Falling In Love With Your Reader
Do you find those car commercials with Matthew McConaughey annoying? Maybe it's just me, but the commercials seem so overproduced, I feel slightly drunk watching them. Plus I have no idea what car brand he's promoting.
And yet, Matthew McConaughey's book has now spent the past 28 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Several people I know have mentioned reading it or wanting to read it. It's a memoir of sorts, made up of excerpts from his diary. Maybe it's all that free publicity from the car commercials.
As a reader, I like biographies and the occasional memoir. As a publisher, I groan (silently, I hope).
I can't tell you how many times authors would pitch me on their memoir, certain that a large audience would be interested in their life story. I'm sure I've told hundreds of authors the sad truth: no one cares. Your life wasn't all that unique, and there is not a hungry market waiting to read all about you. I usually tell people they have to be Winston Churchill for anyone to truly care about their life story.
It helps to be famous, of course, but even if you're Matthew McConaughey, a memoir is not a slam dunk. At Regnery, we rejected scores of proposals for memoirs by "famous people," most of which were eventually published by someone else -- and none of which was a huge bestseller.
Sure, a harrowing story of kidnapping or child abuse can be compelling, but again, not a sure thing. Educated is the exception to the rule. Tara Westover's story was riveting; her story-telling skills were exceptional; but for every Educated, there are hundreds of shocking and dramatic personal stories that are total failures as books.
And yet, and yet. Some life stories should be told, some experiences and life lessons should be shared. And lots of authors want to write a memoir.
So, how do you make a memoir successful? I have three answers:
1. Fall in love with your reader. The biggest mistake a memoir writer makes is believing readers have fallen in love with them. (OK, maybe Matthew McConaughey is an exception here as well.) What I mean is that memoirs have the propensity to be very self-indulgent. After all, the subject is you - your life, your experiences, your battles, your victories, your defeats. But thinking that way is a trap. Your life story should be a lens through which readers see their own life story. Your memoir must be a vehicle for sharing lessons, insights and understanding that the reader finds valuable and meaningful in their own life.
2. Story-telling is king. It doesn't matter how extraordinary your life has been, your memoir must be told as an action adventure, a romance novel, a mystery thriller, a historical saga. Nonfiction doesn't mean dry and factual; all books are part entertainment. After you have written your memoir, hand it off to an editor who can turn it into a grand story. As the great Gerry Spence told us, the best way to convince anyone of anything is to tell them a story.
3. Define success. I promised you three keys to success, but that promise begs the question: how do you define success? Books sales, of course, but impact, influence, name recognition -- these are all real measures of success as well. So, by all means, you must lean in to the publicity, promotion, and marketing strategies necessary to drive sales. But at the same time, I encourage you to take a few minutes and ask yourself: what would really make me feel like this memoir was a success? Is it becoming a regular guest on a radio show or podcast? Is it being invited to be a guest speaker at conferences or meetings? Is it leaving a legacy for your children or your company? The answers to these questions will guide your steps. And by knowing your destination, you can be sure to stay on the path to success.