What are the numbers for Memoirs?

kristin724 · Aug 8, 2006

Hi again Gang.

So I'm typing my memoir and it looks like its going to be short. :e2bummed:

100 pages. 10k tops. :e2tomato:

I've reviewed some of the life stories out there on the market and most are 300 pages.Is a 100 page memoir unsellable? I suppose I could find more to tell, but I've told what I want to be told, and I fear any more would be padding and could hamper what I'm trying to say.
:e2writer:

I was hoping for print publication, but the 7 publishers I have in mind might not go for something so short. Are there e pubs out there offering decent money for short memoirs?

I don't know that I have the time to write and query a agent who might be semi helpful.

:e2poke:

Agita!

kristin724 · Aug 9, 2006

Alrighty I've discovered it's 12 k, which isn't that bad, and I'm goint to send agent queries to two or three local agencies.

I've found two that are actually very close and in addition to memoirs, they accept the kind of fiction I write. So maybe if this memoir is to short for a realistic print turn around, an agent might push one of my fiction works.

I just hate the waiting!

AmyBA · Aug 9, 2006

Hi Kristen724--
To my knowledge, a 12,000-word memoir is pretty short. Do the agents you plan on pitching have any kind of guidelines posted that give more information about the word-counts they're seeking in various projects? That might guide your decision on who to pitch your manuscript to.

expatbrat · Aug 15, 2006

What is yours about?

And how did you keep it so brief? I want mine about 80,000 - 100,000 words but currently at 149,811 and each day I add a few thousand more words! Arrrh - how about you take half my story and stick it in yours?

Bayou Bill · Sep 6, 2006

kristin724 said:
Hi again Gang.

So I'm typing my memoir and it looks like its going to be short. 100 pages. 10k (12k) tops.

I've reviewed some of the life stories out there on the market and most are 300 pages.(1) Is a 100 page memoir unsellable? I suppose I could find more to tell, but I've told what I want to be told, and I fear any more would be padding and could hamper what I'm trying to say.

I was hoping for print publication, but the 7 publishers I have in mind might not go for something so short. (2) Are there e pubs out there offering decent money for short memoirs?

(3)I don't know that I have the time to write and query a agent who might be semi helpful.

Agita!

(1) The odds against a 12k book (words count, pages don't) being picked up by a traditional publisher are VERY long. Printing and marketing issues are the chief obstacles.

(2) No. To the best of my knowledge, there are no e-pubs offering what I'd consider "decent" money for anything.

(3) In that case, e-pub, POD (or both) might be your best bet.

Bayou Bill

kristin724 · Sep 7, 2006

Thanks for your insights, gang. I've also thought about excerpts or serializing in newspapers, mags, or online. The final total ended up being over 13k, but yes still short.

Well, brat, it's about drug addiction. I decided to focus only on that aspect of my life and the circumstances around it rather than, I was born, when I was 2 I did this, 6 I did that....

Maybe if it really is too shrot for anything to pan out I'll expand it, but honestly anything else feels like filler-excess taking away from the story I want to tell.

Here's hopin!
K

What are the numbers for Memoirs?

kristin724

kristin724

AmyBA

I'm a believer

expatbrat

Look what we made:

Bayou Bill

AW Ne'er-Do-Well

kristin724