| With 14 years of experience helping writers | | | | full-length book. |
| submit their work for publication, Writer’s | | | | “Memoirs can range in tone and scope, |
| Relief’s President, Ronnie Smith, believes | | | | discussing anything from a decade to a single day. |
| there is no better time to submit memoirs and | | | | Some memoirs inspire and motivate, while others |
| personal essays than the first months of a new | | | | point toward injustice and oppression in the |
| year. For that reason Writer’s Relief has | | | | world,” Smith said. “For as many unique |
| decided to open a number of spots on their | | | | personalities as there are in the world, there are |
| invitation-only client list to memoir writers. | | | | unique memoirs.” |
| “The New Year is a time of reflection and of | | | | The memoir market is driven by two forms: the |
| committing to success,” Smith said, “so | | | | book-length memoir and the personal creative |
| it’s a great time for memoirs. There’s | | | | essay. Writer’s Relief has successfully placed |
| something that appeals to people about curling up | | | | creative nonfiction in a number of venues; |
| with a good book in January and February. Agents | | | | however, Smith stresses the importance of |
| and editors are no exception.” | | | | knowing the market if one is seeking traditional |
| Centuries ago memoirs were one of the most | | | | print publications. She finds that short works (up |
| respected forms of writing, with novels way | | | | to 5,000 words) have the best shot at finding |
| down at the bottom of the pile. It was believed | | | | publication in traditional literary journals and |
| that the real-life stories of enlightened observers | | | | magazines. Longer works must be 40,000 words |
| were more meaningful to readers than stories | | | | or more to be considered book-length. |
| that were “not true.” | | | | “Our Review Board reads memoirs from |
| And yet, despite the age-old popularity of | | | | many unknown and established writers who want |
| memoirs, aspiring writers have often found it | | | | to join our client list. We’ve found that even if |
| difficult to write about their own lives, partly | | | | a writer isn’t, say, a classical |
| because of the question of what is “true” | | | | pianist-turned-astronaut who uncovered a real-life |
| or “not true.” Herman Rosenblat’s | | | | terrorist plot, there may be a market for the |
| memoir Angel at the Fence, which was touted by | | | | memoir if it’s meaningful and well-written,” |
| Oprah in the same way she’d once | | | | Smith said. |
| championed James Frey’s A Million Little | | | | At most traditional publishing houses and literary |
| Pieces, was the latest memoir to become the | | | | agencies, the memoir market is crowded and |
| subject of public scrutiny when Holocaust | | | | competitive, so the manner in which submissions |
| historians questioned the feasibility of the | | | | are made is critical. Writer’s Relief is a unique |
| book’s plot. | | | | company that strategically targets creative |
| “There are two schools of thought about | | | | writers’ work to venues within the publishing |
| memoir writing,” Smith said. “Some | | | | industry, increasing the likeliness of publication. |
| believe that each and every syllable of a | | | | Writer’s Relief accepts only those clients |
| conversation that happened a decade ago must | | | | whose writing is strong and effective; however, |
| be rendered with perfect word-for-word | | | | new writers whose work shows promise are as |
| exactness. But many editors understand that | | | | welcome as veteran writers. For guidelines on |
| memoir is an art form—that’s why it’s | | | | how to submit a memoir or personal essay to |
| called creative nonfiction. A work can be both true | | | | Writer’s Relief, visit |
| and have creative elements at the same | | | | “Because New Year’s is one of the best |
| time.” | | | | times to submit nonfiction to agents and editors, |
| Another common misconception that Smith | | | | we encourage writers who have written either |
| encounters about memoirs is the belief that a | | | | long or short memoirs to send them to our |
| memoir needs to cover a person’s entire | | | | Review Board,” Smith said. |
| lifespan or that it needs to be the size of a | | | | |