FAQ  /  Tribute Legacy Books

If you didn’t find what you were looking for in our general FAQ, these answers about our Tribute Legacy Books should help. 

FAQs about making a tribute legacy book in honor of a lost loved one:

A tribute legacy book, sometimes also referred to as a tribute memory book, captures the photographs, experiences, and character of a loved one who has passed away. Through conversations with those who remember him or her, your loved one’s stories are brought to life and preserved for future generations. 

While the act of reminiscing itself is a healing part of the grieving process, in our estimation one of the most vital roles a legacy book plays is providing a touchstone for future storytelling. A legacy book is not an heirloom that should sit on a shelf, untouchable as a pricey antique; on the contrary, it is priceless because of its accessibility.

The best legacy books will strongly evoke memories of your lost loved one, and invite you to revisit it often, sharing stories with your friends and family about the person you loved so dearly. And the best part: Those stories—and the values and life they convey—will live on, taking on new meaning for each successive generation.

There are no rules. Your legacy book may be anywhere from 20–300 pages, though on average ours tend to be about 100 pages. Because we design coffee table books that are meant to be opened to any page to enjoy, there is great freedom in designing photo-heavy spreads to make a smaller book feel more substantive, or text-heavy pages that preserve many family members’ memories in one longer book. 

By no means must you be a writer to create a book in honor of your lost loved one. Our process involves interviewing you and other subjects who knew the deceased to capture the stories that bring him or her to life. What is helpful is to have one point-person in a family who is spearheading the legacy book project, so decisions are centralized and the bookmaking process goes most smoothly.

That said, if you are in fact a writer and prefer to write your own words in honor of your lost loved one, that is a wonderful option, too. Our editor will work with you to plan the structure of the book, edit your text, and fill in any gaps. We will even work directly from letters or other correspondence your loved one left behind to capture stories. Whatever your preferred method of story gathering, our team is here to help guide the process and craft a professional and engaging final legacy book for you.

No worries. We will work with whatever materials you have to create a meaningful and beautiful book. (It is also sometimes surprising to discover photos of your loved one that you had never before seen, as people begin to share them with you at a funeral service or during the grieving process. We can borrow photographs from others in your circle, digitize them, and return them promptly and safely to the original owner.)

It typically takes about 6 months to complete a tribute legacy book. The process involves:

• an initial meeting where we create a plan of attack (how many and what types of stories to capture, who to interview, how and where to get photos of your loved one, etc.)

• interviews, for which timing depends on subject availability and any necessary travel

• book production (writing, editing & design)

• book review (client revision, copyediting, and final proofs)

• book printing (turnaround time is dependent upon the style of book chosen)

We are always willing to work with you to try to accelerate a schedule when feasible, but timing is truly specific to each individual book.

We love the idea of beginning the process of making a legacy book within 6 months after your loved one has passed away—that is a time when story sharing comes naturally, and indeed, there is evidence that reminiscence is necessary to healing. An added bonus to working within this time frame is that you will likely receive your finished legacy book before or near the one-year anniversary of your loss. An heirloom legacy book makes a perfect centerpiece for a gathering in their honor.

Absolutely. We offer an upgrade to our printed books which includes a full digital copy of your book, delivered to you on a flash drive.

Of course! We can have as many copies of your tribute memory book printed as you would like. We can even customize books for different individuals, including an entire chapter or a few pages geared specifically to their relationship with the loved one you are honoring in your legacy book. Ask for an estimate.

Our legacy books start at $8,000. Visit our Tribute Books page (a legacy book is one type of offering in the Tribute Books line) to see pricing for a group package and learn about other upgrades.

Give us a call at 917.922.7415 to discuss your project, or set up a free half-hour consultation by clicking to fill out the form below.