Here’s a bar bet you cannot lose: “I bet there is a book inside of you, wanting to come out.”
Doesn’t everyone have a story to tell? Yes, and maybe they just need the awareness or reminder. To give voice to their story, message, innovation, or hard-won experience is profoundly rewarding.
Try the author’s hat on for yourself, just for a moment. What might you want to write about?
Some are drawn to write fiction and work on a novel or series. While that’s not for me, I’m glad there are people with that inclination and talent—I can’t imagine being deprived of novels such as Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms, Rand’s The Fountainhead, or Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany. Thank you, thank you! to every author whose words I’ve gobbled up.
I specialize in non-fiction. Not only have I read thousands of nonfiction books, I’ve written a few myself and helped hundreds of people to write a nonfiction book and become a published author.
One of the first things to ask yourself is about your purpose for your book. To establish yourself as an authority, as “the one who wrote the book” on your topic? To gain instant credibility? Or perhaps to be helpful to others who are going through some huge challenge that you’ve experienced? I like to say, “You lived to tell it.”
Many people want to write a memoir about themselves or family ancestors, yet few actually do. Oh, what I wouldn’t give to have a book written by my father. He wrote down a few true stories, but never a book that would have been so profoundly rich with stories from being a Naval aviator and officer in WWII, to building his own home in rural Florida (when it was all rural), to his NASA career as an aerospace engineer for the Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle programs.
Would you like to discuss your book idea? There’s nothing I would enjoy more. Let’s connect!
By the way, a memoir is different than an autobiography. I’m writing an article distinguishing those and giving examples (coming soon!).
Examples of memoirs I have had the privilege to help develop and publish for first-time authors:
Have an idea for a book? Barbara Dee has your game plan. Click here.