Membership of Life Stories Australia members gives you access to collegiate support, recorded forums, resources and discounts to help members continue telling stories.
Useful services recommended by your colleagues
Found a good service or product that has made your job easier? Share it with your colleagues on this page by emailing com@lifestoriesaustralia.com.au and we will insert your suggestion here.
Recorders
Digital recorders (awaiting your recommendation)
Smart phone apps (awaiting your recommendation)
Smart Recorder (free)
Videographers
My Business My Story (Previously That’s My Life) – our member Paul English’s business.
Transcription services
Triple A Transcription – Australian, paid in Australian dollars.
Rev – US company, paid in US dollars but reliable and compiled by humans. Cheaper AI service also available.
On Time Typing, Editing, Proofreading – Sally-Anne Watson-Kane’s business.
Trint – AI transcription, 80 per cent reliable, good for first draft, only available on monthly plan.
Otter.ai – AI transcription service, free basic plan offering a set number of minutes, but files need to be broken up into less than 40 minutes to get full recordings, unless you are on the paid plans.
Express Scribe Transcription – do it yourself with this easy to use software.
Design
Book covers and layout services
Christina Carter, book designer.
Balmoral Beach Press – Ian Davies, book designer.
Management Tools
Timekeeper by project, task and team member, project reports and invoicing.
Photography
Photographer Leigh Henningham Photography
Scanners (awaiting your recommendation)
Cameras (awaiting your recommendation)
Smart phones (awaiting your recommendation)
Compiling/Writing aids
Scrivener – Complicated at first but versatile and keeps all your information, photos, documents and research in one place. 30-day free trial only calculated on the days you open the app so plenty of time to get to know it.
Editing
Grammarly – free and paid versions.
PerfectIt – excellent copy editing and final proofing add on.
Editor members and allied members
On Time Typing, Editing and Proofreading – Sally-Anne Watson Kane.
Zest Communications, Heather Millar, Editing and Proofreading.
Better Manuscript Editing, Margie Riley.
Word Polish, Margie Cosgrave, Copyediting & Proofreading Services.
Book printers
Short-run printers – Bookpod, Minuteman Press Prahran, White’s Law Bindery.
Pod printers – Ingram Sparks, Lulu, Blurb, Minuteman Prahran.
Publishing advice – Creative Text Solutions, our member Susan Pierotti.
Publishing assistance – On Time Typing, Editing and Proofreading – Sally-Anne Watson Kane.
Publishing assistance – Balmoral Beach Press – Ian Davies.
Marketing
Our member Renée Otmar offers book and business marketing plans, advice and coaching. As this service is not widely known it’s best to phone or email Renée for details. She also has e-courses and e-books in marketing for editors.
Timelines software
Awaiting your recommendation
Proofreaders
Kylie Moreland – Not a writer, but a professional proofreader. Great for that final proofread when you cannot look at the story anymore. Very thorough, including picking the odd wrong font appearing. Affordable rates and fast. kylie.moreland@bigpond.com – Deb Gough.
Rather a PDF?
Structure tips
Copyright, defamation
Blog writing
Press releases examples
Some examples of how to write a press release to get publicity for your life storytelling business from life member LSA member .
Family tree tips
Websites useful for finding family tree information from Imelda Cribbin from our forum in September 2022.
Finding facts
Useful websites for finding information on historical figures and events from our forum in September 2022.
Promoting Life Stories Australia’s members
Do you know somebody in the media who is interested in life story telling? Perhaps you might not know them personally, but you can tell they like oral history? They could be a local reporter, a TV or radio presenter or journo in a major newspaper. We are building our media database for press releases and you can help. Reporters are always looking for a local angle, so it might be you they feature. Click the link here to let us know who you know.
Do you need help to promote Life Stories Australia?
LSA has a neat little PowerPoint to help you tell other potential members about Life Stories Australia’s membership. The more members we have, the more we can do for our members. This PowerPoint allows you to download it and adjust it to suit a speaking engagement. If you use it, please let us know and send a copy of the final product. com@lifestoriesaustralia.com.au.
Media tips and the LSA quality seal
Check out our cheat sheet on media interviews, including some guidelines for talking about Life Stories Australia – it is our seal of quality so it is good to mention the association.
Building your brand tips
Marketing does not have to cost money if you are prepared to put yourself out there to build your brand. Thanks to Annie Payne for her notes on marketing ourselves.
Self care checklist for dealing with trauma
Writing can be therapeutic but it can also be hard on the person who has been through the trauma and the storyteller trying to publish it for them. Here are some self care tips and other care tips for working under pressure.
Useful websites for help
Wellness tips for performers/creatives
National Centre for PTSD on moral injury
In the know
The now defunct Association of Personal Historians based in the US surveyed its members in 2011. The information is old but gives some ideas on pricing.
Our constitution
LSA uses the model constitution from the Office of Fair Trading NSW where we are registered as an incorporated body.
This content is restricted to LSA members. If you are an LSA member, please log in. New users may register below by contacting com@lifestoriesaustralia.com.au.
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