Self-publish Your Memoir on a Shoestring

Sharon Lippincott

Self-publishing of memoirs has exploded in recent years and continues to grow rapidly. It is now easier than ever to self-publish, with hundreds of online sites offering a dizzying array of packages at greatly varying rates. Which should you choose for the best value of your needs and goals? On the other hand, you could take your completed manuscript to your local printer and have it run off a few copies for family and friends.

Sharon Lippincott and Boyd Lemon are experts at self-publishing memoirs and teaching others how to do it. They came together with Linda Joy Myers, Ph.D., founder of the National Association of Memoir Writers, for a roundtable discussion that originally aired on the web April 3, 2014. Dr. Myers gave me permission to link to the discussion for this post.

Boyd Lemon

The discussion covers how to keep the cost of publishing low, what you can do yourself and when to get help, where to find help, trading services, working with editors, and much more.

Sharon is a lifewriting coach, teacher, and author of six nonfiction books, including The Heart and Craft of Lifestory Writing and The Albuquerque Years. Find her online at http://sharonlippincott.com/.

Boyd is a retired nationally known attorney and author of seven books of fiction and nonfiction, including Retirement: A Memoir and Guide, and Digging Deep: A Writer Uncovers His Marriages. Find him online at http://boydlemon-writer.com/.

Here is the link to the recorded discussion: http://www.namw.org/public-roundtable-recordings/.

Tell us your experiences with self-publishing your memoir, or leave your questions.

Photos courtesy Sharon Lippincott and Boyd Lemon.

http://heartandcraft.blogspot.com

What skills you can learn to keep the cost of publishing down. Styles, formatting tools, and more.

How to know what you can safely do yourself and when to get help–resources to learn about.

How and where to find help when you need it. Facebook groups, Forums, Joel Friedlander, YouTube, Google, friends, NAMW events. Smashwords Style Guide, Kindle formatting guide. Smashwords conversion list …

High quality alternatives to professional services. Trading services with friends, both writers and other. Use lots of beta readers…

How to make the best use of limited funds. Collaboration, low budget cover people, do your own layout,  low budget editors— check references!

- See more at: http://www.namw.org/2014/03/self-publish-your-book-on-a-shoestring-free-roundtable-discussion/#sthash.DPuGVGLl.dpuf