Pricing
One price. Paid once. Nothing renews.
No subscription, no deadline, nothing that expires. Your stories can never be locked away because a card stopped working.
The Book
Your story, written as a book you can read anywhere.
- As many visits as it takes
- One finished book: memoir or novel
- A family page and a proof to approve
- Every recording, yours to download
- No deadline, no renewal
The Book, printed
The copy the family keeps on the shelf.
- Everything in The Book
- A sewn, cloth-bound hardcover
- In a rigid gift box
- Photographs and letters placed in the pages
- Extra copies from $69
Five editions
One life, written for every reader in the family.
- Memoir, historical novel, young adult edition, children's picture book and gift edition
- Five hardcovers, one for each household
- A second storyteller included
- Family page, proof, every recording
- No deadline, no renewal
Prices for the first families, in US dollars. Final pricing may change before general release.
In every package
Everything it takes to get from the first visit to a finished book.
As many visits as it takes
No limit on visits or minutes. Talk for a month or a year.
A listener that remembers
Every person, place and story kept in one record, and the follow-up questions that come from it.
A designed, written book
Shaped first, then written: a memoir in your words, or a novel built on the true story.
A family page
Invite the family to watch the chapters arrive and suggest questions.
A proof to approve
Read it, change it, and approve it before anything is printed.
Everything is yours
Download every recording, transcript and book, free, at any time.
Why no subscription
A life story should not have a renewal date.
Most services in this category charge by the year and renew automatically. That means a book that is half finished when the year runs out, and recordings you pay to keep. We charge once, for the book. Then it is yours.
- No deadlineThe record stays open until the book is finished, and we step in early if it stalls.
- No renewalNothing is charged again unless you order something new, like extra copies.
- No lock-inDownload everything, free, at any time.
What the alternatives cost
How the price compares.
As published on each company's own site at the time of writing. Prices change, so check theirs. Each line links to a full, sourced comparison.
| Option | Price, as published | |
|---|---|---|
| Tellforth | $149 once for the book; $208 printed; $449 for five editions. No renewal. | |
| Storyworth | About $99 a year, auto-renewing (check their site) | Compare |
| Remento | About $99 a year (check their site) | Compare |
| Storii | About $99 to $119 a year (check their site) | Compare |
| A ghostwriter | $2,000 to $50,000+ | Compare |
| Doing it yourself | Your time | Compare |
| StoryTerrace | About $150 (Book Taster), about $1,200 (Swift), from about $3,250 (Classic), from about $24,000 (PRO); check their site | Compare |
| My Life in a Book | About $79 for the year-long programme and one book; extra copies about $40 (check their site) | Compare |
| No Story Lost | About $1,099 (2 interviews), $1,649 (4), $2,199 (6), $4,450 (Legacy); extra copies about $100 or $50 (check their site) | Compare |
| LifeBook Memoirs | About $18,000 (The Royal), $27,000 (The Imperial), $42,000 (The Signature), each in six monthly payments (check their site) | Compare |
| Autobiographer | About $99 one-time (marked limited time) or about $16 month to month on their home page; check their site | Compare |
| StoriedLife | About $59, $98 or $118 for the first year, then about $89 a year; or an Annual Plan at about $129.95; extra printed books about $49 to $69 (check their site) | Compare |
| A chatbot | Free to about $20 a month for a chatbot subscription; your time is the cost | Compare |
Questions
About paying.
Is there a subscription?
No. You pay once. Nothing renews and nothing expires.
What does each package include?
The Book ($149) is as many visits as it takes and one finished digital book, memoir or novel. The printed book ($208) adds a cloth hardcover in a gift box. The Whole Family ($449) is five editions of one life, five hardcovers, and a second storyteller.
What are phone-call visits?
A real phone call at a time you choose, on any phone including a landline, for people who would rather not use an app. They are a premium add-on at +$99, paid once.
Can I order more copies?
Yes, extra printed copies start at $69.
Are these the final prices?
They are the prices for the first families, in US dollars. Final pricing may change before general release.
Who owns the recordings?
You do. Every recording, transcript and book can be downloaded free at any time. There is no subscription, so nothing can lapse and lock them away.
Who can read my stories?
Only the people you invite, and only the stories you have not sealed. You can change that at any time.
What happens to my stories if I stop?
They stay yours and stay where they are. Nothing expires. You can pick up again next month or next year, or download everything and leave.
Tellforth
Start today. Pay once.
Or give it to a parent, and they will hear your voice at their first visit.
Updated · Plain-text version of this page: /pricing.md