Start & Run a Personal History Business: Get Paid to Research Family Ancestry and Write Memoirs (Start and Run a...) [Paperback]

Jennifer Campbell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 16, 2011 | Series: Start and Run a...

Anyone can start a personal history business to meet the demands of communities, families, and even corporations to record and preserve the stories they want remembered. The preservation of memories was recently noted by The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times as a profitable business opportunity, and appeals to a broad range of people. This practical guide covers every stage of business development including how to actually do the work, starting up, education and training, marketing and expansion, and a step-by-step guide for new personal historians to produce a first project.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jennifer Campbell is a professional writer, editor, personal historian and owner/operator of Heritage Memoirs, a successful personal history business.

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Self-Counsel Press, Inc.; Pap/Cdr edition (February 16, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1770400583
• ISBN-13: 978-1770400580
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 0.4 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #262,194 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Learn To Help People Tell Their Stories February 13, 2011

By Marcy Davis

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I just finished reading Jennifer Campbell's impressive how-to book "Start and Run a Personal History Business" published by Self-Counsel Press. Wow! What a fantastic resource, and a "must buy" for anyone just starting out or considering a career change to this burgeoning field. It's really terrific--organized, interesting, informative, well-written, clear, highly useful and quite engaging. As one who likes to "read everything published" on a subject before jumping in, I would go so far to say that this book will go a long way to giving you the confidence and the tools to actually get up and running sooner rather than later.

Jennifer has an accessible and happy voice as she walks you through each step of the business, marketing and implementation processes of the relatively new profession of personal historians. Her use of examples and samples are enormously satisfying, (I particularly liked the inclusion of an interview "as recorded," and how it might read after the editor had applied his/her deft hand,) and she anticipates the concerns and unseen pitfalls that might weigh heavily for the newcomer. Don't let fear of the unknown dampen your enthusiasm for starting a new venture- Jennifer covers so much ground that you will feel amply prepared and armed with the tools to be a success. Honestly, I couldn't come up with a single thing that she didn't at least touch upon, and she obviously speaks from experience. She also sounds like she loves what she does!

While clearly this book is targeted to people new to the field, it would get ample use in the seasoned personal historian's library as well. Jennifer offers sage advice for providing top-notch customer service, managing your time and pricing yourself correctly in the marketplace.... This is one business expense that will pay for itself in no time. Read more ›

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Personal Historian--Me? Yes I can! February 12, 2011

By Lauren E. Agnelli

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Review of Jennifer Campbell's Start & Run a Personal History Business (Self-Counsel Press, 2011)

The book itself - a quality paperback with 16 logically chosen, informative sections - is not just a treasure trove of information on how to start and run a personal history business. It's an invaluable resource, and includes a CD-ROM full of necessary forms and resources to help the reader start a business. Campbell - a seasoned writer and personal historian since 2002 - touches on every conceivable aspect of the personal history business. The 16 sections cover 180 pages. The writing style is clear, the ideas sound, and the advice time-proven true.

From the Start & Run a Personal History Business introduction, The World of Personal History (i.e., what IS personal history?), to the last step, Accelerating Your Success and Managing Business Growth, the book is both pleasure and treasure. The questions I had from the outset were more than amply answered. Campbell mentions other aspects of the business that I hadn't considered, as well. All in all, there are few sounder "how to" books I've readily devoured in one pleasant evening.

At first, I was excited about the idea of becoming a personal historian and working for myself. Now, I'm excited about the execution of this idea and growing a successful business as my own boss. I salute Jennifer Campbell and all the personal historians who are soon to become my comrades-in-arms (er, pens?).

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars An Essential Book for Personal Historians. March 31, 2011

By Dan Curtis

Format:Paperback

I've just finished Jennifer Campbell's recent book "Start and Run a Personal History Business" published by Self-Counsel Press. If you're thinking of making personal histories a business, you owe it to yourself to get this book. Jennifer knows her stuff. She's been a professional personal historian since 2002 and prior to that had a 25 year career as an editor, writer, and interviewer.

This 180 page book is packed with the kind of information I wish I had when I was starting out. The 16 Chapters cover:

the world of personal history
the business of personal history
getting started
business foundations
pricing
producing a sample
a guide to producing a personal history
interviewing
marketing
an online presence
publicity and promotion
sales
client relations and customer service
time management and project management
growing your business
accelerating your success and managing growth

In addition, the book comes with a CD-ROM which includes all of the sample templates used in the book as well as resources to help you in your business.

If you buy Personal History Business for nothing else than the chapter on pricing, it's well worth the investment. For personal historians who are starting out, determining what to charge clients is a challenge. Jennifer's detailed step-by-step approach will give you the help you need to ensure that you keep your business profitable.

What struck me about the book is that Jennifer makes it clear that running a personal history business takes more than just a love of people and their stories. Her book is like a splash of cold water.... After reading it, if you're still enthusiastic about establishing a personal history business, you'll go into it with your eyes wide open. A word of caution. Don't become overwhelmed by the content. There's a lot to digest. Read it through once for an overview and then come back to chew on smaller portions.

I like Jennifer's candor. For example, on business plans she says, "Like a lot of small business owners, I resisted doing a business plan for a long time. I think it was a psychological block...I finally got some serious business coaching..." In my eyes, her honesty makes her more credible because I know that she's writing from personal experience.

The book is also sprinkled with useful tips. They're terrific. And I wish she'd included more of them and highlighted them so they stood out from the surrounding copy. This brings me to my only real concern and that's the overall layout and design of the book.

My personal preference is for some breathing space around blocks of text. I found the information on the pages visually congested. I longed for more white space, bolder titles, and little sidebars with tidbits of information, like her "tips". I would have found it easier to absorb the wealth of material with more visual help. Having said this, I'm aware that there are production costs to consider when designing a book. And Self-Counsel Press, the publishers, probably have a standard layout from which there can be little deviation.

Layout and design aside, this is an excellent book. If you're serious about establishing a personal history business, you need to do two things - buy a copy of Start & Run A Personal History Business and join the Association of Personal Historians.

[Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review purposes.] Read more ›

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Inspiring book! July 11, 2011

By Lisa

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I am working towards starting my own Personal Historian business and I highly recommend this book to anyone else who is considering this trade. It is extremely informative and gives you helpful advice about the unknowns of the business which may come your way. I especially like the parts about how to actually go through the steps of doing a personal history project and what to expect as far as timelines go. I know that I will be using it as a reference time and time, again, in the future.