Frequently Asked Questions

Personal History FAQs

Should I really tell that story?

Many people want to only write the very happy and positive experiences of their life. Many times this gives a distorted view of the reality you have lived. A personal history that shares only negative, angry and unhappy memories also gives a skewed perspective on the world. Most lives are filled with ups and downs, and a lot of in between times. Share both sides. Don’t be afraid to tell the truth. If something happened that you are ashamed of, simply tell it and then share your perspective about what you wish you had done differently. This is the kind of personal history that can and will make a difference to your family. Share how you have grown and your perspective on life.

I am not a very good writer. Do you have any suggestions?

We all want to read more than, “My first grade teacher was Mrs. Bird. My second grade teacher was Mr. Everett. I don’t remember who I had for third grade . . . “ Some detail is very important, but this is the skeleton of your personal history. Fill in with the amazing details. Describe the setting of your story, what was happening, who said what, and how you felt.

Why have my family and friends contribute to my personal history?

You did not get this far alone. You will be amazed at the photos and stories your family and friends can add to your life story. Their viewpoint can add a unique perspective to what you have written.

Why write a personal history right now? I’m not old enough, I don’t have a terminal illness, and I am not done with my life story yet.

Your life has been fantastic so far and it’s time to get it recorded. This personal history can be Volume 1, and as soon as that is done it is easy to begin working on Volume 2. It is never wise to wait. Do it now.

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Standard FAQs

How much does it cost?

The system is FREE to use. You only pay to publish. Our publishing pricing structure is simple:

• $1 per color page
• $0.20 per black and white page
• Hard bindings starting at $15 (i.e. Leather and other premium quality covers are more)

Use our book calculator to view quantity pricing.

I don't like using computers, I am scared of them, what kind of customer support do you have for me?

We have a TOLL FREE help line. 80 year olds are using our system. We would love to help you. Give us a call, we will be happy to step you through it. 1-888-326-5327. Monday to Friday 10am - 5pm MST.

What is your guarantee?

If you're not completely satisfied with the final product, we will give you back twice what you paid for your initial publishing credit (currently, $50). After three years of serving families with this product, we haven't had a customer ask for their money back.

Here's how it works:

1. Purchase a publishing credit for $50.
2. Create a book and publish it on the MemoryPress website using your $50 credit.
3. Upon receiving your heirloom book(s), if you're not completely satisfied, send the book(s) back to us and we'll either redo the book for you or give you $100, whichever you choose. You're going to love your family heirloom or we're going to make it right.

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MEMORYPRESS'S INVITATION SYSTEM

How do I invite others to participate in my book?

There are three ways for anyone to participate in your book:

1. Electronic Mail (Email) - for those in the family who use computers.
2. Regular postal service (snail mail) - For those who DON'T use email (or that you don't have an email address for) and don't use computers.
3. Pass-a-long cards - For special gatherings; e.g. family reunions, holidays, parties.

Can people I invite edit anything in the book?

As the chief editor (the sponsor of your book) you can choose three different levels of editing power for your individual invitees.

1. Viewers - These invitees can view your book, but they are unable to add anything to the book.
2. Contributors - These invitees can add to you book but they can only edit the parts they added.
3. Editors - These invitees have a limited power to edit your book. They can help fix grammatical errors, organize the table of contents, and fix spelling errors.

How many people can I invite to one single book?

You can have as many invitees as you want.

I AM READY TO TRY OUT THIS INVITATION SYSTEM. LETS GET STARTED ON MY BOOK

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BINDING YOUR MEMORYPRESS BOOK

How much does it cost to print my book?

Our pricing structure is simple:

1. $1 per color page
2. $0.20 per black and white page
3. Hard bindings starting at $15 (i.e. Leather and other premium quality covers are more)

Do I get discounts if I publish multiple copies?

Of course. If you purchase 10 copies of your book, it is going to be less than if you ordered just one. use our book calculator to calculate pricing

How many pages can I print per book?

We love big books. You can print up to 460 pages per book!

How long does it take to print my book?

We can have your professionally bound and printed within 10 business days.

How will my book be bound?

Your book will be professionally bound with a double-fan adhesive, library binding. This just means we have the highest possible quality bindings on the market.

What kind of paper will my book be printed on?

Your book is printed professionally on 100lb acid free archival paper.

Paper Specs:

Learn about MemoryPress Quality Paper >>

Will FamilyLearn ship books outside of the United States?

Yes. We are happy to ship anywhere in the world. Currently MemoryPress packages are sold retail in the United States, Ireland, England, Canada, Austrailia, and New Zealand. Interested in offering MemoryPress in your store? Click here.

I am ready, start my book.

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ARCHIVING/PRESERVING YOUR MEMORIES

How much does it cost to archive my book online?

We automatically archive all your text on our servers for FREE. You also get 100 MB of photos archived FREE as well. If you go over the 100MB of photos you can simply archive each additional photo for just a penny ($.01) per photo per year.

Why should I archive my memories and photos online?

1. Security - House-fires? Floods? Natural Disasters? Terrorists? Kids or Siblings? Not to worry. Your memories and photos are now secure on multiple servers. Are you a techie? Visit our blog to learn more about our servers on Amazon's EC2 system.
2. Organization - With your memories online, you can always come back and edit, add to, and reprint your book.
3. Search-ability - Find your memories fast with just a click. It is like Google, but just for your family.
4. Preservation - Some day your Children and Grandchildren will be able to read and search your story. They will want it online as well as in a book.
5. Privacy - Your book is protected by a 128 MB encryption "sign in". That is the same encryption that your online bank uses.

This is better than I thought, tell me how to begin.

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PUTTING PHOTOS IN YOUR MEMORYPRESS BOOK

I don't have a digital camera, all my photos are old, is there an easy way for me to get my photos online?

Yes. You can scan them onto your computer at home, or you can take your photos to a number of photo scanning services (e.g. Walmart will scan 40 negatives onto CD for about $3).

I love to organize everything. What options do you have for me to organize my photos?

You can organize your photos into as many photo albums as you like. You can also add captions and cones to your photos.

Is it hard to put photos into my book?

Photos are easily added to your book by simple drag and drop.

I can't wait any longer, let me try this system out!

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TECHNICAL STUFF ABOUT TYPESETTING YOUR BOOK

Will my book have flowing text?

Yes. MemoryPress' unique patent pending typesetting system allows the text and photos in your book to flow easily for up 460 pages. Learn more about flowing text on our blog.

Will my book have a table of contents?

Yes. In fact you can edit your entire book right from your table of contents. It is as easy as click and drag.

Can I put an index in my book?

Coming soon. RSS Feed to our blog to get updates.

Will my book have the option of a dedication page?

Yes.

Will my book have the option of putting in my family tree page?

Coming soon. RSS Feed to our blog to get updates.

Can I import my blog posts to book?

Coming soon. RSS Feed to our blog to get updates.

Can I import Microsoft Word documents to my book?

Coming soon. RSS Feed to our blog to get updates.

My questions are answered, I am ready to get started.

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