FAQ

Our team of professionals pay attention to every detail of your story.

Step 1: Your Story.

Our trained interviewers conduct interviews in person or via zoom to record your treasured memories. Really, these are just lovely conversations as you take us down memory lane. We are kind, curious, knowledgeable, trustworthy and very respectful of your feelings and privacy, abiding by strict confidentiality policies. We are also very proud of our methodology here at Plantain. After all, our directors initially led careers in Psychology, Anthropology, and Global Health Research.

Step 2: Our Writers.

We bring your memories to life using your own words and tone, all the while placing your story within historical contexts. The aim here is to create an authentic narrative through which your personality shines through. You can edit your story, as and when you wish.

Step 3: Our Researchers.

One of the perks of working with Plantain is our research expertise. That’s why we dedicate some of our time to uncovering contextual and genealogical/historical records that can add that special touch, helping build the framework of your personal story, and helping it connect with younger generations. Indeed, we believe that stories only ever come to life once placed within the wider context of the time.

Step 4: Our Designers.

For your story to resonate, it has to be matched with outstanding design. Our top-class creative designers take over your project, artfully combining your narrative with memorabilia (restored photographs, documents, letters, etc.), and pairing these with the fonts, colours, and illustrations that best speak to you. The result is a bespoke heirloom, as unique and as beautiful as your story.

If you have any questions, simply get in touch!

Because all of our projects are custom made, we cannot give you an estimate without speaking with you first. The cost will depend on how many interviews you would like us to conduct, how much writing is involved, how much research you would like us to carry out, whether you would like a fully bespoke design, and how many prints you want. Bespoke packages vary significantly in scope, and we have completed projects for as little as US100 and up to US65,000 for larger projects. Our most popular packages focus on interviews with one person and take 8-9 months.

Ultimately, we believe everyone should celebrate their (hi)story beautifully. We tailor all of our packages to suit specific needs and circumstances - there’s something available to everyone - so please contact us for a free consultation.

We are frequently asked to assist at various stages of publication by some who have already started the process (editing, book design services, and printing). If this is what you are interested in then contact us.

Previously, it has taken us a few weeks to several months to complete a project. The turnaround time will depend on the scale of your project, how busy we are, and certain specifications you may opt for (or out of).

All you have to do is head over to our contact page and request a callback. It is straightforward after that and we’ll walk you through the steps from there.

We have created packages for clients that have come from all over. We also ship internationally. However, please note that books are heavy and customs and import taxes are billed to the receiver.

We have celebrated personal memories and histories through bespoke projects of unmatched quality. We strive to create timeless packages through superb craftsmanship and customer service, and you will be hard-pressed to find a company that offers our excellence elsewhere. We care about what we make, and it all starts with extending this care to the families we work with. We focus on building long-term relationships and our service is 100% personalised. Take a look at our testimonials to read it from our clients’ perspective.

Corporate history books are typically commissioned for a company anniversary celebration - say, 20, 50 or even 100 years in existence - or as excellent retirement gifts. On many an occasion, we have been approached by businesses initially seeking personalized business gift ideas, but our books have gone on to be used to:

• Pay tribute to founding members.

• Make powerful impressions by beautifully sharing corporate histories.

• Invest in, and craft corporate vision for, the future.

• Gain competitive advantages by capturing the human dimensions that define your business.

• Ensure brand integrity by giving marketing teams the long perspective.

• Motivate and inspire loyalty by imparting history, values and challenges.

• Create and manage archives for the company’s future use.

If there is a mistake we are responsible for, we will do everything we can to rectify the order. Please see our Terms of Service below for more details.

We recommend that you head over to the Contact page and request a callback.

Capturing and celebrating a life story is unique and we encourage each customer to speak with us first to address any possible questions.

We get this a lot but none of our customers has ever regretted going down this path. We find that every person, family, and company has a story to tell - it is an investment for all generations, so don’t let your history go untold!

Yes!

Yes! We have unearthed thousands of fascinating historical documents from archives all over the world. Our researchers are savvy, critical thinking, supportive and flexible. They’re also experts at conveying genealogical and historical material in a way that is fun and insightful.

The books we craft are private so we can only send you short samples. Please contact us at letstalk[at]plantain.me if you would like to take a more detailed read.

No. We usually take payment in instalments. But paying the full cost upfront significantly speeds up your project.

Please read our Terms of Service below for full details.

We can conduct interviews via Zoom.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

These are the Terms & Conditions under which Plantain Publishing LLP ("Plantain" or "Company" or “We" or "Us") provides you, the person purchasing the Goods and Services ("Client" or "You") with the Goods and Services. Following your first payment, you will be deemed to have accepted these Terms & Conditions. The document below will be a legally enforceable agreement between you and Plantain. Therefore, please ensure you read, understand, and are happy with these Terms & Conditions before ordering a product or participating in a project with us.

INTERPRETATION

"Book" or "Books" means the final output, whether long or short form and whether printed or in electronic format (defined as hard-drives/ image files/ e-books/ PDFs and any other digital formats), that has been created by Plantain using the Client or Contributor's input;

"Content" means a Book or any text, photographs, illustrations, video, etc. supplied by the Client or any Contributors they have selected by Plantain or one of its subcontractors;

"Contributor" means a person that has contributed any content or has been interviewed as part of creating a Book; a Contributor is not necessarily a Client;

"Contract" means this legally-binding Terms & Conditions agreement between You and Us for the supply of the Goods and Services;

"Goods," "Services," “Process" or “Goods, Services & Process” means the goods, services and process agreed in written form that We supply to you of the number and description as set out in the invoice whether paid for online, by phone, bank transfer, or otherwise.

GOODS, SERVICES & PROCESS

(I) The description of the Goods and Services and the Process to create them is as set out on the invoice, website, in catalogs, brochures, or other forms of advertisement. However, as all our projects are custom-made, there may be a few discrepancies in the Goods & Services supplied. We may also adapt the process to create the best possible service and final product.

(II) We will incorporate any clearly articulated changes that You may request to us in writing to your manuscript in two round of revisions for the narrative and two rounds of revision for the design.

First round of narrative and first round of design:

In this round, If You are unsure about any content in the text, the flow of the narrative, the images selected, the colours and font style, you name it – Plantain will be delighted to make suggestions and help You make the right choices. This is the stage where you can make substantial edits to ensure your Book is produced just as you like.

Second round of narrative and second round of design:

We will edit the narrative and design to match the requests you have made in the previous revision. If You find any other factual errors in the narrative such as dates, place names or misspellings after this revision, we will incorporate these as long as You indicate these to us before approving the proof for print.

If you have already approved a component of your Book, such as the direction or tone of narrative, narrative content, design concepts, design elements and design layout and then decide You would like to have more substantial changes in a further round of revisions, such as the addition of more text, change to the tone or design direction, addition of new images or illustrations, anything other than factual errors or misspellings, we can provide You with a quote for this, or Plantain has the right to cancel your project if we determine We are no longer the best fit to meet the needs of Your project. It is your responsibility to sign-off or to provide adjustments to the work done by Plantain. In this case, the conditions in Cancellation (III) apply. This is done via an email to letstalk@plantain.me. No Book will be printed without your confirmation.


(III) Please note that errors can slip through the cracks for any book, even the most successful bestsellers. We will do our best to catch them all but can’t guarantee this.

(IV) As most of our Goods & Services are entirely custom-made, it is your responsibility to supply us with the relevant information through interviews and electronically with documents, including photos, which We will need to complete your project. Plantain will guide You through the process of selecting and scanning high-quality documents to be submitted electronically. Please note that the quality of the scans will impact the images produced in the Book, and We cannot be held responsible for this image quality if You choose not to follow our guidelines. If you prefer to send us documents by post, We may charge you for handling and scanning these professionally. We will always inform You of the additional costs upfront.

(V) If You are dissatisfied with any form of the process, you will inform us immediately via an email to letstalk@plantain.me, and We will make every reasonable effort to remedy your valid dissatisfaction. You agree to provide us with the opportunity to rectify any dissatisfaction.

RIGHTS

(Term or time of period is the life of the copyright. Geographic scope: world)

(I) The Client agrees that the copyright of any Content is automatically passed on to Plantain to be used in the Book in the format it was supplied or adapted as seen fit to produce the Book. This will ensure that we can craft a bespoke Book using the materials you provide us with.

(II) In the process of creating your Book we will create an archive of assets: (a) The unedited audio recordings made during the interviews with Plantain; all personal memorabilia and photos submitted by the Client or Contributor and retouched and digitized by Plantain; any written material submitted by the Client or Contributor that is used in the Book such as existing memoirs and historical text; and all oral history excerpts extracted by Plantain belong to the Client. These will be handed over to You via a file storage and synchronization service such as Google drive. We will host these for you for 3 months at no cost, after which these will be deleted. It is Your responsibility to download these files for your personal storage within this timeframe. (b) Original assets created by Plantain, including but not limited to the artwork (e.g., illustrations, book layout, and design), and originally written historical narratives belong to Plantain. If You would like to use the assets in (b), in most cases, we can grant You these rights by agreeing to additional terms.

(III) The Client and Plantain share the copyright of the final Book in its entirety and any draft versions of the Book or the manuscript. The Client has the right to reproduce and share the final approved Book in its entirety, in print or digital format, with friends, family members, and colleagues in any country in the world and any language for non-profit purposes (this includes for marketing purposes; it does not include selling your book for a monetary profit such as on any platforms like Amazon, or in bookstores). The Client is liable for any damages due to complaints made about the Content by third-parties, including defamation charges. If the Book is to be reprinted in entirety, or excerpts of or the Book used: Credit must be attributed as: "Crafted by Plantain, www.plantain.me, letstalk@plantain.me". You do not own the Goods nor any copyright until We have received all payments due.

(IV) Plantain will retain a few copies of the printed Book for internal purposes, and We retain the rights to display all work from your project in our portfolios, including in print and online, and to submit such work to periodicals, investors, Clients, competitions, and for use in marketing purposes, amongst others. All names and identifying details will be changed for anonymity unless We receive approval from You permitting us to share the names of persons in the Book. Plantain does not have the right to sell your Book for monetary profit such as on any platforms like Amazon, or in bookstores.

(V) Books are not produced for publishing to the general public. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, Books are private and confidential. Please let us know if you would like to publish your Book more widely or for profit. In most cases, We can grant you these rights by agreeing to additional terms. Public use of external archives (e.g., newspaper articles) is subject to the sources' rights agreements. If the Client asks permission to publicly publish anything from the Book, and Plantain grants this, the Client assumes full responsibility for the publication and any damages resulting from that publication, even if it is facilitated or executed by Plantain.

(VI) Any modified, abridged, or derivative works from the Book or any use in addition to that expressly granted (such as in films) must be discussed with Plantain and a follow-up agreement signed by all parties. Modification of the Book shall not constitute a Joint Work unless agreed upon by all parties.

CONFIDENTIALITY

(I) All Client information to produce the Book, shared orally, in written format or otherwise, between Plantain and the Client will not be disclosed or published unless written approval is received by the Client and all persons interviewed. All third parties, such as sub-contracted Transcribers, will agree to sign non-disclosure agreements as a requirement for employment with Plantain.

(II) All processes, technology, tools, methods, and other materials used by Plantain in the process of creating the Book are proprietary and confidential, and will not be disclosed or published by the Client, and remain under the ownership of Plantain.

PAYMENT

(I) Payments are made by submitting your credit or debit card details on our online payment platform or via a direct electronic deposit into Plantain's account (we will provide you with the details, and all transaction fees are to be covered by the Client).

(II) Payments for Bespoke books with an interviewer are typically in four instalments: 25% to the start of the project, 25% upon completion of the interviews, 25% upon approval of the narrative, and 25% upon approval of the final designed PDF proof of the Book. We may agree on different payment terms for Bespoke books.

Please note that payment to printers is usually in two equal instalments: the first to start the job and the second once the proof is approved. Printing will not begin until these fees have been paid. If You decide to use printers of your choosing, we agree to work with them for an additional fee to ensure You get the most high quality, feasible result possible.

(III) Upgrades are invoiced immediately and need to be paid before We can proceed with the process.

(IV) Any invoice we send to you is due for payment within 14 days.

(V) We reserve the right to suspend all work on your project if any payment is overdue or if there are delays such as outlined in Cancellations (VI).

(VI) A 75 USD fee applies for meetings that have not been canceled within 24 hours unless due to circumstances out of the Client's control that are an act of God.

(VII) There is a 2% late fee for every day the Clients' payment is overdue once this is not due to delays beyond the Clients' control.

(VIII) Any estimate is valid for a maximum period of 14 days from its date, unless we expressly withdraw it at an earlier time or extend the period. We have the right to change our estimate and services at anytime after your estimate expires.

CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS

(I) You can submit a request to cancel a project by sending an email with the title "Project Cancellation" to letstalk@plantain.me. The following guidelines for cancellations apply:

(II) Our Goods & Services are personalised, and if you would like to cancel a project once the writer, editor, designer, or any other person providing a service directly related to your project has commenced work, your ability to request a refund is limited.

(III) We have the right to deduct costs related to booked travel arrangements and any transaction, production and administration costs incurred, and the costs for reserving a writer, editor, designer, or any other person providing a service directly related to your project, and costs for work already conducted from the amount you are eligible for.

(IV) Concerning our Bespoke book packages in which a professional interviewer conducts interviews: Before any interviews are conducted, and within 3 days from your first payment, you can request a full refund except for individual costs incurred by us related to booked travel arrangements, any transaction and administration costs, and costs for work already conducted (such as interviews or conducting an in-depth review of your materials). If you cancel your project after 3 days but before 14 days, clause Cancellation (III) will apply and there will be an additional cancellation fee of 10% of the total cost of your project as we would have already set aside additional resources and turned down other potential clients. You are no longer eligible for any refunds after 30 days from your first payment. Unless as specified in clause V below.

(V)If You are dissatisfied with any form of the process, you will inform us immediately via an email to letstalk@plantain.me, and We will make every reasonable effort to remedy your valid dissatisfaction. Note that anything you have signed off on already does not qualify as valid dissatisfaction, this means if You have approved the direction of the narrative and design concepts of your Book, you cannot then say you are dissatisfied with the direction and wish for it to be changed. You agree to provide us with the opportunity to rectify any dissatisfaction. If you remain dissatisfied, and the fault is validly Plantain's, You will receive a full refund for your project to the amount You have paid. If you would like changes after you have approved the direction of narrative or design, we can provide You with a quote for this or Plantain has the right to cancel your project if we determine We are no longer the best fit to meet the needs of Your project. If we validly cancel Your project because We determine that We are not the right fit, You agree to pay for all services rendered to that point and there will be an additional cancellation fee of 10% of the total cost of your project as we would have already set aside additional resources and turned down other potential clients.

(VI) If Your Project is delayed due to a valid explanation, which is defined as circumstances out of Your control (such as a death in Your family, environmental disasters, illness, epidemics, pandemics, cyber attacks, telecommunications failures, major technical disruptions, civil unrest, governmental actions, war, terrorism, or other such acts of God), You will advise Plantain as soon as reasonably practicable. Plantain will be happy to grant one extension with no reactivation fee of up to 30 days, or another reasonable time to the discretion of Plantain depending on the circumstances surrounding the delay. The Client is required to request such an extension by emailing letstalk@plantain.me. If Your project is delayed for due to reasons on Your side that are not mentioned previously (including lack of communication, being busy, forgetting that interviews have been scheduled or milestones are due, resulting in delays in booking interviews or repetitive canceling/not showing up for interviews, lack of on-time reviewing of the narrative and/or design, delays in sending us memorabilia and/or labelling memorabilia and any other task that is required from You for Plantain to advance Your project), we will automatically suspend your project. Since it is significantly more work for our team to pick up a project that has gone cold for a while, and it causes delays and reorganisation for other projects in our pipeline, a reactivation fee of 10% of the total cost of the project applies if we agree to resume Your project.

A delay is defined as occurring if You do not send Your feedback by the day agreed upon on and then do not respond within 7 days from the day We have sent you a second email requesting feedback (the second email is sent 3 days after the first follow up email) and one phone call (we call you 6 days after the first follow up email) and You do not respond.

If for example, you agreed to give us feedback on May 1st and do not send it, then do not respond to our emails on May 4th and 11th and phone call on May 7th, with a valid explanation for the delay, we will automatically suspend your project. If we agree to resume your project after it has been suspended, there will be a reactivation fee of 5% the total cost of your project.

(VII) If Your Project is delayed by Plantain due to a valid explanation, which is defined as circumstances out of Your control (such as a death in Your family, environmental disasters, illness, epidemics, pandemics, cyber attacks, telecommunications failures, major technical disruptions, civil unrest, governmental actions, war, terrorism, or other such acts of God), Plantain will advise You as soon as reasonably practicable. Plantain's obligations will be closed and Plantain will not be liable for any failure which it could not reasonably avoid, and this will not affect Your right to cancel. Plantain will prepare an invoice for the work undertaken to that stage and all payments must be made to close Your project. There will be no 10% cancellation fee. If Your project is delayed due to reasons on Plantain's side that are not mentioned previously (including lack of communication, being busy, forgetting that interviews have been scheduled or milestones are due, resulting in delays in booking interviews or repetitive canceling/not showing up for interviews, lack of on-time reviewing of the narrative and/or design, delays in sending us memorabilia and/or labelling memorabilia and any other task that is required from Plantain to You advance Your project) we will make every reasonable effort to remedy your valid dissatisfaction. You agree to provide us with the opportunity to rectify any dissatisfaction. If you remain dissatisfied, and the fault is still validly Plantain's, we will be delighted to give You a full refund for the work you are dissatisfied with to the amount You have paid. You will not own any of the work we have produced that you are dissatisfied with, and You cannot use any version of this and future projects and we will not handover any original work we have created such as illustrations, original narrative, and design concepts, amongst others.

(VIII) We will make any applicable reimbursement without undue delay and not later than 14 days after the day we are informed about your decision to cancel the Order.

(IX) We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction unless you have expressly agreed otherwise. We are not able to repay by check. In such a case, please provide us with an alternative such as the details required for a bank transfer.

(X) Material breach by the Client includes but is not limited to: failure to make timely payments, provision of false or misleading information, unauthorized use of Plantain's intellectual property, and persistent failure to provide necessary materials or feedback. Material breach by Plantain includes but is not limited to: substantial deviation from agreed project specifications without authorization, violation of confidentiality obligations, unauthorized use of Client materials, and persistent failure to meet agreed deadlines without valid explanation. Either party may terminate this Contract for cause upon 30 days' written notice to the other party of a material breach if such breach remains uncured at the expiration of such period. The effects of such termination shall be as specified in clauses (III), (IV), (V), (VI), (VII), (VIII) and (IX) of this section, as applicable.

(XI) The sections titled RIGHTS, CONFIDENTIALITY, INDEMNITY, DISPUTE RESOLUTION, and any other provisions that by their nature are intended to survive shall survive the termination or expiration of this Contract.

SCOPE

(I) The fees quoted by Plantain are for the original project description as presented in the invoice submitted to You that You have accepted and paid the first instalment for. The quote includes administrative expenses such as phone calls. Any subsequent changes to the scope of work outlined in the invoice (e.g., foreign travel, additional hours of interviews, ancestral research, new illustrations, requests for editing or writing after your first main revision, additions to the word count, etc.) will result in additional charges. Plantain will submit the additional cost to you for your approval.

(II) No additional charges will ever be made without written approval from the Client.

SUBMISSION

(I) Plantain will ensure efficient submission of work to be reviewed and respond in a timely manner to the Client. The final Book, including a final fact check by the Client, will be approved in an email by the Client before printing. With the Client's approval of the PDF proof of (i) the narrative and (ii) of the design, the Client confirms that he/she accepts the Book(s) quality and agrees that no further comments will be entered or changes requested. Please visit the section, "Goods, Services & Process (II)" to read the editing process.

(II) The Client will ensure timely and efficient response to Plantain's questions and clarifications and provide the timely assistance needed to produce the Book. Please visit the section, "Cancellations" (VI) for details on if there are delays in submissions.

(III) Plantain will ensure timely and efficient response to the Client's questions and clarifications and provide the timely assistance needed to produce the Book. Please visit the section, “Cancellations” (VII) for details on if there are delays in submissions.

INDEMNITY

(I) Unless otherwise agreed in writing, your Books are private and confidential and not-for-profit, general public consumption. We are entitled to rely on the Clients, and any Contributors selected, being accurate and fair in telling their story. Our role is to bring the Client's story into Book form, but we are not publishers to the public, and we do not undertake a publishing risk analysis or conduct in-depth analysis and legal procedures as necessary for traditional forms of for-profit, general public distribution (which would add considerable cost). If the Client asks permission to publish any content and Plantain grants this, the Client assumes full responsibility for the publication and any damages resulting from that publication, even if the publication is facilitated or executed by Plantain. 

(II) The Client shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Plantain, its officers, directors, employees, and agents, from and against any and all claims, actions, suits, demands, assessments, or judgments asserted, and any and all losses, liabilities, damages, costs, and expenses (including, without limitation, legal fees, accounting fees, and investigation costs) alleged or incurred arising out of or relating to:

(a) Any claim of defamation, invasion of privacy, or infringement of publicity or other property rights by any third party mentioned or depicted in the Book or other Content;

(b) Any claim of copyright infringement, trademark infringement, or other intellectual property violation regarding materials provided by the Client;

(c) Any violation of privacy laws or regulations related to personal stories or information included in the Book;

(d) Any inaccuracies or misrepresentations in the Content provided by the Client or Contributors.

(III) Limitation of Liability:

(a) Plantain's total aggregate liability for any loss or damage arising from any claim or claims under this Contract shall not exceed the total amount of fees actually paid by the Client to Plantain under this Contract;

(b) In no event shall Plantain be liable to the Client for any indirect, special, incidental, punitive, or consequential damages, including but not limited to loss of profits, revenue, data, or use, even if advised of the possibility of such damages;

(c) The limitations in this section shall not apply to damages arising from Plantain's gross negligence or willful misconduct.

(d) Specifically, the Clients shall hold Plantain harmless against any liability anywhere in the world, including liability arising from copyright infringement and libel that result in any way from your use of our services and counsel on this project.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION

(I) In the event of any dispute, claim, question, or disagreement arising from or relating to this Contract or the breach thereof, the parties hereto shall use their best efforts to settle the dispute. To this effect, they shall consult and negotiate with each other in good faith and, recognizing their mutual interests, attempt to reach a just and equitable solution satisfactory to both parties.

(II) If the parties do not reach a settlement within a period of 60 days, then, upon notice by either party to the other, all disputes, claims, questions, or differences shall be submitted to mediation administered by a mutually agreed upon mediation service in accordance with its mediation rules.

(III) The parties agree to participate in mediation in good faith. The party initiating the mediation shall be responsible for all costs associated with the mediation process. Mediation must be initiated within 30 days of a formal dispute notification, and the mediation process must commence within 90 days of the initial dispute notification.

(IV) If mediation is unsuccessful, the parties may elect to resolve the dispute through binding arbitration under the rules of the London Court of International Arbitration. The seat of arbitration shall be London, United Kingdom. The arbitration shall be conducted in English by a single arbitrator jointly selected by the parties or, failing such agreement, appointed in accordance with the said rules.

(V) The decision rendered by the arbitrator shall be final and binding on the parties, and judgment may be entered in any court having jurisdiction.

(VI) Nothing in this section shall prevent either party from seeking injunctive or other equitable relief from the courts for matters related to confidentiality, intellectual property, or preventing irreparable harm.

GOVERNING LAW, JURISDICTION, AND COMPLAINTS

The Contract (including any non-contractual matters) is governed by the laws of the United Kingdom. Disputes can be submitted to the jurisdiction of the courts of London, UK.