Embellishing in Memoir

The subject of truth-telling in memoir seems to come up a lot these days. I believe that writing that strays from the truth is better represented as autobiographical fiction. This can be described as novel based on the author's life experiences.

Just a thought way past my bedtime.

Lisa

Agents taking pitches in Portland this August

Katherine Flynn
The Kneerim & Williams Agency, Literary AgentTaking literature one-on-ones - taking groups with short pitches

Robert Guinsler
Sterling Lord Literistic, Literary AgentTaking literature one-on-ones - taking groups with short pitches
Website: http://www.sll.com/

Kate Kennedy
Crown Publishers, Associate EditorTaking literature one-on-ones - taking groups with short pitches
Miriam Kriss
Irene Goodman Literary Agency, Vice-PresidentWebsite: http://www.irenegoodman.com/

David Patterson
Foundry Literary + Media, Literary Agent
Taking literature one-on-ones - taking groups with short pitchesWebsite: http://www.foundrymedia.com/

BJ Robins
BJ Robbins Literary Agency, OwnerTaking literature one-on-ones - taking groups with short pitches
Andrea Somberg
Harvey Klinger Inc., Literary AgentTaking literature one-on-ones - taking groups with short pitchesWebsite: http://%20www.andreasomberg.com/
Website: http://bj%20robbins%20literary%20agency/

Caroline Zimmerman
Kneerim & Williams, Literary AgentTaking literature one-on-ones - taking groups with short pitches
Caroline Zimmerman joined Kneerim & Williams in 2009 after graduating summa cum laude from McGill University with a BA in English Literature. She has held positions at Frontline, PBS's flagship investigative journalism series, at Vanity Fair media columnist Michael Wolff's Newser.com, at CBS, and at Harvard University's Transition Magazine. She is a former culture editor of The McGill Daily, Canada's most widely read student newspaper.

Caroline is looking for: While my taste falls more on the literary fiction side of things (the muscular, not the quiet kind), I am also looking for highbrow genre fiction and anything that will make me turn the page. I’m also looking for voice-driven memoir, books that touch on women’s issues, and smart how-to.

Memoir Writing Group Meets SUNdays in East Portland

Join us for editing and ideas. Call 503-719-1424 for more information.

We look forward to meeting you.

Lisa

Borders Rapidly Losing Key Employees

Borders has lost 47 corporate employees since bancruptcy according to Media Bistro and Galley Cat.

Billy Joel cancels plans to publish memoir

According to the New York Post

The Associated Press reported that Billy Joel said he had changed his mind about publishing the story of his life. Joel said it took writing the book for him to realize he's not interested in talking about the past.

The 61-year-old singer says the best expressions of his life and its ups and downs is his music — and he's going to keep it that way.

Barnes and Noble to carry self-published authors

Another big change in the publishing world- Barnes and Noble will not only carry the work of self-publsihed authors, but actually provide in-store program to teach them how to navigate their new Pub It! program. Pub It! has published over 65,000 books making it a crucial way to remain relevent.

This from GalleyCat;

After years of being kept out of major bookstores, self-published writers have a new place in Barnes & Noble–the bookseller has opened its doors to authors in the PubIt! self-publishing program. The bookseller will create a bestseller list for PubIt! authors and include these new authors in the "Read In Store" program.

Strategies for Selling Your Book Timothy Ferris Style

Timothy Ferris shares his strategirs for getting his book to the Amazon Bestseller List.

Timothy Ferris urges writers to avoid a four common mistakes;

1. “Not understanding what type of headlines “travel” via social media. Study sites like http://www.digg.com/ and http://www.reddit.com/ to see what works.”

2. “Thinking of “social media” as text only. My latest book “movie” trailer, which is only 50 seconds long, took The 4-Hour Body from #150 on Amazon to around #30, where it has remained until dropping to the top ten.  I believe this video was the primary driver behind making the book the #1 “wished-for” book on Amazon.”

3. “Overcommunicating. There’s no need to share every detail of your life.  On my Twitter stream (www.twitter.com/tferriss), I aim for 80% useful links vs. 20% insight into personal life and schedule.  There is no need to share minutiae unless it displays an endearing or grounding aspect of your personality.”

4.  “Not measuring. How many books did promotion X sell?  I know, as an example, which offers in my “land rush” competition converted browsers to buyers most effectively, as I used SlideShare.  How many people watched the slideshow and then bought?  It was the 3-book and 30-book packages.  I could then focus on these for a follow-up promotion, which sold more than 4,000 books on Amazon in less than 20 hours.  Measure the ROI of your campaigns or fail — that’s the choice.”

Ferriss also shared a few strategies for connecting with online readers. “Meet bloggers in real-life, and find those with interests close to yours.  Sending a press release or template email to 500 bloggers is a waste of time.  We’re not talking about a mainstream ABC or CBS audience; blogs succeed based on their specificity.  Get to know your ideal outlets, meet these people in person, and develop real friendships with those who could (outside of selling books) be your long-term friends.”

From Gallery Cat