Memoirs are a growing market.
In the last few years, more people have written about their lives and experiences for others to read.
It is an opportunity for anyone to share their life stories.
It’s an avenue to express their views through writing. It gives them a platform to articulate their struggles without relying on another medium.
This is just one reason why many choose to write memoirs.
If you already have your memoir, you may be looking for a memoir editor. You can find them online, or you can check out Reedsy for more information on how to hire one.
Why do people write memoirs?
People write memoirs mainly because they want to share their stories with the world.
Memoirs are a powerful way to share your story. They can help you heal from past experiences, give you a sense of closure, and allow others to connect with you in meaningful ways.
Often, people who write memoirs have been through something complex or challenging and want to use their experience to help others who may be going through similar experiences or struggles.
Therefore, they want as many people as possible to read their work and learn something from it.
However, some challenges come with writing an honest memoir. Therefore, it’s essential to understand why you want to write one before drafting it.
Ethical issues when creating a memoir
A memoir is a story of your life told from your perspective. But when you’re writing a memoir, it’s not just about you but also all the people around you.
That can be tricky territory for a writer. You may want to tell the whole story, but others may like their names removed. And that’s where ethical issues come in.
This list will help you navigate those issues as you write your memoir:
- When is it okay to use real names?
- When do you need permission?
- What happens if someone doesn’t want their name mentioned?
- How do you handle sensitive topics?
The ethical issues that may arise will depend on the topic and tone of your memoir. If you’re writing about sensitive issues like childhood abuse or illness, it’s essential to make sure that your editor is familiar with the subject and comfortable with the material.
So before you even think about asking someone to edit your book, make sure you’re comfortable with their editing style and approach.
Make sure they will not try to change your voice or impose their ideas on the story. And make sure they know what they’re doing.
What makes a memoir a good read?
Memoirs often include stories about family, friends, travels, and other significant events that makeup someone’s life.
Individuals generally write a memoir about themselves or some aspect of their life, such as childhood memories or experiences during wartime.
But someone else can also write about another person’s life.
For example, A mother might write a memoir about her son who died in the war, or a friend might write one about their friendship over many years.
A good memoir will have an engaging narrative that leads the reader through a person’s life from beginning to end, and a good writer can tell their story in a method that makes it exciting and relatable to others.
The editor’s role
Editing a memoir is different from editing a novel because it is more of an autobiography. Hence, the writer has to be prepared to share intimate details about their lives in what may seem very public.
You can edit memoirs in many ways, but the editor’s primary goal is to ensure that the story flows smoothly and reads well.
This means ensuring no gaps or inconsistencies in the narrative, that characters are consistent throughout the work, and that there are no plot holes or other significant problems with continuity.
The editor also ensures that all the details are in the story. This is done so readers can stay aware of the story. Editors also check for spelling errors and grammatical mistakes, as well as for inconsistencies in tense or point of view.
What is a developmental edit?
Developmental editing is more than just fixing grammar and spelling errors. It’s about making sure your story flows smoothly, that your characters act in character, that your plot makes sense, and that everything fits together into a cohesive whole.
If you’ve already had several rounds of edits from other people, a developmental editor will still find things to clean up or improve because she has read the book from start to finish and knows what needs to be changed based on the plot unfolds.
What should be included?
Developmental editing includes all the tasks associated with improving a manuscript, including:
- Rewriting sentences and paragraphs.
- Identifying and fixing problems with voice, style, and tone.
- Make sure your characters are consistent and believable throughout the story.
- Strengthen weak areas or problem areas in the story, such as plot holes or inconsistent character motivations
- Catching inconsistencies such as plot holes or factual errors might confuse readers.
- Identify areas where more research is needed.
What can be omitted?
Since developmental editing focuses on the big picture, there are instances wherein you might want to omit specific details.
Developmental editing is about shaping your manuscript into something ready for publication. Of course, this means something other than cutting out everything that you love about it.
Instead, it means taking a hard look at what needs to be added or removed to make your story more substantial and appealing to readers.
For example, if you have an entire chapter on the person’s childhood and it doesn’t move the story forward or reveal anything significant for future chapters, it may need to be cut or condensed.
Or if the person has an entire conversation with themselves that doesn’t add anything significant to the memoir, that could end up on the cutting room floor too.
Final Thoughts
Developmental editing is a massive part of the memoir publishing process that often goes overlooked.
They bring a sharp eye for detail to work in progress, looking at overall tone and structure and minor details like capitalization, grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Additionally, they make your book more skimmable, understandable, and readable by taking out repetitions and making smooth transitions, all critical factors in making a novel friendly to readers, making sure they’ll read it.
They help memoir writers put their best foot forward when it comes time to publish their books.
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