Have people said “you should write a book” ?
They’re right, you should.
You tell it - I’ll write it.
You have lived a Life worthy of a story.
“Every time someone dies without telling their story… it’s like a library has burned down.”
- African oral story telling tradition - Amadou Hamate Ba - Alex Haley
Most extraordinary lives go unwritten. Yours doesn’t have to.
Your life has chapters worth preserving.
It’s time to leave a legacy. Let’s write your story.
Who am I?
Keith Bakker, a seasoned entrepreneur who worked out in the real world and met daily with real people, he hired and managed employees, and he signed pay checks.
He is also a skilled writer.
A rare combination.
My intelligence is not artificial.
I, like you, have life experiences worthy of a story so I can relate to you with empathy and heart and soul. I have a deep well to draw from.
That is what I bring to every memoir I write. Not just craft, but genuine understanding of what it means to have truly lived.
I am an INFJ personality type, one of the rarest. Filled with deep, reflective thought and an enormous amount of empathy, I am dedicated to the pursuit of purpose.
How this benefits you and what this means for you is that nothing lights me up more than changing someone else’s life for the better.
How does this work?
Your life has taken you places, great days and terrible days and moments that changed everything. Whatever your circumstances, we sit down together and begin a conversation.
We first see if we are a good fit. This is crucial because we spend many hours together discussing very personal details and situations.
If we like and respect each other, we then agree on a strategy, timeline and your investment in your story.
From there, we begin the interviews and conversations about your life experiences.
I write your story, in your voice, and we end up with a beautiful book.
Imagine it and feel it in your hands. Look at the cover. Turn the pages. Be proud.
This is the place to begin. Right now, with me as your partner.
I’m not here to sell you anything - I’m here to help you tell your story.
Somewhere inside you is a story that deserves to be told.
Telling it is your claim to greatness. It is your way of leaving your mark on this earth.
Of saying to your family, and to the world, that you were here. That you lived and loved and all the years meant something.
There was a reason for it all.
Pull back the curtain on forgotten memories.
Moments and experiences in your life which shaped you from who you were, and transformed you into the unique person you are today.
We will write it together, the old fashioned way, with actual human conversations. Your heart and soul, your pain and suffering, your happiness and joy, all these experiences will come alive on the page, preserved forever in your own voice.
Two Distinct Offerings for You:
Every life story is different. Every person who wants it told comes with a different need, a different timeline, and a different sense of what they want to leave behind. So I offer two ways to work together:
The Life Story Series $4,500
A condensed life story.
Maybe you’re not sure where to start.
Maybe the timing isn’t right for a big commitment.
You’ve always meant to write it down. Now you can in about a month.
A limited yet professional service
Four to five recorded conversations, unhurried and personal
Beautifully crafted 30 - 40 page narrative in your own voice
One round of revisions
Edited and proofread
Print-ready digital file PDF
Professionally printed keepsake copies
Timeline: about a month
Installments: 2
“Not everyone is ready for a full memoir. But everyone deserves to have their story written down.”
This is a package designed as a shorter, more accessible way to begin.
And for many people, it becomes the most meaningful thing they have ever done.
Not sure if you are ready for the full Legacy Memoir?
Start Here.
If you’ve been waiting for the right moment, this is it.
We’ll have a simple conversation. Just two people talking about your life.
The Legacy Memoir $25,000 +
A full memoir experience.
You want every chapter of your life told in extraordinary detail.
Writing, editing, design, and publishing handled entirely.
Your complete, expansive life story in a professional published book.
An all-inclusive white glove service
Extended interviews and conversations
Comprehensive memoir manuscript written in your voice
Premium professional editing and proofreading
Custom book design and layout, including professional cover design
Ten+ high-quality physical printed copies
Timeline: 4-5 months
Installments: 3 or 4
I offer a carefully designed package for you, built around a single purpose, which is telling your story beautifully, completely, and permanently.
This offer includes everything you need from our first conversation to the moment you hold your finished book in your hands.
Nothing is hidden. Nothing is added later.
This is your story. It deserves to be told right.
I work with a select few people each year.
If you feel the moment is right, I’d be honored to make your story one of them.
* Other writers provide you with a Word document at the end of the process.
I provide you with a human crafted and professionally designed printed book.
That is the luxury White Glove service which I offer to you.
There truly is a difference in who you trust with your life story.
Let’s write your story together.
It’s time to give your life the pages it deserves.
I’m a personal memoir writer.
I sit with you, I listen, and I capture your life in your own voice as you tell me your story.
Then I write it.
“I work with only four to six interesting people each year.
You and your story can be one of the select few.”
Contact me today by filling out the form.
A few writing samples - so you can get a feel…
Heart of a Southern Man - Prelude sample
This memoir, Heart of a Southern Man, will be published in the summer of 2026.
Heart of a Southern Man - Chapter 1 sample
This memoir, Heart of a Southern Man, will be published in the summer of 2026.
Read more of my writing on Substack.
Pages By The Sea is where I write essays and stories and articles. All geared to the theme of living our life to the fullest, realizing our time on this earth is limited.
My Final Journey - a short story
A little story about realizing it’s the end
I have lived enough of life to know that every person carries a story worth telling.
I was born and raised in a small Massachusetts mill town, where a strong Yankee work ethic was instilled in me. I attended Calvin College in West Michigan and settled there afterward. I am an entrepreneur who began and ran several service businesses, experiencing both success and real failure. So I understand how life can crush you and reward you.
I am a husband of over thirty years. So I understand commitment. My wife and I traveled to Russia to adopt our daughter when we could not have children of our own, one of the most profound journeys of our lives. So I understand disappointment and heartbreak and I understand gratitude and tremendous joy.
Several years ago we made a decision that changed everything, selling all we owned and moving to Charleston, South Carolina. So I understand big change and massive life choices and the pain, uncertainty and hope which accompanies them.
That’s the quick version. I’m sure you could give one of your life also.
I have lived, I have struggled and I have loved. That is exactly why I am the right person to help you tell your story.
Should we partner on this journey?
You’re here to tell the detailed version of your life, of how certain events have shaped you and transformed you into the broken and beautiful person you are today.
You want to tell your children and grandchildren and the people who matter most to you about the real you.
You’ve had a desire to tell your story for a long time. You just weren’t sure how or where to begin.
This is the place to begin. Right here, right now, with me as your guide and partner.
You’re here for a reason, you have a story to tell and you have the desire to tell it.
As your trusted guide and partner, together we can tell the story of your life.
I’m not here to sell you anything - I’m here to help you tell your story.
Contact me today, while you are here and the moment feels right.