A Publisher's Conversation with Authors: Boiling Your Life Down to Fit in a Book

 

It is Tuesday. Monday's madness is over, and Wednesday will take us over the hump, so Tuesday it is--for some serious discussion with authors. Tuesday talks mean to address authors in waiting and self-published authors who would like to go a more traditional route or who would at least like to take their steps with a publisher by their side. 

This week we look at a question that has repeatedly been asked of our au pair services: how do I boil my very rich and complex life down to fit into a book? Well, to do that, you need to be able and willing to weed out what does not appropriately fit into the book. (Adding in is always easier than weeding out; any successful graduate student dissertation writer will tell you that!)

So, let's look at some of the guides you can use. (These are not the only ones.)

Readership/audience

Who do you want to read your book? Is it for your progeny? Is it for the general public? The answer will dictate the kind of narration you use and the amount of detail you will need (more for a general audience and less for relatives who can fill in the gaps although keep in mind that once you get more than a generation away, those gaps can be big).

Purpose

Why are you writing the book? Is it for catharsis? Is it to document a life for relatives? Is it to tell a tale, with them and leitmotif? The answer will dictate which incidents from your life you will select.

Scope

How big a book do you want? A small one that is easy to carry? Something that looks nice on a library or bookstore shelf? A hefty tome that is a comprehensive documentary? The answer will tell you how much total time you will need to allot to writing your book. (Note: always at least double what you think it will be.)

Deadline(s)

When do you need to finish the book? Are you aging faster than you think you have time to write? Have you retired but are still young-ish and have plenty of time to write? Have you been diagnosed with a serious illness and want to get your life on paper sooner rather than later? Are you planning on self-publishing the book, know that you have a lot to learn (perhaps are even still learning about how to write professionally), and have plenty of time ahead of you before you have to complete it? Do you have limited time available because you are working or otherwise engaged full-time? The answer will guide you in setting up deadlines and milestones.

Timeframe (of the memoir)

Do you want to tell your whole story, from birth until now? Is there a particularly memory period of time from which you want to share your experiences? The answer will help you set a starting point and finishing point to the narrative.

Lesson(s)

Is there something you learned in your life that you want to share? Some lesson(s) you think will help others or reveal the real you to your relatives (if that is for whom you are writing)? The answer will help you draw a set of conclusions from various experiences and thereby assist in establishing chapter structure.

The Story

All lives are tales. What is the unique message that your life has for others? How does the story develop over the timeframe you have selected for the memoir? The answer to that will provide your narrative structure.

Bottom line: Here is some help in organizing your memoir once you have thought about the questions above: TLC Workshop - Organizing Your Life into a Memoir - MSI Press MSI Press

See more Publisher Conversations with authors HERE.

 Learn more about publishing from an acquisitions editor -- how to get your book proposal accepted, why proposals are turned down/accepted, and how to find the right publisher for your book. On special sale for $5 while inventory lasts at MSI Press webstore.

The Tuesday talks reflect real discussions between the management of MSI Press LLC and our own authors or those would-be authors who come through our doors but don't make the cut--yet. If you have a topic that you would like addressed, leave the question in the comment section. Chances are, in our 18 years of publishing first-time and experiences authors, we have had a conversation with one of our authors that we can share with you.

                             

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