What each commission includes.
And what it costs. Every commission is the full service, from the first conversation to the finished books. What changes is depth: how many interviews, and how many copies for the family.
- Portrait from $5,000
- Life Story $9,500
- Legacy $18,000–$22,000
- Additional copies available
Compare the commissions
Rows that span all three columns are included in every commission.
| Included | Portrait | Life Story | Legacy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investment | Starting at$5,000 | Commission$9,500 | Commission range$18,000–$22,000 |
| Scope | A focused biography, built around the central stories of a life | The full arc of a life, told in depth, from childhood onward | The most complete commission, for a long life with a great deal to hold |
| Interviews | 4–6 | 6–11 | 11 or more |
| Finished books | 10 | 15 | 20 |
| Timeline | About three months | About three months | Three months or longer |
| Interviews held | Online and recorded, guided by a professional interviewer or trained specialist | ||
| Writing and editing | A narrative biography written and edited by BrightSide, in first or third person | ||
| Family review | You read and approve the manuscript before production | ||
| Photographs | Collected digitally, restored where needed, and placed beside the story; the originals stay with you | ||
| Design | Interior, cover and dust jacket, designed for the book | ||
| The book | 8 × 10 inches, full colour, cloth hardcover, foil stamped, dust jacket, sewn binding | ||
| Printing and binding | By a professional production partner in New England | ||
| Restored files | High-resolution restored photographs, delivered at completion | ||
| Additional copies | May be ordered | ||
Scroll sideways to see all three commissions.
You don’t need to choose before you get in touch.
After a first conversation about your parent and what you hope the book will hold, we recommend the commission that fits, and put it in writing. Additional copies may be ordered for the wider family, whichever commission you choose.
How the proposal works
Tell us who the book is for
A short note or an email: a little about them, and what you hope the book will hold.
A private introductory conversation
About your parent, your family and what matters most to you.
A recommended scope
The commission that fits: how many interviews, and how many books.
A written proposal
The scope, the timeline and the investment, in writing, before anything begins.
Financing, if you want it
Available if it helps. We can explain how it works when you’re ready.
Onboarding
We schedule the first interview and explain how to share your photographs.
Nothing begins until you have the scope, the timeline and the investment in writing.
Talk to us before you decide.
A private conversation about who the book is for is the first step, and nothing is decided until you have a written proposal.
Start a conversation