A Short and Actionable Guide on Publishing a Memoir Book

You don’t necessarily need to be a gifted writer to get your memoir published. Proper planning is the key to helping you write and publish your memoir in no time. In this blog, we will share fourteen actionable tips that will enable you to create a personalized plan for publishing your memoir – keep reading!

1.Determine Why and What to Write

Writing a memoir isn’t a practice of showing your transition from failure to success or vice versa. In your memoir, what the reader gets from you is a message. That message is your reason behind writing your memoir, and it’s the message that can make your memoir a great read for ages. 

Be as specific about your message as you can. Once you identify your message, you need to list down the contents of your memoir. Having a message and supporting content will make your memoir an interesting read. 

2.Start With the Writing Process

Writing your memoir should take more than 12 months. In fact, with proper planning, you can start writing your memoir and get it published within a year. It all boils down to how well you can manage your writing routine. 

Make sure you write every single day instead of writing one day and then taking a break for the next week. Try sitting in a quiet place when writing to avoid distractions. If possible, try writing at the time of the day when you feel the most energetic. 

3.Don’t Get Pressured By Perfectionism

Being careful when writing can help you avoid common mistakes. However, being mindful and detail-oriented doesn’t mean you have to let perfectionism take control of you. Remember that you won’t be able to achieve your writing goals if you are constantly worried about making mistakes. 

You need to let your thoughts flow on the paper to write the way you want. Give yourself some room and be willing to make changes after you’re done with writing so you don’t suppress your creativity. 

4.Consider Taking Professional Help

You don’t necessarily have to take care of all things as a writer to publish your memoir. It’s better to ask for help from professionals to save time and get the best results. 

For example, it can get difficult to self-edit your book if you have no prior editing experience. You can find memoir editors online to get your work reviewed before getting it published. The guidance of a professional editor will ensure that your book is free from grammatical and factual mistakes. 

5.Add More Writers to Your Network

Asking for advice from other writers can certainly help you write a better memoir. A writer who has already published a memoir can walk you through the publishing process, which can also save a lot of your time and effort. 

Adding writers to your network is not going to take a lot of time. You can start by joining in-person networking events, or if you have a busy schedule, you can consider exploring online networking events. 

6.Read Famous Memoir Books

You won’t be able to write a good memoir if you don’t take inspiration from other writers. Instead of trusting your gut feeling when making important writing decisions, it’s better to see what other successful memoir writers have done before. 

Set aside some time from your daily routine so you can read memoir books. You can also ask for memoir book suggestions from your close circle if you aren’t finding it easy to choose memoirs for reading. 

7.Don’t End Up Writing an Autobiography

You need to be very careful about the difference between a memoir and a biography. When writing a memoir, you needn’t include every single detail of your life. A memoir should be a concise selection of certain memories of your life. Avoid writing a boring auto autobiography in disguise as a memoir!

8.Engage the Senses of the Reader

To make your memoir interesting for the readers, you need to be very specific about how you weave your sentences. Make sure you utilize the techniques of fiction writing to ensure that your readers can connect with your writing. 

9.Avoid Using Technical Terms

When writing a memoir, you might get tempted to include as many technical terms as possible in hopes of keeping your book factual.

Contrary to the misconception, you don’t need to rely on difficult terms to stay true to your experiences. If you want to keep your book engaging for your readers, you have to be careful about your word choices. Try using simple words so readers love reading your memoir. 

10.Be Picky About the Characters 

You don’t necessarily need to include every single person you’ve met in your life in your memoir. To keep things brief and interesting, you have to ensure that you omit certain characters from your book. Pick a handful of characters and avoid sharing every single interaction you had with them. 

11.Set Proper Deadlines 

You won’t be able to achieve your writing goals if you don’t follow deadlines. Break down your first outline into simple goals, so you can allocate time to certain chapters and ensure that you get the most out of your time. 

12.Ask For Feedback

The best way you can make your memoir interesting for readers is by asking for feedback. The reviews and comments you receive from other people can drastically improve the quality of your work. Consider sending the finished draft to your friends, family members, and fellow writers to know their views. 

13.Get a Persuasive Book Cover

Remember that people do judge a book by its cover. To ensure that more people end up buying and reading your book, you need to use a great book cover that resonates with the contents of your book. Hiring a professional cover designer is better than designing the cover yourself. 

14.Understand the Publication Process

Not knowing how the book publishing process works can make it difficult for you to get your memoir published. Exploring the publishing process along with your writing journey is recommended to avoid problems once you’re finished writing.