A book for their 18th, written by the people who know them.
A cloth-bound hardback of advice and stories from family, friends, godparents and teachers, including the ones who can’t be at the party. You share one link, each person answers one question, and we print it.
Nobody faces a blank page.
What everyone you invite sees, and what you see as the writing comes in.
Nobody faces a blank page.
What everyone you invite sees, and what you see as the writing comes in.
Hi Sam, you’re invited to write for
Theo
What would you like to write about?
You bring the people. We make the book.
One month is enough. Tell us when the book must arrive and we’ll set the writing deadline.
- Today
Set it up and share the link
Choose the topics, then post the link in the family WhatsApp. Everyone writes, with reminders for anyone who hasn’t.
- Writing deadline
Read it, then order
Arrange the chapters, add a foreword and pay. We print and post it.
- Their birthday
The book arrives
About 10 days later: a typeset hardback collecting advice and stories from friends and family.
From a sample book for Theo
What did you learn the hard way when you first lived away from home?
What has Theo done for you that you’ve never properly thanked them for?
What do you know about money now that you wish someone had told you at 18?
Who’s the friend you’ve known longest, and what’s kept you close?
Tell Theo about a time you got something badly wrong at around their age, and what happened next.
What’s one thing Theo should know how to cook, and how do you make it?
Each chapter opens on its question and the writer’s name, and keeps every word as it was written. An optional photo and caption face it.
Nothing to pay until you’ve read it.
Collect the writing for free. You pay once you’ve read every entry and are happy with what goes to print.
- A cloth-bound hardback in five colours, with a printed dust jacket
- Typeset chapters, with optional colour photos and captions
- Up to 30 people writing, plus an optional foreword from you
- A proof checked by hand, then printed and bound in the UK
Before you begin
When should I start?
Four to eight weeks before the birthday is best. Two weeks is the minimum, or a few days more around bank holidays. Tell us when the book needs to arrive and we’ll set the writing deadline about 12 days before it. That leaves time for you to read everything and order, and for us to print and post it.
What does each person write?
They pick the topic they’d most like to write about, then answer whichever of its three questions suits them. Most questions ask for something the writer has actually learned, often told through a story from their own life. They can write as much or as little as they’d like.
Can it be a surprise?
Yes. The invitation and its link preview both say it’s a surprise and ask people not to tell them. Anyone the link is forwarded to can join, so don’t post it in a group chat they’re in. You can turn the link off or replace it at any time, and it closes at the writing deadline.
Can I read everything before it prints?
Yes. You read the entries, ask contributors for changes or leave an entry out, and arrange the chapters. You can add a foreword and choose the cover details. Once you pay and place the order, the book is locked. We check the print proof by hand before sending it to the printer.