In short: There are five ways to turn a life story into a book. Question services such as Meminto (one-off €99–397, in German) or StoryWorth ($69–199, English and Spanish interface) send one question a week for a year, and the answers become the book. Remento ($99 for the first year) works with voice recordings but understands only English and Spanish. The Hermes 3000 life story holds a conversation instead: an AI interviewer listens and asks follow-up questions, which produces the outline of a book that the family keeps writing – free up to the outline, the finished book for €35 (Christmas price until 31 December 2026), printed through BoD from a single copy. A fill-in book such as "Oma, erzähl mal!" costs about €18, a professional biographer €790 to €4,000 and more. We checked all prices on the providers' own pages on 19 October 2026.
Almost every family knows the sentence "We should have written that down." How Grandma started her apprenticeship after the war, how Grandpa bought his first car, why the parents moved to the city. A book with these stories is one of the most personal gifts there is. The only question is: who writes it, and how do the memories get onto paper?
The options differ less in price than in how the text comes about. That decides whether you end up with a book of separate answers or a connected story, and how much work is left for the family.
The options at a glance
| Option | How the text comes about | Price | Printed book | German |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meminto | one question a week by app, email or phone call; answered by voice or typed | one-off €99 / €149 / €397 | included, hardcover; more from €49 | yes |
| StoryWorth | one question a week by email, answers mostly written | $69 / $99 / $199 | included, hardcover; more $39–99 | no, interface English/Spanish |
| Remento | one question a week, answered as a voice recording, AI turns it into text | $99 for the first year | included, hardcover; more $69–99 | no, English/Spanish only |
| Hermes 3000 life story | voice conversation with an AI interviewer that asks follow-ups; chapters and a first page, then writing on in the editor | conversation and outline free, finished book €35 (until 31 Dec 2026) | printed through BoD from 1 copy, paid separately | yes |
| Fill-in book | filled in by hand | about €18 | it is the book | yes |
| Biographer / ghostwriter | personal interviews, a person writes | €790 to €4,000 and more | depends on the package | yes |
As of 19 October 2026, prices including tax as stated on the providers' pages.
Meminto: the question method in German
Meminto is the obvious German provider. The storyteller gets one question a week – by app, by email or, if you like, as a phone call – and answers by voice or in writing. The family can join in, add photos and pick questions. Audio and video recordings can be linked into the book by QR code. On request, an AI smooths the wording and suggests follow-up questions.
Price (pricing page): one-off, no subscription. Essential €99 (up to 100 pages), Complete €149 (up to 300 pages), Premium €397 (three books plus a digital edition), extra copies from €49. Add-ons such as more pages, more time or a gift box push the final price up quickly. Shipping worldwide from €8.99.
Good for: families who want to collect question by question over months and expect a finished hardcover without doing any typesetting. Less good: each answer stands on its own; many answers do not automatically add up to a connected story.
StoryWorth: the US classic
StoryWorth made the method popular: one question a week by email for a year, a hardcover at the end. Answers are mostly written; on the higher plans they can also be recorded by phone and transcribed, where a "Magic Interview" asks follow-up questions on the phone.
Price (help page, updated 10 Sep 2026): Basic $69 (black-and-white book), Color $99, Unlimited $199 (two books, renews yearly at $99). Extra copies $39 to $99. The interface is available in English and Spanish only; you can write in any language. Books are printed in the US and in Europe; shipping costs to Germany and Switzerland are shown only by the shipping calculator, and customs may apply.
Good for: families who communicate in English. Less good: for grandparents who do not read English, the interface is a hurdle.
Remento: voice recordings instead of writing
Remento turns the method around: you answer the weekly question with a voice recording, no app needed, and an AI turns it into either a verbatim text or a first- or third-person narrative. The recordings are kept, can be downloaded and appear in the book as QR codes.
Price (FAQ): $99 for the first year with one book, extra copies $69 (up to 200 pages) or $99 (up to 380 pages). Shipping to Germany and Switzerland $15 plus $10 per extra book (shipping page), delivery about 21 working days according to the FAQ.
Good for: English-speaking storytellers who would rather talk than write. Less good: speech-to-text understands only English and Spanish, so for a German-speaking grandmother Remento is currently not an option.
Hermes 3000 life story: a conversation instead of a questionnaire
The Hermes 3000 life story does not rely on questions by mail but on what works best at the kitchen table anyway: a conversation. A grandchild spends a few minutes preparing who is telling the story, how formally the interviewer should speak and which key points it should know. Then Grandma or Grandpa talks to an AI interviewer that listens, asks one question at a time and follows up when it gets interesting. Up to four conversations of 20 minutes each are possible; whoever prefers to type can type.
The conversation produces a book outline: a title suggestion, six to ten chapters in the order of a life, three questions per chapter for the next conversation and a first page in the storyteller's own voice. Nothing is invented: where the conversation is silent, there is a question rather than a claim. The family then keeps writing in the editor, with dictation and AI help with the wording. The whole family can contribute photos through a link, and if you wish, the voice is kept as an audio recording, with its own consent. The details are in our guide to the life story.
Price: conversation and outline free, the finished book at the Christmas price of €35 (until 31 December 2026). Hermes typesets it print-ready; it is printed through Books on Demand from a single copy, according to BoD from €2.05 per book, and you pay for printing directly at BoD.
Good for: families who want a connected story rather than separate answers, and grandparents who would rather talk than write, in German too. Less good: the book does not write itself. After the conversation someone in the family keeps writing, and printing and shipping are a separate step through BoD rather than a finished package.
The same approach also works for a different member of the family: with the vehicle story, an owner tells the life of their classic car.
The fill-in book
The cheapest way is a book to fill in, such as Elma van Vliet's "Oma, erzähl mal!" ("Grandma, tell me", hardcover, 144 pages, €18). The questions are printed, the answers are added in the storyteller's own handwriting, and that is exactly its charm.
Good for: grandparents who like to write, and as a small gift. Less good: there is only one copy, no family photos, and anyone who does not enjoy writing leaves many pages blank.
The biographer or ghostwriter
Professional biographers conduct the interviews in person and write the book themselves. Two examples of prices in Germany: Lebenslinien lists €790 for 10–12 pages from two hours of conversation, €2,500 for at least 30 pages and €4,000 for at least 60 pages. At ErinnerungsWerk the "Silber" package costs €3,500 for up to 50 A4 pages from four hours of interviews; printed copies are extra.
Good for: families who want a professionally written book and have the budget and the lead time. Less good: many times the cost of a Christmas present, and a biography is tight for this year.
For recording only, without a book, there is also the free StoryCorps app: record an interview yourself and deposit it in the StoryCorps archive.
Which fits whom?
- Grandma or Grandpa would rather talk than write, and you want a connected story: a conversation with the AI interviewer (life story), then keep writing together.
- You want to collect over months and get a finished hardcover without any typesetting work: StoryWorth in English, Meminto in German.
- The storyteller speaks English and only wants to talk: Remento.
- Small, personal, handwritten: the fill-in book.
- Professionally written, budget available, no deadline: a biographer.
Is it still possible before Christmas?
With question services it gets tight: they are designed for a year with one question a week. Starting in October, you usually give the subscription as a gift, not the finished book. Neither StoryWorth nor Meminto has published a fixed Christmas order deadline; Meminto gives 8–14 days after print approval as a guide, Remento about 21 working days for shipping.
A conversation is faster because the outline is ready after the first session. For printing, BoD states three to eight working days for paperbacks and eight to ten for hardcovers, longer before Christmas. If you want the book under the tree, upload the print file by the end of November: conversations in October, writing in November.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to turn a life story into a printed book?
Depending on the route, between about €18 for a fill-in book and several thousand euros for a biographer. Question services cost $69 to $199 (StoryWorth) or a one-off €99 to €397 (Meminto), each with one printed book. With Hermes 3000 the conversation and the outline are free, the finished book costs €35 (Christmas price until 31 December 2026), plus printing at BoD from €2.05 per copy. As of October 2026.
Is StoryWorth available in German?
No. StoryWorth's interface is available in English and Spanish; answers can be written and printed in any language. A German-language provider with the same question method is Meminto.
What is the difference between StoryWorth and Hermes 3000?
StoryWorth sends one question a week, and the answers become a printed and delivered book. Hermes 3000 holds a conversation with an AI interviewer that asks follow-up questions; it produces chapters and a first page that the family keeps writing in the editor, and the book is printed through BoD.
Does Grandma or Grandpa need to be good with computers?
No. With Hermes 3000 the story is told, not typed; the grandchild prepares everything and puts the phone or laptop on the table. With Meminto the next question can come as a phone call.
Can the voice be kept with the book?
Yes, with several providers. Meminto and Remento link recordings into the book by QR code. With Hermes 3000 the conversation can be kept as an audio recording, with its own consent, and can be played back and downloaded.
Can it still be done before Christmas?
With a conversation, yes, if the print file is with BoD by the end of November. Question services are designed for a year; before Christmas you usually give the subscription as a gift.