Creating your MyStories book happens gradually — by answering questions sent to you by email, or by writing directly on the MyStories website at any time.
Step 1: Start telling your stories
Each week, the storyteller receives a story-inspiring question by email. You can answer it in one of two ways:
Option 1: Reply by Email
Option 1: Reply by Email
1. Open the weekly question email
2. Click "Reply" (just as you would reply to any email), write your answer, and attach up to 20 photos if you'd like (formats: jpg, jpeg, png, or webp)
3. Send your reply as an email — your story will be automatically saved to your account
If you want to skip a question, simply don’t reply.
You can reply to the same question multiple times — all your responses will be grouped together into one story.
Storytellers can choose how often they receive MyStories emails (the default is once a week), or turn them off completely. This setting is only available to the storyteller, not to someone who purchased MyStories as a gift for them.
Option 2: Write from the dashboard
Option 2: Write from the dashboard
Click on “Tell your story” in the email, or go to mystories.com and click log in.
No password is necessary: simply enter your email address, and you’ll receive a secure one-time login link via email. Click the link to log in to your account. Alternatively, if you are using Google you have the option to log in with your Google account.
After logging in, you’ll land on your dashboard, where you can:
View "All", "Not Started", and "Completed" questions:
Click “Start writing” to open the editor:
Tell your story and add photos (up to 20 per story):
Add, create or reorder questions.]
You can write as many stories as you like, and they’ll appear in the order shown in your dashboard.
Write below the horizontal line and edit questions if needed - the questions become chapter titles in the printed book.
If you prefer, you can record your story instead.
Step 2: Customize your question list
You have full control over which questions appear in your book:
Answer only the questions that speak to you.
Add more from the suggested list by clicking “Add questions”.
Create custom ones with “Add your own question”.
Reorder questions using the drag handle to define the book’s flow.
Unanswered questions won’t appear in the printed book.
For more information about customizing the questions in your Book see the following article: Can I Customize the Questions in My MyStories Book?
Step 3: Edit and enhance your stories
You can edit any story before printing:
Go to the “Completed” tab on your dashboard.
Click “Edit story” to make changes.
You can add captions to photos (via the dashboard only) — these will appear under the images in your printed book.
Once you’ve made changes, click “Preview” to view the updated story. You can edit as many times as you'd like until you’re satisfied with the result.
Click here to learn more about editing your story:
Step 4: Preview and prepare your book
Once you’ve finished sharing your stories:
Go to your dashboard and click “Preview book” to see the full layout as a PDF.
When you’re ready, click “Print your book” to order your hardcover copy (included with membership). You'll have the option to customize the book’s title, cover photo, and color.
You can also download the PDF for free or purchase extra copies.
Click here for more information about what you will receive:
See here for more information and FAQs about MyStories.