Department of Writing New Zealand
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Your life story - well told

Coaching or writing - whichever you choose

A lasting legacy

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As parents get older, capturing their stories to create a lasting family legacy can become very important. 

​But writing a book about your own or someone else's life is not easy.

We can help. We can coach you to write a compelling book that will be cherished by generations to come, or you can have us do the writing for you.

We can also design, publish and print individual or family histories on your behalf.


Why choose us?
Everyone has a story worth telling. When we work with families to capture a life or family story, we know how to find the gold nuggets and work with them to create beautiful artefacts.

What better legacy to gift your family than a beautifully told history of those who came before them?

A high quality result that you 100% own
We've all seen the tacky self-publishing services that couldn't care less about quality. Sure, they'll publish your book, but they'll offer you nothing to ensure it's treasured, or even read, by those who receive it.

We stand opposed to that low-end practice. We stand for stories that are told well. 

That means we're not the cheapest service you can get. But we're confident in saying we're the best.

Priced to fit your budget

We know everyone's needs are different. For some people time is at a premium, for others it's about keeping within a budget. Some people love writing, while others would rather be out in the garden. We've got three plans to choose from, so you can pick the one that works best for you.
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    Schedule a free consultation.

    One of our friendly experts will be in touch with you within 24 hours.
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Frequently asked questions.

How do I choose which plan is best for me?
  • If you enjoy writing, are reasonably confident, and have the time to write a full memoir, Plan 1 is probably best for you.
  • If you enjoy writing but are not confident or are committed to producing the best possible result, Plan 2 is probably for you.
  • If you don't want to write or don't have the time to write, we recommend Plan 3.

We also priced each plan so that there would be an option for every budget. So even if you don't like writing and are not confident, Plan 1 may still work for you - as long as you're willing to put in the hard yards!

How long does it take to write a life story?
There's no hard and fast answer to that question, but as a rough guide allow an hour a day for one year. Plan 2 (You Write, We Coach) is based on this principle.

How long will the finished book be?
We'll make sure you get a full book - not a pamphlet. In our experience 150 pages is a good length. It's enough to feel substantial and not so much as to feel daunting. What's more, keeping a book at around that length can force the writer to be direct and concise - two critical elements of engaging writing.

Will this work for me?
Our initial consultation is designed to answer that question. We seek to establish your capacity for doing what you need to and whether we can meet your expectations within the budget. If we cannot see ourselves delivering what we promise, or what you expect, we will let you know. 

I want to write a business book, not a memoir. Can you help?
As long as your book is non fiction, there's every chance we can help. We suggest you complete the enquiry form above and we'll get in touch to discuss your needs.

Who owns the rights to the finished book?
You do. That means you're free to print, distribute, sell or do anything else with your book that you choose. If you sell copies, we have no rights to any of the proceeds.

What makes you different from a self publishing service?
Self publishing services mostly have no interest in the quality of the work itself. That's why the industry is often called "vanity publishing".

We are deeply concerned for the quality of the finished product - in fact, if we don't believe we can deliver a high quality book, we'll decline the business. 


Can you get my book into a bookstore?
No. We don't provide distribution or publicity services.

Can you manage printing?
Yes, or you can take care of it yourself. If we do it, we'll provide at least two printing quotes and will charge a moderate fee for this.

What about book design, including the cover?
We provide that service too, using some of the best graphic designers around. We'll discuss this with you as part of the initial consultation and will provide a quote for this service if you want it.

What about photography?
Yes please! If we're designing the book, the more photos you can provide the better. We'll discuss the best way for you to do that during the initial consultation.

How does the editing service work?
Very simply. You send us the raw manuscript and we'll edit it in Microsoft Word using Track Changes. This means you can see the changes we recommend and accept or reject each one individually (assuming you have Word too). 

Our editing is founded on one very simple principle that we stole from an editor we admire: We'll hurt your feelings before we'll let you publish a bad book. You might not like it at the time, but when the book is being read by your family members you'll thank us, we promise!

How does the coaching service work?
We'll assign you one of our senior writers who'll work with you from start to finish on the book. Each week they'll set you writing targets and assess progress with you, all the while ensuring you stay on track to complete the book within 12 months. As the first draft nears completion, they'll begin editing the book with you to make sure it's of publishable quality. 

Your coach will be supportive and encouraging, and also straight with you. That means you'll love your coach most of the time, but hate them now and again too! That's a sign that the coaching is working as it's supposed to.
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Copyright. 2020 Department of Writing
  • Home
    • About
  • People
  • Writing services
    • Bid and tender writing
    • case study writing
    • Websites
    • White papers
    • Thought leadership
    • Proofreading
  • Writing training
    • The Programme
    • Register
    • Team training
    • Personal coaching
  • Contact
  • Blog
    • FRC archives
    • sqwordle
  • Shop
  • The 7 deadly writing sins
  • memoir writing