How Life Story works

Life Story is a gift for your mum, dad or grandparent. On the days you choose they get one question about their life. They answer by replying to the email, on a simple page of their own, or on the plans with calls just by talking on the phone. The family reads each new story as it arrives, and at the end the stories become a printed hardcover book.

See the plans, what each includes and today's prices on the Life Story page.

Set it up

You set it up in a few minutes on Life Story. Everything is saved as you go, and you pay only at the last step.

1. 01

   Who it is for

   Their name and the language they read in. Your own pages can be in another language than theirs.

2. 02

   How to reach them

   Their email address, and their phone number on the plans with calls.

3. 03

   How often and how long

   The days and the hour of their questions, in their own time zone, and how long the questions go on, up to a year.

4. 04

   A few words from you

   A note that greets them on the day it starts. It is also where the dedication of the book begins.

5. 05

   Family

   Brothers, sisters, grandchildren: everyone who should read along. You can add more later.

6. 06

   Try it first

   Get a sample question email yourself, open their page as they will see it, and on the plans with calls take a sample call on your own phone.

7. 07

   Plan and pay

   Choose the plan and pay once. There is no subscription.

How they answer

They need no app, no account and no password. They can mix the ways from week to week, and every answer lands in the same story.

Reply to the email

The question arrives as an ordinary email. They press reply, write as much as they like and can add photos.

Their own page

One question at a time on a calm page with large letters. They can write, add photos or record their voice.

On the phone

On the plans with calls we ring them at the hour they chose and read the question aloud. They talk, and the call is written down word for word. They can also press Call me now on their page, or ring our number, and we call them right back. It works on any phone, a landline too.

They can skip a question or ask for another one. If a question goes unanswered they get one gentle reminder and nothing more, and after a few quiet weeks we let you know.

The family reads along

Each new story arrives by email for everyone in the family list, and they can write a kind word back. The storyteller decides what is shared: a story can be hidden from the family or left out of the book.

The book

On the Book tab you choose the stories, the title, the dedication and the cover photo, and see every page before it is printed. The book is a 6 by 9 inch cloth hardcover, printed and posted to your door.

• Their photos beside the story they belong to, in colour or in black and white with a colour cover, depending on the plan
• A QR code by every spoken story: scan it with a phone and hear them tell it
• The same book as a PDF to keep and share, at no extra cost
• Extra copies for the rest of the family, each sent to its own address

Who can read the stories

Only you and the family members you or they invite. Their link and each family member's link are personal. Stories, photos and recordings are stored encrypted, the same care as for letters, see how letters are protected.

When the time is over

We let you know before the last question, and you decide whether to go on for another term. If you do nothing it simply ends, and every story they told stays for the book. You can also pause the questions on the Settings tab, or send the next one early from the top of the gift's page.

• See Life StoryHow it works, the book, the plans and their prices.
• W aplikacjiGive Life StorySet up the gift in a few minutes.