Since today verteleens.nl, the interactive multimedia site for writing personal life stories is live. The site is an initiative of Elma van Vliet, author of the Vertel ‘s books and is developed by Service2Media. Users can write their life stories online, supplement these with pictures and sound and have them printed as a personal book.
Filling the Vertel ‘s books using the computer was a need expressed by users of the book series. This fact and the desire of other users to be able to add multi-media elements to the books have led to the development of verteleens.nl. Users of the site can buy a passcode in the bookstore or through the site and after entry start making their life document.
On the site – developed by Service2Media – the writers can add personal photos, movies and music, invite others to write, modify and delete texts and invite people worldwide to read the book. Of course you can have the e-book version professionally printed as a book on 120 gram paper. Service2Media’s online printing partner Webprint ensures that the books will be delivered within a maximum of 10 days at the user’s home.
Elma’s first book, “Mam, Vertel ‘s!” (“The Mothers Book”) appeared in November 2004. After Elma van Vliet had been told that her mother was seriously ill, she realized that there were so many things that she would like know from her mother. From this emotional experience, the idea for Mam, Vertel ‘s! came about. The Vertel ‘s! Series has been an unprecedented phenomenon. From November 2004, over 325,000 people in the Netherlands alone have bought the books and given them as a gifts The series has also been published in England, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, New Zealand, Australia and will be published in 2009 in Canada.
Following the launch of the new site Vertel ‘s! examined if Dutch people think they know enough of what was important in the lives of their parents. The investigation showed among others that:
- 30% of Dutch people feel that there is too little talk with parents about things that matter.
- More than 36% are afraid that their parents will die without having asked them everything.
- Almost 30% of the Dutch people believe that they would better understand their parents when they would know more about the youth or the past of their parents.
- Over 38% of Dutch people would like their parents to write about facts and feelings about their lives so they can read and store them.
- 75% of Dutch people feel that talks with their parents are too often about everyday things.