Should I Write My Memoirs?

I get asked this question frequently. Many people believe they have led wonderfully interesting lives, have a story to tell that others would pay to hear, and are interested in learning how to get their book published.

My advice? Don't. It's a rare person who will ever get the ear of a publisher - who would be paying to have this done - and who might be interested in hearing about someone's life story.

Unless you have an incredibly unique experience to talk about, or you're already famous (or infamous!), your chances of having a publisher interested in your work is extremely slim.

Before hiring a writer and spending the time it will take to even produce a manuscript, do some research. If you truly believe you have a story to tell that others will pay to read about, you need to write an incredible query letter to a publisher that has a history of buying manuscripts of this genre. Then, you sit back and wait to hear.

What about self publishing? I hear this as well. This option is very expensive and the payback is regrettably very low. Very few self published books ever make a fraction of what the authors paid to have them printed and distributed. There is a reason this is called "vanity publshing" - it pads the ego of the author, not the author's bank account.

If you are still convinced that your story might be worth something, start a journal and write and write and write. If nothing else, you'll have something to leave for posterity.