We specialize in Memoirs
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A memoir, or autobiography, is a story you have lived rather than imagined. You have to be honest. It’s OK to slightly dramatize the story to make it read better. And it’s all right to edit events out, but you shouldn’t invent things that did not happen.
If your goal is reach an audience beyond family and friends, you need to think about what category your writing fits. Is there a market for your story? Who would want to read it? Why would anyone want to spend money on your book, and invest time in reading it if they do not know who you are? Do you think you can you tell your story in such a compelling way that it will appeal to a broad audience?
A helpful exercise is visit your local bookstore, preferably a large well stocked one. Find the shelf where your memoir will go. Are there a lot of other similar books? If so, that may suggest that your topic is overpublished. If there are no books in your category that might indicate that it’s not an area that’s doing particularly well.
Assess your message. Will it appeal to a large group of people, nationwide? Perhaps it’s directed to a specific segment of the population, or a specific geographic region? If you think you write very well, find a local writers’ group and get someone else’s opinion. Your book has to be very targeted, and very well written (a page turner!) if you are hoping for wide distribution.
On the positive side, thanks to the digital revolution, you have more opportunities to reach potential readers than ever before. Distribution changes have made almost every book in print or in digital format available to every reader wherever they are in the world and whenever they want it. The online bookshelves of Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and others can easily be accessed worldwide, in a host of different languages. Bookstore shelf space in retail stores and the demands of selling a huge amount of copies no longer limit your access to having your book published. Print-on-demand technology has made it possible to keep your book in print, and available for as long as you want.
Some budding authors really just want to write their memoirs because they just want to preserve their story in an attractive, permanent physical form. They would like to distribute their book to family, friends, and other networks they have direct access to. These networks might include alumni associations, national organizations and groups of shared interest or hobbies. This latter group or writers tends to care less about making money than they do about telling their story for the benefit of their potential readers.
If you have written a memoir, then we at Iveagh Lodge Press urge you to publish it. At the very least it will be a family heirloom for your immediate family, and for generations yet to come. A box of photographs, digital copies, memorabilia, and notes doesn't have even remotely the same permanence.
A memoir, or autobiography, is a story you have lived rather than imagined. You have to be honest. It’s OK to slightly dramatize the story to make it read better. And it’s all right to edit events out, but you shouldn’t invent things that did not happen.
If your goal is reach an audience beyond family and friends, you need to think about what category your writing fits. Is there a market for your story? Who would want to read it? Why would anyone want to spend money on your book, and invest time in reading it if they do not know who you are? Do you think you can you tell your story in such a compelling way that it will appeal to a broad audience?
A helpful exercise is visit your local bookstore, preferably a large well stocked one. Find the shelf where your memoir will go. Are there a lot of other similar books? If so, that may suggest that your topic is overpublished. If there are no books in your category that might indicate that it’s not an area that’s doing particularly well.
Assess your message. Will it appeal to a large group of people, nationwide? Perhaps it’s directed to a specific segment of the population, or a specific geographic region? If you think you write very well, find a local writers’ group and get someone else’s opinion. Your book has to be very targeted, and very well written (a page turner!) if you are hoping for wide distribution.
On the positive side, thanks to the digital revolution, you have more opportunities to reach potential readers than ever before. Distribution changes have made almost every book in print or in digital format available to every reader wherever they are in the world and whenever they want it. The online bookshelves of Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and others can easily be accessed worldwide, in a host of different languages. Bookstore shelf space in retail stores and the demands of selling a huge amount of copies no longer limit your access to having your book published. Print-on-demand technology has made it possible to keep your book in print, and available for as long as you want.
Some budding authors really just want to write their memoirs because they just want to preserve their story in an attractive, permanent physical form. They would like to distribute their book to family, friends, and other networks they have direct access to. These networks might include alumni associations, national organizations and groups of shared interest or hobbies. This latter group or writers tends to care less about making money than they do about telling their story for the benefit of their potential readers.
If you have written a memoir, then we at Iveagh Lodge Press urge you to publish it. At the very least it will be a family heirloom for your immediate family, and for generations yet to come. A box of photographs, digital copies, memorabilia, and notes doesn't have even remotely the same permanence.