Selling Your Memoir: How to Shape, Position & Package Your Book Proposal
$175
Agents, editors and publishing professionals love to tell us that “memoir doesn’t sell.” If you’re not a celebrity, it’s a tough market out there, right?
But memoirs sell every day—often before they’re fully written, to writers without huge social media followings, in multiple six- and seven-figure deals. The problem is that many memoirs aren’t clearly positioned. Agents and editors are sometimes overworked, underpaid, and moving too quickly to spend the time trying to understand where your book sits in the market.
This class is about doing the heavy lifting for them. Over three sessions, we’ll break down what a memoir book proposal needs, how to prove there’s an audience for your story, and how to make your personal material feel urgent. We’ll talk about platform in terms of “proof of concept” rather than social media followers. We’ll talk aobut essays, local communities, cultural conversations, podcasts, nonprofit organizations, and comparable books that show there’s an appetite for your story. We’ll study real-life successful proposals and revise student material live in class.
Best for writers with at least a partial manuscript or proposal-in-progress.
Access Program
We want our writing classes and seminars to be accessible to everyone, regardless of income and background. We understand that our tuition structure can present obstacles for some people. Our Access Program offers writing class and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available.
Please apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions.
Liaison position
Every in-person class and seminar at Literary Arts has one liaison position. Liaisons perform specific duties for each class meeting. If you are a liaison for a class or seminar, the full amount of your tuition is covered by Literary Arts.
Apply here for the liaison position.
February 6-20, 2027, Saturdays, 1:00-3:00 p.m. (3 sessions)
Marian Schembari
Marian Schembari is the author of A Little Less Broken (Flatiron/Macmillan), a memoir named a Best Book of the Year by Real Simple and called “an inspiring memoir about coming home to who you are” by People magazine. She began her career as a ghostwriter and remains deeply committed to literary citizenship. Her work has appeared in Poets & Writers, The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, and Cup of Jo. Marian has taught workshops across the country and was awarded a residency at Hedgebrook. She lives in Portland with her husband and daughter.
