# Tellforth vs writing it yourself

Writing it yourself is free and it is yours. It is also the path on which most family books die: the interviews stop at ten, the transcripts sit in a folder, and the book never gets its shape.

## What doing it yourself does well

- Free
- Complete control
- The process itself is time with the person

## Where doing it yourself falls short

- Twenty-five to forty interviews is a real commitment
- Transcribing, inventorying and shaping is weeks of work
- Most never finish

## Side by side

| | doing it yourself | Tellforth |
|---|---|---|
| Interviewing | You, with a question list and a phone | A live interviewer by voice, with follow-ups and a memory of what is missing |
| Transcribing and organising | You | Automatic: one record of people, places and stories |
| Shaping and drafting | You | Designed before drafting; drafted in the teller's words; proofed by the family |
| Cost | Your time | A one-time price |

## Verdict

If you will genuinely do thirty interviews and the editing, do it yourself and use our guides. If you know you will not, this exists so the book still gets finished.

Prices and features of other products are as published on their own sites at the time of writing and may have changed.