Saturday, September 17, 2016

Inspiration for the writers: How to write a bestselling memoir

Especially in the English-speaking realm, memoir writing is considered a common genre, regardless of the author's age. Courageously, you can share your life experience either if you just finished school or you celebrated your 100th birthday. What matters is the content of your story. 
New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Victoria Twead is sharing her insights and experience in a short yet resourceful book covering the three main processes of the book genesis: Writing - Publishing - Promotion.
All her tips were learned 'along the way' and this detail gives authenticity and credibility to the book. There are many interesting advices that caught my attention in each of the three parts of the book. For instance: to check the possible title of the book on Google in order to be sure that you are unique; how to set a timeline and organise the work, step by step; to include plenty of dialogue; 'your first chapter and opening paragraphs need to be hovered to perfection'; to change the font and the letters size for the self-proofreading for diminishing the risk of self-admiration and treat your writing in a more neutral way. One of the funniest yet smart tips from the 'Promotional' chapter is the following: 'Make business cards with your book cover on one side and contact details on the other'. As simple as that. Maybe the social media part is a bit underrated but there are already enough book treating specifically the online strategies for book promotion.
In fact, I discovered that many of the tip, especially regarding the last two stages, can be available for any kind of writing, be it novels, children books or thriller. Such information make the book even more valuable for the writer just entering the wild world of publishing. 
A book I recommend to anyone thinking to start working a memoir, as it offers guidance, perspective and market-proof experience.
Rating: 4 stars
Disclaimer: Book offered by the author in exchange of an honest review

2 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for this feature. :) I leaned a lot about memoir writing as I wrote my Old Fools series, and I enjoyed sharing the things that worked in my "How to". I hope others find it useful. :)

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    1. My pleasure to read it! Hope to keep in touch for more reviews and eventually, an interview too if interested! Happy writing!

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