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Memoir Professional Program Creator

In the fall of 1988, I was engaged in a book tour for my first book, What Became of Them. One day, I was to do a book program for a group of Foster Grandparents. At the appointed time—I was asked to arrive half way through their meeting—I stood outside the room door and waited as I listened to the sound of their voices. 

“Was I about to waste my time?” I wondered. Did I think I would really sell books here?Workshop

A friend had shared, “The most important program of your career is the next program!” With this in mind, I opened the door, determined to give these Foster Grandparents the best program I was capable of. 

After I had shared my stories which were strongly autobiographical, I asked folks to share theirs.

What ensued was an outpouring of memoir material and…

Only later did I realize that I had opened the door that afternoon to my future.

As a Memoir Professional, you will play a satisfying and important role in nurturing memoir writers.

Over the years, I found this to be so and below I offer you a few insights into how much I have appreciated and enjoyed the work I have done.

As a workshop leader:

” Workshop Looking around the room, I saw memoir workshoppers engaged in a lively discussion of a manuscript—praising what was good and suggesting  modifications where they felt some change in perspective or language or characterization would bring readers more insight. What was sure to evolve was a better memoir. How satisfying can my work be—and to think I was getting paid for this!”


As a coach and editor:

“With some clients, our work together has started with much apprehension on my part. ‘Can this person ever learn to write! The prose is so stilted, the insight so limited, the imagery too complicated to create any meaning.’ Then over the months as we work together—patiently and respectfully— the client begins to be a better writer. The dull manuscript begins to shine, and I feel such satisfaction about what I have helped bring about.”

As a ghostwriter:

“People will say to me as they read what I have ghostwritten for them, “Were you ever a… [here fill in the blank: trial lawyer, cost estimator, nurse]? How do you know all of this?” All I can say is I am using my intuition to get inside of people’s lives, and I earn an income in the process. It doesn’t get better. This can be your future also.”

I hope you will join me in becoming a memoir professional.

The Memoir Network

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How to Target Your Hourly Wage – Earn More Than You Earn Now

By on May 7, 2022

When you engage in memoir work, do you know how to target your memoir earnings? The fact is many–and perhaps most—lifewriting professionals have no idea how much they are making per hour. Do you?

Your workshop tuition is not your income. You must first factor in the cost of goods and services. (more…)

5 Questions to Accelerate Your Financial Success

By on September 16, 2020

Do you have a strategy in place for the financial success of your memoir business? Memoir work attracts idealistic people who often have few business skills. This article focuses on five skills-building questions a memoir professional ought to ask himself/herself to accelerate his/her financial success. They are five important questions but not necessarily an exhaustive list. (more…)

A Better Way to Teach Memoir Writing

By on August 12, 2020

Writers have been able to teach memoir writing from Memoir Network packages since 1996. The idea of creating packages started when people began telephoning us to ask if we could help them teach memoir writing. “I’d like to do what you do right here at home,” they’d tell us. At the time, we had no materials but, in 1996, I took four months out to write the two core manuals: The Curriculum Manual and The Presenter’s Manual. We are now in the process of a major update of the revisions of these texts.

By now, hundreds of individuals—600 and counting—have made great use of the materials to engage people in their communities in memoir writing. One could easily presume that 100,000 memoirs and lifestory collections have been written as a result of the memoir teachers we have helped launch. In the process… (more…)

Set Goals When Starting a Memoir Business–Work smarter, not harder!

By on July 15, 2020

When starting a memoir business, you need to set goals first. Working hard is not sufficient for business growth. Like most entrepreneurs, people who are launching a memoir business are sometimes prone to working harder and not necessarily smarter. One smart strategy to use to grow is to set goals for specific time periods: the year, the month, the week, the day, A company needs these goals to work toward if it is to grow. (more…)

Pay Attention–A Writing Based Business Launch Tip

By on June 17, 2020

Pay attention to your writing-based business. It is this practice of paying attention that will make the difference between your success and failure as a business person.

In today’s business marketplace, the quality of your work is a given. It is almost not something you can market-the public expects you to offer only. (more…)

Manage Workflow—How to Schedule Multiple Clients

By on June 3, 2020

How do you manage workflow with multiple clients in your writing memoir based business? Your company will eventually have multiple projects going on at the same time, each in various stages of production. How do you schedule multiple clients so that your workflow is manageable? (more…)