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Editing personal memoirs is my
specialty
For years I have taught memoir
writing in Southern California, helping people, primarily
non-writers, who want to pass along stories about their
lives to future generations.
I also edit short personal memoirs, ones
that are fewer than 50 typed pages. In fact, quite often these
private memoirs are less than 20 pages long.
These shorter memoirs are always
destined to be privately published and passed down through
families. (I do not edit book length memoirs by people who are
hoping for big book deals with commercial publishers.)
Editing short private memoirs
For me, editing short, personal
memoirs is a delight. I look forward to reviewing each memoir and
helping the writer make it better than it was.
As an editor I go over each
line, each paragraph, and recommend changes and additions that can
enhance what you, the author, have written--without changing your
true voice.
I am a firm believer that
memoirs should be written in a speaking voice. Your memoir
should sound as if you were there, telling your story in
person. For that reason I do not object to abbreviations,
sentence fragments, split infinitives, or sentences that end in
prepositions--because that is how all of us talk. In my
editorial comments I will note such grammatical issues, but,
obviously, leave
it up to you to decide if you want to change them.
Reviewing personal memoirs
from a grandchild's view
The more important function I
offer you as an editor is my ability to ask the questions or make
comments that your great-grandchildren might have.
Quite often details that are in
the author's brain get omitted in the process of being written
down on a page. Again and again, I see memoirs that cry out
to be fleshed out with more facts, more details, more
explanations..
As an outsider I can see where more
information is needed, where additional back story
would be helpful, what boring bits should be eliminated, where moving a
paragraph or a sentence to another part of the manuscript can give
the memoir a big lift. I sometimes encourage a writer to add a whole new section to the memoir to
make it clearer, more complete, and more vivid.
The goal of all my comments is
simply to make your memoir--and you-- memorable.
Submit your manuscript via
email
If you would like to have me
edit your personal memoir, you can submit it electronically, using
email. Please send it as an email attachment in Word (.doc)
or as a .pdf to carollight@sbcglobal.net
(Please no book length memoirs intended for commercial
publication. No handwritten manuscripts.)
I read every memoir
I edit several times. First to get a sense of the whole of
the memoir; then to make comments, suggest changes and
additions. You will receive my editorial feedback in ten
days or less.
After I return your manuscript
with comments, by email, take the time you need to review all
suggestions.
With my comments you will also
receive recommendations of how to self-publish your memoir
inexpensively as a hard-cover book. I will also advise you
about the easiest way to officially copyright your memoir and what digital additions you
could make to enhance it.
Telephone conference to
discuss memoir changes
Then, if you wish, you may contact me again by
email to schedule a half-hour telephone conversation to discuss my comments. (Phone follow-up only available in
the United States or Canada.)
My fee for editing up to 20
typewritten pages (in 12 pitch, double-spaced with one inch wide
margins) plus the follow-up phone call is $99. (If your
manuscript is longer than 20 pages, contact me for a quote.)
You may pay by sending me an email, then using Paypal. If you
want to pay by check contact me by email and I will send you my
address.
Questions? Please feel
free to contact me by
email.
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