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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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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.

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By on June 17, 2020

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By on May 20, 2020

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Succeeding As a Memoir Professional – Filling the Pipeline

By on May 5, 2020

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Market to Pre-Qualified Prospects – Period!

By on April 8, 2020

It is important to market to pre-qualified prospects (people within your potential buying pool, people who have identified themselves as wanting your product). While some individuals in a church, a club, a benevolent association, or a school may have expressed general interest in your product, groups such as these are examples of lack of pre-qualification. You would be marketing to people the vast majority of whom are not potential buyers–nor will they ever be. (more…)