One of the questions I get asked a lot – both by my students, and via my Dear Della page in Writers’ Forum – is I’ve written a memoir, or I want to write my memoir, how easy is it to get it published?
The short answer is that it’s almost impossible to get a memoir published unless you are:
a) a celebrity
b) have an extraordinary story to tell (this incidentally needs to be along the lines of, my dad came from the planet Zog and my mother was a unicorn.)
OK, I was being rather tongue in cheek about that example, but you really must have an extraordinary story these days, at least you must have if you want to get the attention of a big publisher.
If you just have an ordinary life with a few extraordinary events thrown in, it’ll be tough to interest a publisher. However – and this is a big however – in my experience writing your memoir or autobiography is one of the most satisfying, wonderful and cathartic things you can do.
So to answer the question I posed in the title of this blog. Yes it’s worth it.
Write it for the joy of writing it. Write it for yourself and your family. Write it for love. And if you do find a publisher then great. And if you don’t and you really want it to be published, then it’s not hard, these days, to publish it yourself.
That’s my take on writing a memoir and autobiography anyway. And if you would like to learn more. I am doing a Saturday Course on how to get started. How to Write Your Memoir/Autobiography is on 4 May, 13 in Bournemouth.
Please do email me or post a comment for further details. And happy writing!
Yes, totally , write for the joy and pleasure and even if it never gets published at least family and friends will be able to share your story and it could be the best therapy you ever have (and the cheapest). Writing about your life certainly gives you a perspective and clarity about things that have happened along the way.
My sentiments exactly, Tracy 🙂