A new offering from Modern Heirloom Books is group gifting, allowing all contributors to chip in towards a most unique surprise gift: a tribute book honoring someone you love.

At the beginning of the pandemic I worried that my business would suffer. Creating books about our lives could seem like an indulgence, after all (though I’ve argued to the contrary). What I didn’t expect was how being forcefully distanced from our loved ones would make so many folks turn inward—and gain a renewed appreciation for all we hold dear.

The first tribute book inquiry came just a few days after New Jersey, where I reside, declared a state of emergency, effectively quarantining us in our homes: A man in South Carolina wanted to create a book for his wife’s 60th birthday. Three days later, I got a request from someone just a county over wanting to create a book for her mother’s 60th birthday. A week later, I began working on a tribute book honoring a teacher in New York City who had died of Covid-19.

I have been working consistently on tribute books for people all over the country every week since then.

And what a privilege it has been! As I gather and edit the tributes for these books, I “get to know” the people being honored. Through personal anecdotes about them, through carefully chosen photographs from their lives, I begin to understand why these individuals are so loved. Lucky me!

In order to be able to bring this service to as many people as possible, I sourced new printers—ones that could create books of a high caliber (beautiful enough to truly be called “heirlooms”) at a lower price point. I streamlined my process even more, so I could guarantee a quick enough turnaround to ensure books would arrive in time for birthday celebrations, even on a tight schedule.

And now, I am thrilled to offer a group gifting option.

a tribute book created as a surprise gift for her 60th birthday

The Inspiration Behind Crowd-Sourced Tribute Books

I am working now on a book for three girls honoring the mother they lost at a very young age; the book was begun by a family friend. When one of the daughters casually mentioned that no one ever talks about her mom, this friend felt inspired to encourage her circle of loved ones to, well, start talking! We are gathering stories about this beloved mom in three books—one for each girl to take with her wherever life takes her. My client is paying for this project herself, but along the way, various contributors have asked me how they could help. And, an idea was born…

Beyond wanting to relieve the financial burden for the one gift-giver who hires me, I also wanted to extend this service to more people. By allowing contributors to each chip in for their share, even folks who want to create a tribute book but can’t afford it themselves can now, still, begin to create the gift of a lifetime for someone they care about.

At just $60 per contributor, the cost of a professionally-created tribute book is accessible.

And not only can participants take heart in knowing they are giving a most meaningful heirloom gift to their loved one, but they also receive a digital copy of the completed tribute book, a special keepsake they will cherish, too.

The process couldn’t be simpler for the project coordinator, either! No worries about collecting money, nagging friends and family, and keeping track of all the details—nope, we do that, too. Honestly, I’ve done everything I can think of to make this process as easy as possible for you!

Taking the Next Steps

Are you imagining Dad opening up a tribute book all about him? Or Nonna, or Mommy, or your best-friend-since-kindergarten?

Who would you like to honor?

Telling someone you love them—in a gorgeous, meaningful book!—has never been easier.

Please give me a call or reach out and set up an appointment to chat about how we can bring your tribute book to life—and how you can easily invite friends and family to contribute!

start a tribute book now