It’s all about money at the website moneycrashers.com, so blogger Michael Lewis included “make money” among his four reasons for writing a memoir. But his blog post was really a thank-you note to his late father for leaving a memoir for his family to read after his death. Lewis writes: “During the last five years
This week Americans across the country will flock to beaches, rivers, open fields and even the seat in front of their TV and computer screens—to watch Independence Day fireworks. If you’re an American, how many times have you done that? It’s a ritual, and it’s the kind of memory that might find its way into
You make lots of decisions as you’re writing your memoir about when and how to introduce the topics you want to cover. You may choose to present a chronological account of your life, from birth to present day, because it seems logical and probably the easiest option. But you’re likely to find that it’s not
I noticed an ad in the obituary section of my local Chicago Tribune that said something along the lines of: “Every life story deserves to be told. Send in yours about your loved one.” This notice made me sad. While it might make you smile to think of your spouse, child or grandchild honoring you
One way to motivate yourself while you’re writing your own memoir is to read other people’s memoirs. At Write My Memoirs we like to keep you up to date on the upcoming autobiographies that will be available each season. Here are a few of the memoirs coming out in June alone. Follow us on Twitter
Reviewing some of the advice on Google about how to write a memoir, I’m struck by how much of it is exactly opposite to the advice we offer to Write My Memoirs members. If you’re trying to sell your memoir and hoping for a six-figure movie deal based on your life, then a lot of
Write My Memoirs has undergone another remodel to help you fulfill your memoir-writing aspirations. We’ve redesigned the timeline, a key feature that reminds you of important events in your life as you’re writing. We’ve simplified the options for our writing and publishing services that give your memoir a professional touch if you choose. Our new
Everything looks new at Write My Memoirs, because everything is new! We have a new look and many new features. If you’re already a member, your work is still safe where you left it. Just follow the sign-in instructions, and you will find your account. If you’re just joining now, welcome! We hope your experience
Should you silence your inner critic as you write your memoir? Maybe just a little.
Then just set up a chapter and start writing your memoir. Don’t worry about rules. There are no rules to writing your memoir; there are only trends. These trends are based on techniques and features identified in current top-selling memoirs. At best, they’re the flavor of the month. If you’re capturing your life in print for your family, for your own gratification or to inspire readers, rather than aiming to set off Hollywood screenplay bidding wars, these trends don’t even apply to you. You’ll write the memoir that suits you best, and it will be timeless, not trend-driven.There are no rules, but there are four steps:
1. Theme/framework
2. Writing
3. Editing/polishing
4. Self-publishing
You’ve researched this, too, and you’ve been shocked at the price for getting help with any one of those steps, much less all four. That’s because most memoir sites promise to commercialize your work. They’ll follow a formula based on current memoir trends, because they want to convince you that they can turn your memoir into a best-seller. These sites overwhelm you with unnecessary information not to help you, the memoir author, but to address Search Engine Optimization (SEO) algorithms so they can sell more.
That’s not what we do at Write My Memoirs. Our small community of coaches, writers and editors are every bit as skilled as any you’ll find, and we charge appropriately for their expertise and the time they’ll spend helping you craft a compelling, enjoyable read. But you won’t pay an upcharge for other websites’ commercialization, the marketing that follows, and the pages of intimidating “advice.” You can sell your book if you like—we have ISBNs available for you—but our organic process of capturing your story takes a noncommercial path.
If you want help with any or all of the four steps above, choose from our services or save money by selecting one of our packages. If you’d like to talk about what’s right for you, schedule a call. One year from now, you can be holding your published memoir in your hand. And at that point, it will be a big deal!