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Tellforth vs hiring a ghostwriter
A ghostwriter interviews your parent over several sessions and writes the book. Done well it is the best result money can buy. It costs from a few thousand dollars for a service like StoryTerrace to tens of thousands for an independent writer, takes months, and the voice on the page is the writer's judgement of your parent's voice.
What a ghostwriter does well
- A skilled human asks and writes
- Full editorial judgement on shape and tone
- A finished, designed book
Where a ghostwriter falls short
- Cost: from roughly $2,000 to $50,000+
- A fixed number of interview hours, typically far fewer than a book really needs
- The voice is the writer's rendering, not the teller's words
- Months of elapsed time
Side by side
| a ghostwriter | Tellforth | |
|---|---|---|
| Interview hours | Typically 4 to 10 hours total | Twenty-five to forty visits over months, plus daily cards: ten hours or more of the teller's own voice |
| Who writes | The ghostwriter | The book is drafted from the record in the teller's words, designed before it is written, and proofed by the family |
| Cost | $2,000 to $50,000+ | A one-time price under $200 |
| Time | Three to twelve months | As fast as the teller wants to talk; most families finish in three to five months |
| Ownership | Varies by contract | You own every recording and word; export everything free, any time; no subscription |
Verdict
If you can afford a good ghostwriter and your parent will sit for the sessions, it is a fine choice. For most families, the better book comes from more hours of the person's own voice than any ghostwriter can afford to spend, and that is what this is built to collect.
Sources
Prices and features of other products are as published on their own sites at the time of writing and may have changed. If something here is wrong, write to hello@tellforth.com and we will fix it.