The memoir publishing sector has been on the rise recently as many people are now interested in telling their story. The increase in blogs and other social networking channels has helped writers to realize that they can use words for their audience. This is the reason why the memoir book writing which is also known as narrative nonfiction or creative nonfiction has been increasing over the years. This post discusses why you should hire a memoir book editor.
Revising a memoir
The major considerations in any memoir are premise, character, and plot. It may seem strange to refer to yourself as a character and your life story as plot, but you need to get used to it. Therefore, when you decide to revise your memoir, it’s a good idea to focus on the premise first.
You need to think about the part of your life you are going to talk about. It’s worth noting that birth and breakthrough memoirs can be hard to sell. Many readers will not like to go through your entire childhood.
To make it more appealing, your memoir should start at your low point and touch on a specific event while weaving in anecdotes that come from elsewhere in your life.
Every memoir project needs to have an outline. Therefore, you should think about what you must include in your memoir. You can leave some things that don’t fit the premise, though they can be interesting for you and your family members. For every scene and anecdote, you should look at how it connects to the premise.
Also, make sure that your writing has enough scenes. Straight narrative doesn’t work in today’s memoirs. Scene-setting, dialogue, and description are important. You should consider all these three elements when putting your memories on the page.
It’s also crucial to think about yourself, meaning you should come across well to your audience. Your readers are usually more attracted to the characters who want to overcome challenges with the ability of doing it with heart and humor.
Some memoirs can have a character who seems to be confident and knows what they are doing. But storytelling focuses on conflict and tension, so this cannot be compelling enough. Sadly, many writers can’t figure out how they are coming across to their readers.
Challenges with revising a memoir
While self-editing can work well for you, there is also a limit to it. You can use every technique, but it’s hard for any writer to see their scripts with the same clarity as others can. This is why it makes sense to get more eyes on your memoir project. This is especially true because it can be hard to know how you may come across to a memoir reader.
One of the best solutions is to get a critique partner, beta reader, or critique group. You can get a team that can offer you feedback. But you should remember that their level of experience can determine the quality of their feedback. Hence, you need to make sure that you are receiving good opinions that you can trust.
Another solution to overcome revising challenges is to find a freelance editor. This is a professional who usually works with stories daily, and a good one can come with insider publishing experience to your project. This means you can get creativity advice and you can learn whether or not you have good ideas worth publishing.
Plot narrative and character are important to creative nonfiction. However, memoir authors usually find it tough because they find it hard to remove themselves from their story. After all, you have lived it and now you are writing it for the public.
Good memoir book editors should be able to coach you to find your main theme. Besides, an editor should coach you on how to focus on it and remove entertaining stories that don’t fit in your book. They also need to help you decide which stories have to stay and those that need to go. This can be hard to do for any writer because you tend to be close to the material.
A memoir editor also needs to convey that preaching and teaching should not be in a memoir. These things belong to other books, such as self-help and how-to. The memoir is a reflection on your story, so don’t include self-help elements.
An editor can also help to remove bragging, and even suggest various ways you can convey moments of triumph or success without sounding arrogant. They can also assist you bring out the importance of writing in a humble tone. You can do this by admitting that the journey is on-going and you are still learning. When your story focuses on triumph, many readers may not relate to your message.
Another good thing about a memoir book editor is that they can challenge you to let your audience in. Vulnerability and authenticity are signs of a good memoir. Therefore, make sure that you don’t skim over the surface, but allow your readers in.
A good memoir book editor also makes sure that your audience doesn’t feel like they are complete losers. This tends to happen when the readers don’t share your current lifestyle.
An editor can protect your reputation. You may try to convey a message that you didn’t want to write by including certain behaviors and observations unrelated to the book’s theme. A good memoir book editor can gently ask you if this was exactly what you want your readers to take away.
It’s crucial to hire a memoir book editor so that you can rest assured that your memoir succeeds. Revising and editing should be done by professional editors. This is because it can be hard to notice some errors that are in your memoir. Above all, a good memoir book editor can bring a lot to your project. This makes it a great learning experience for you. If you decide to hire an editor, you can choose to work with a freelance editor who is affordable.
