Questions
Questions we are asked.
Do you do DNA testing?
No. Hearthline does not offer DNA testing, and we do not interpret raw DNA data. A Hearthline book is built from your family tree and the historical records behind it. If you already have DNA results you want included, we can write about what they show.
What happens to the information I send?
When you join the waitlist we keep what you send on the form, and we use it to tell you when orders open and to plan for the kinds of books people want. When orders open, the family information you send for a book will be used only to make your book, and we will publish full terms, including how long we keep your files, before we take any order. Our privacy note has the details.
Will the book include my living relatives?
We do not research living people. Living relatives appear by name and relationship only, unless they contribute their own words. The Living Edition website sits behind a sign-in, and only the people you invite can read it.
What if the records turn up very little?
Then the book says so. Every line ends somewhere, and the book says where each line stops, why, and what record would take it further. The Family Case File lists every open question. You are paying for research and an honest account of it, not for a guaranteed number of ancestors.
If your tree is thin, tell us on the waitlist form. A tree that is mostly names with no sources is more work to check, and we would rather tell you that before you order than after.
What if something in the book is wrong?
Before anything is printed, you read a proof of the whole book and send us your corrections. We will publish our terms for corrections, printing defects and refunds before we take any order.