The short answer is: around five to ten minutes.
As a general guide, aim for around five to ten minutes per story. That's long enough for a real memory to unfold, and short enough that it never starts to feel like an interview. A handful of stories at that length builds naturally into a beautiful, finished book.
But that's a guide, not a rule.
What a "story" actually looks like
Often several smaller memories sit naturally together and make up one story. A memory about your first home, something about your parents, and a story about the street you grew up on might all belong in the same recording, flowing one into the next. They don't need to be separate.
Some of those individual memories might only be a minute or two. Others might run longer. That's completely fine. What matters is that the story feels complete, not that it hits a specific time.
What about shorter recordings?
Shorter recordings have their own place in the book too. Some of the most meaningful moments end up as Q&A pages: a single question as the heading, your answer in a paragraph beneath, often paired with a photo or a small illustration.
These work beautifully for reflective questions that don't need a long answer. Something like "What does a good day look like for you now?" might only be a few sentences, and that's exactly right for a Q&A page.
Sometimes I'll suggest one of these if I feel there's a natural gap, or if a recording is shorter and suits that format. So if you submit something brief, it won't go to waste, it might just find a different home in the book.
A little over or under is fine
There are no restrictions on recording length in the portal, and that's intentional. If a story runs long because there was a lot to say, let it run. If a memory feels complete in three minutes, that's enough.
When in doubt, just record naturally and let the story find its own length. I'll work with whatever you give me.