The roi of Memoir

 THE ROI ON MEMOIR

According to Goodreads, which bills itself as the world's largest website for readers and book recommendations, 342 memoirs have been published thus far in 2024.

 342.

That doesn't even include the many, many self-published memoirs out there.

According to Jane Friedman, whose book The Business of Being a Writer is a must-have for any writer, most fiction and memoir writers don't earn a living by book sales alone. 

(The alone is important. We'll get back to that.)

I'm not counting celebrity memoirs. Most of us don't live in the Britney, Mariah, or Barbra sphere.

So what is a memoir writer to do?

1. Don't panic

2. Focus on why you want to write your memoir

The Real ROI

Note:  I'm talking about writing a memoir with an eye toward publication here. It's totally valid to write a memoir as a way to leave a legacy for your family. Or just to tell some interesting anecdotes about your life. You can even write a soup-to-nuts autobiography of your entire life. Great. Just not what I'm discussing here.

In Blueprint for a Memoir, Jennie Nash defines ROI as ripples of impact. This is the effect that your memoir will have on readers. How you connect with them in a way that resonates deeply.

To have this impact, you have to know why you are writing your memoir. Something beyond this bonkers/infuriating/traumatic thing happened to me. 

Readers don't come to memoir to learn about your life. Those details matter, of course. They want an interesting story, told well.

But they come to memoir to learn how they can apply what you went through to their lives. That's what Nash means by ripples of impact.

Maybe you're writing a memoir because you want to spare others from going through what you endured. Maybe you're hoping your readers will feel less alone after reading your memoir. You want to teach what you've learned. You want to soothe those who are suffering.  

There may be a deeper why, too. You have something to add to the cultural conversation about motherhood or modern medicine or how we are destroying our planet.

You are using your story to make a larger point. You are using your why to impact your readers.

And that impact can lead to ways to make money beyond book sales:

·      You can position yourself as an expert and land speaking engagements at workshops and conferences.

·      You can write articles and essays based on your memoir topic and pitch high-profile publications.

·      You can lead a workshop centered around some takeaway from your memoir.

·      You can guest on a popular podcast and attract attention from media outlets and possibly even TV or movie producers.

 Next Steps:

 Set a timer for ten minutes and write down why you have to write your memoir.

What story are you passionate about telling?

What audience do you want to reach?

What impact are you hoping to have on those readers?

What impact do you hope writing the book will have on your life?

There are no wrong answers. But be honest with yourself. Your readers will expect nothing less.