Benefits of Writing a Memoir

Memoirs make up a large proportion of self-published books. Part of the reason for this is that unless you are a celebrity or have lived a particularly extraordinary life, it is very difficult to get a traditional publisher enthused, no matter how well written it might be. Their concern is that a personal story will have limited marketability.

Breaking the Traditional Publishing Barrier

Through self-publishing, writers now have the option to see their stories printed regardless of the limited market for their work. Today's print-on-demand technology enables self-published authors to print even just a single copy of their book and negates the problem of unsold inventory as their books get printed only upon purchase.

Now, readers become the ultimate judge of your book and not the publishing houses.

The Case for Writing Your Memoir

There are many reasons why people write their memoirs. Some want to leave a family legacy; others, to impart their life’s wisdom; while another may be writing for themselves as a form of self-discovery or catharsis.

Five Things to Remember When Writing Your Memoir

Here are five tips to guide you once you have found your motivation.

1. Develop a timeline and mark the events that determined what path your life’s journey has taken.
2. Establish emotional milestones and turning points which have shaped your life and beliefs.
3. Identify a running theme that relates the whole story together.
4. Avoid starting at the beginning. Providing a chronological history of your life is not writing a memoir.
5. Start writing. Set a daily target for yourself and pour your emotions onto the page until you have said everything you wish to say so a reader will truly experience your life.

For more book marketing tips, head over to the iUniverse Writers Tips and learn from the experience of iUniverse self-published authors.