Compare
Tellforth vs LifeBook Memoirs
LifeBook Memoirs is the luxury end of the category. An interviewer visits the teller at home for a set number of face-to-face sessions (11 on The Royal, 12 on The Imperial, 14 on The Signature), scans photos as they go, a handpicked ghostwriter writes the book, an editor checks the tone, and English bookbinders hand-bind it on archival paper. Every package includes a project manager, photo restoration and "Audio Highlights" of the teller reading passages. Prices on their packages page are about $18,000, $27,000 and $42,000, payable over six months.
What LifeBook Memoirs does well
- In-person interviews in the teller's home, with photos and documents scanned there so the originals never leave
- A handpicked ghostwriter, an editor and a project manager for every book
- Hand-bound heirloom books on archival paper: 10 to 24 hardback copies, up to 200 to 300 pages, up to 200 photos
- Photo restoration, with a digital copy of every restored photo
- Audio recordings of the teller reading chosen passages
Where LifeBook Memoirs falls short
- About $18,000 to $42,000, paid over six months
- A fixed number of interviews: 11, 12 or 14 sessions
- Written by a ghostwriter in the teller's voice, not in the teller's words
- Face-to-face only on the packages page; no phone or video option is listed
- Timeline and any guarantee are not stated on the pages we read
Side by side
| LifeBook Memoirs | Tellforth | |
|---|---|---|
| How stories are gathered | 11 to 14 face-to-face interviews at home with a LifeBook interviewer | Voice visits of 15 to 20 minutes with a live interviewer that asks follow-ups, plus a 30-second daily card; no typing, no login for the teller |
| Follow-up questions | Within the sessions, yes: a human interviewer; the number of sessions is fixed by the package | One record of every person, place, saying and story; the next question comes from what is still missing |
| What you get | A ghostwritten, hand-bound heirloom book: up to 200 to 300 pages, 10 to 24 hardback copies, up to 200 restored photos, audio highlights | A designed, finished book: a memoir in the teller's own words, or a novel built on the true story with what was invented listed at the back |
| Ownership | Not stated on the pages we read; check their terms | You own every recording and word; export everything free, any time; no subscription |
| Price | About $18,000 (The Royal), $27,000 (The Imperial), $42,000 (The Signature), each in six monthly payments (check their site) | One-time price; no renewal |
| If it isn't finished | No guarantee stated on the pages we read | No deadline and no renewal: the record stays open until the book is finished, and we step in early if it stalls |
Verdict
Choose LifeBook Memoirs if you want the finest physical object in the category, a writer and interviewer who come to the house, and the budget is tens of thousands. Choose this if you want the book in your parent's own words, as many hours as they have to give, and a price almost every family can afford.
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.