How to Start Writing Your Memoir When You Don’t Know Where to Begin
A lifetime of stories can feel impossible to organize. Here is a gentle way in: start with one moment, decide who you are writing for, and let the shape come later.
Key points
- Publish only once the manuscript is fully edited and proofread.
- Choose your formats early, because each needs its own files.
- Compare platforms’ current terms before you sign up.
- Understand the trade-offs between your own ISBNs and free platform ISBNs.
- Always check a printed proof before releasing a print edition.
1. Make sure the manuscript is truly final
Every change you make after layout costs time, and sometimes money. Before you begin the publishing process, make sure the manuscript has been edited and proofread, and that you are happy with it. It is far easier to change a sentence in a Word file than in a designed book.
2. Choose your formats
Most self-published authors start with a paperback and an ebook. Hardcover and large-print editions are worth considering for some books, such as memoirs, gift books, and books for older readers.
Each format needs its own files, and print formats need their own ISBN, so it is worth deciding early.
3. Decide where to publish
Self-published books are usually printed on demand, which means a copy is printed when someone orders it. Different platforms offer different things: some focus on a single large retailer, while others distribute more widely, so bookstores and libraries can order your book.
Many authors use more than one platform. Read each platform’s current terms carefully, including royalties, pricing rules, and any exclusivity requirements, because they differ and they change over time.
4. Sort out ISBNs
An ISBN identifies a specific edition and format of a book. In the United States, ISBNs are sold by Bowker, the official ISBN agency. Some platforms offer a free ISBN instead, but it can usually be used only with that platform and may list the platform as the publisher.
Each print format needs its own ISBN. Whether an ebook needs one depends on where you publish it. If you buy your own ISBNs, you can also list your own imprint name as the publisher.
5. Prepare the cover and interior files
A printed book needs a full cover (back cover, spine, and front cover as one piece) sized for your page count and paper type, plus an interior file that meets the printer’s requirements. An ebook needs a front cover image and a properly built ebook file.
Platforms check files when you upload them, but they will not tell you if your margins look cramped or a chapter title has drifted. A careful look at a digital proof is essential.
6. Write your book’s details
Your book’s details are everything a store shows about it: title and subtitle, description, author bio, categories, keywords, price, and publication date. They matter more than many authors expect, because they are how readers find and choose your book.
Write the description for the reader, not for yourself. In a few short paragraphs, say what the book is about, who it is for, and why they might enjoy it.
A word on pricing
Look at what similar books in your genre cost, in the same format and at a similar length. For print-on-demand books, the printing cost comes out of the list price before royalties are worked out, so longer books and color interiors need a higher price to earn anything at all. Most platforms show you the royalty for a given price before you publish, which makes it easy to compare a few options.
7. Order and check a printed proof
Always order a printed proof before you approve a print edition for sale. Check the cover colors, the spine text, the margins, the page numbers, and the first page of every chapter. Read as much of the text as you can. Errors that were invisible on screen often appear on paper.
8. Approve and release
Once you are happy with the proof, you approve the book on each platform. It can take a little time for listings to appear everywhere, so leave some room before any launch date you have announced.
Your work is not quite finished at release. Check that your listings look right, that the print and ebook editions are linked where possible, and that your author details are complete. Keep a simple record of your ISBNs, platform accounts, file versions, and prices; you will need it whenever you update the book.
A note on copyright
In the United States, your work is protected by copyright as soon as it is written down. Registering it with the U.S. Copyright Office is optional, but it has legal benefits if you ever need to enforce your rights. If you have questions about copyright or permissions, for example for quotations, song lyrics, or photographs, it is wise to get legal advice.
