Our editorial team on each project is made up of one lead writer, one copyeditor, and two proofreaders.

Step 5 - Image Gathering
Once you have read over the draft of your story and given our creative director all of the feedback you want us to incorporate into the text, we help you select the best photographs and/or mementos for inclusion in your memoir. We carefully scan them and then return them to you safe and sound with your finished book.

Step 6 - Layout design
All of your photographs are scanned on high-resolution, professional equipment to ensure optimal print quality. Our Echo Memoirs graphic design team creatively lays out the text of your memoir with your scanned photographs interspersed throughout to give the feel of a sophisticated, coffee-table-style book. Our photo technician touches up each photograph to repair damage and adjust colour. Family trees and timelines are popular graphic elements we can add to your book at the design stage.

Step 7 - Printing
Once you have looked over the draft of your designed book and given us all of the feedback you want us to incorporate into the layout, we proofread the entire story one more time to ensure that no errors appear in the final book. The pages of your book are then printed double-sided on a professional colour printer using heavyweight paper for a long-lasting product.

Step 8 - Binding
Your limited-edition hardcover memoir is hand-bound in our Vancouver studio by an Echo Memoirs bookbinder and covered in a custom-designed, laminated material to evoke the feel of a high-end coffee-table book. Our goal is to create a visually stunning book that captures the spirit of the unique stories within. We can also handle volume production of books in quantities of 100 to 100,000.

How long is the process? A memoir generally takes one year from start to finish. Rushed orders may be accommodated for an additional fee.

How many people will work on my memoir project? We assign a team of 12 dedicated writers, designers and production staff to each memoir project. Once the project is in process, this same team works together to bring the project to its completion.