My memoir sells. But only a little. And for quite a while, that hurt. But lately I've been taking my memoir along with my other books (romance, animal non-fiction, and picturenooks) to craft fairs. I don't sell a lot, but all sell equally well. And what's special is when a woman clutches "God, the Devil, and Divorce" to her chest and declares, "I NEED this book!" That moment makes all the blood, sweat tears, and money worthwhile.
Most people in the faith space are writing memoir right now, and it’s hot. I think it’s less likely to sell a memoir that reads more as literary nonfiction on a non-trendy or culturally provocative topic. But yes—such hope! My bookshelf above our couch houses all my favorite and most beloved memoirs. My hope is to contribute even just one to the tradition (as I once heard an editor say).
Finding that hook is so important. I'll write on that in a future post. Publishing is so competitive, and has been for a long time. Do you have any good memoirs to recommend? I'm always looking....
Yes! It’s the genre I read the most although this year has left little time for leisure reading (I got married, moved, changed, jobs, etc lol). My all-time favorites are A Severe Mercy (Sheldon Vanauken), Surprised by Oxford (Carolyn Weber), Chasing Frances (technically fiction, but it reads like Ian Cron’s own memoir), English Lessons (Andrea Lucado), Adorning the Dark and God of the Garden (Andrew Peterson), This Beautiful Truth (Sarah Clarkson), Aggressively Happy (Joy Clarkson), Miracles and Other Reasonable Things (Sarah Bessey), and Surprised by Joy (C. S. Lewis). My next read is going to be Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck. :)
Thank you for this reminder, Susy. I can't tell you how many times I have been approached since we hit the road as nomads by people asking if I am writing a book about our journey. 💜
My memoir sells. But only a little. And for quite a while, that hurt. But lately I've been taking my memoir along with my other books (romance, animal non-fiction, and picturenooks) to craft fairs. I don't sell a lot, but all sell equally well. And what's special is when a woman clutches "God, the Devil, and Divorce" to her chest and declares, "I NEED this book!" That moment makes all the blood, sweat tears, and money worthwhile.
I love that you're getting creative!! You are reaching hearts, minds, and spirits, one book at a time.
Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!!
You're so welcome. I've been percolating on this for a while!
Most people in the faith space are writing memoir right now, and it’s hot. I think it’s less likely to sell a memoir that reads more as literary nonfiction on a non-trendy or culturally provocative topic. But yes—such hope! My bookshelf above our couch houses all my favorite and most beloved memoirs. My hope is to contribute even just one to the tradition (as I once heard an editor say).
Finding that hook is so important. I'll write on that in a future post. Publishing is so competitive, and has been for a long time. Do you have any good memoirs to recommend? I'm always looking....
Yes! It’s the genre I read the most although this year has left little time for leisure reading (I got married, moved, changed, jobs, etc lol). My all-time favorites are A Severe Mercy (Sheldon Vanauken), Surprised by Oxford (Carolyn Weber), Chasing Frances (technically fiction, but it reads like Ian Cron’s own memoir), English Lessons (Andrea Lucado), Adorning the Dark and God of the Garden (Andrew Peterson), This Beautiful Truth (Sarah Clarkson), Aggressively Happy (Joy Clarkson), Miracles and Other Reasonable Things (Sarah Bessey), and Surprised by Joy (C. S. Lewis). My next read is going to be Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck. :)
I’ve read about half of those so thanks for the list. I read Travels with Charley in high school and loved it!
Thank you for this reminder, Susy. I can't tell you how many times I have been approached since we hit the road as nomads by people asking if I am writing a book about our journey. 💜