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Blueprint for a Memoir: How to Write a Memoir for the Marketplace
Top book coach Jennie Nash teaches you how to think about memoir in a whole new way.
“The surest thing a writer has, in a genre that’s never that sure, is Jennie’s hard won, no-stone-left-unturned Blueprint system. It’s immensely helpful and constructive.” — Monica Holloway , author of the memoirs Cowboy and Wills and Remarrying My Second Marriage to my First Husband
There is a big difference between writing memoir for your own purposes—to share your legacy, to heal, to learn to write, because you are curious or called to do it—and writing memoir for other people to read. If your intention is to publish your memoir, there are concepts you need to understand and decisions you need to make. The Blueprint method will help you understand how to approach the work of writing memoir so that you have the best chance of success in the marketplace.
Blueprint for a Memoir is a step-by-step process for defining what you want to say, deciding what to leave out, and crafting a pitch to the industry professionals who can bring it life. All you need to take advantage of the Blueprint is a story you want to share with the world and the willingness to take a few weeks to work through 14 tough questions.
Jennie Nash is the creator of the book coach certification program at Author Accelerator and has taught hundreds of book coaches and thousands of writers how to use the Blueprint for a Book system to help them produce their best work in the most efficient way. She is the author of Blueprint for a Build Your Novel from the Inside Out; Read Books All Day and Get Paid for The Business of Book Coaching ; and nine other books.
Praise for Blueprint for a Nonfiction Book
“Jennie Nash may just be the best nonfiction book coach around. She offers up a proven method that helps writers to find their voice, identify their readers, hone their message, and organize their thoughts. Jennie is something of a magician. Her clients consistently produce excellent proposals sure to garner attention from literary agents who can help them to land that coveted publishing deal. I will recommend this book to all my clients.” — Joelle Delbourgo , President and Founder, Joelle Delbourgo Associates Literary Agency
“This process saved me YEARS of bumbling about in the dark!” — Michelle Dempsey-Multack , podcaster and author of Moms Moving Real-Life Advice on Conquering Divorce, Co-Parenting Through Conflict, and Becoming Your Best Self
“Jennie's Blueprint system makes writing a lot less painful and a lot more productive.” — Michael Melcher , partner and executive coach at Next Step Partners and author of Your Invisible How to Create, Maintain, and Leverage the Relationships That Will Transform Your Career
“The Blueprint is a godsend for anyone who knows they have a book inside them but is desperate for a pathway to turn an idea into a compelling proposal. I raced through it, pulled in by Jennie's encyclopedic knowledge of nonfiction books—what makes them sing, what makes them stick in our consciousness, and what makes them capture the public's imagination. While I haven't yet done all my homework, I know what's needed to get where I'm going. And I had to pause countless times because something she wrote triggered an answer to a question that had been vexing me. I'll be recommending this book both to first-time authors and veterans alike.” — Marci Alboher , VP Narrative Change, Encore.org and author of The Encore Career How to Make a Living and a Difference in the Second Half of Life
“The surest thing a writer has, in a genre that’s never that sure, is Jennie’s hard won, no-stone-left-unturned Blueprint system. It’s immensely helpful and constructive.” — Monica Holloway , author of the memoirs Cowboy and Wills and Remarrying My Second Marriage to my First Husband
There is a big difference between writing memoir for your own purposes—to share your legacy, to heal, to learn to write, because you are curious or called to do it—and writing memoir for other people to read. If your intention is to publish your memoir, there are concepts you need to understand and decisions you need to make. The Blueprint method will help you understand how to approach the work of writing memoir so that you have the best chance of success in the marketplace.
Blueprint for a Memoir is a step-by-step process for defining what you want to say, deciding what to leave out, and crafting a pitch to the industry professionals who can bring it life. All you need to take advantage of the Blueprint is a story you want to share with the world and the willingness to take a few weeks to work through 14 tough questions.
Jennie Nash is the creator of the book coach certification program at Author Accelerator and has taught hundreds of book coaches and thousands of writers how to use the Blueprint for a Book system to help them produce their best work in the most efficient way. She is the author of Blueprint for a Build Your Novel from the Inside Out; Read Books All Day and Get Paid for The Business of Book Coaching ; and nine other books.
Praise for Blueprint for a Nonfiction Book
“Jennie Nash may just be the best nonfiction book coach around. She offers up a proven method that helps writers to find their voice, identify their readers, hone their message, and organize their thoughts. Jennie is something of a magician. Her clients consistently produce excellent proposals sure to garner attention from literary agents who can help them to land that coveted publishing deal. I will recommend this book to all my clients.” — Joelle Delbourgo , President and Founder, Joelle Delbourgo Associates Literary Agency
“This process saved me YEARS of bumbling about in the dark!” — Michelle Dempsey-Multack , podcaster and author of Moms Moving Real-Life Advice on Conquering Divorce, Co-Parenting Through Conflict, and Becoming Your Best Self
“Jennie's Blueprint system makes writing a lot less painful and a lot more productive.” — Michael Melcher , partner and executive coach at Next Step Partners and author of Your Invisible How to Create, Maintain, and Leverage the Relationships That Will Transform Your Career
“The Blueprint is a godsend for anyone who knows they have a book inside them but is desperate for a pathway to turn an idea into a compelling proposal. I raced through it, pulled in by Jennie's encyclopedic knowledge of nonfiction books—what makes them sing, what makes them stick in our consciousness, and what makes them capture the public's imagination. While I haven't yet done all my homework, I know what's needed to get where I'm going. And I had to pause countless times because something she wrote triggered an answer to a question that had been vexing me. I'll be recommending this book both to first-time authors and veterans alike.” — Marci Alboher , VP Narrative Change, Encore.org and author of The Encore Career How to Make a Living and a Difference in the Second Half of Life
- GenresWritingMemoirNonfiction
290 pages, Paperback
Published July 28, 2023
86 people are currently reading
1317 people want to read
About the author
Jennie Nash
25 books113 followersJennie Nash is the founder and CEO of Author Accelerator, a company that trains book coaches to help writers bring their books to life. For twelve years, writers serious about reaching readers have trusted Jennie to coach their projects from inspiration to publication. Her clients have landed top New York agents, national book awards, and deals with houses such as Scribner, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette. Jennie is the author of 9 books in 3 genres. She taught for 13 years in the UCLA Extension Writer’s Program, is an instructor at CreativeLive.com and speaks on podcasts and at writing conferences all over the country. Learn more about being coached or becoming a coach at bookcoaches.com or authoraccelerator.com
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 3, 2023
AMust Read for Memoir Writers
If you want to write a memoir—one that people will want to read—this book is a must. Carefully explained planning steps and apt and compelling examples make the book very relevant.
If you want to write a memoir—one that people will want to read—this book is a must. Carefully explained planning steps and apt and compelling examples make the book very relevant.
July 26, 2023
Jennie has done it again! This book is a super useful tool for any writer diving into memoir and wanting to understand the intricacies of the genre. It’s a workbook designed to help you see the story in your experiences, so you can write forward with abandon. It includes a very handy guide to writing a book proposal as well.
*I’m certified book coach through Jennie Nash’s Author Accelerator program, and she gave this book to me as an early reader, but all opinions are my own.*
*I’m certified book coach through Jennie Nash’s Author Accelerator program, and she gave this book to me as an early reader, but all opinions are my own.*
August 11, 2023
Wish this book had existed 3 years ago!
This book was so packed with rich content, advice, how -to information and resources, including the writing side, the editing side, the proposal writing side , pitching, dealing with rejection, etc. All I can say is Wow, just wow! I can hardly wait to take some memoir writing classes with her, and to work with Jennie or one of her best-trained memoir writing coaches. She is the real deal. Virginia Littlejohn
This book was so packed with rich content, advice, how -to information and resources, including the writing side, the editing side, the proposal writing side , pitching, dealing with rejection, etc. All I can say is Wow, just wow! I can hardly wait to take some memoir writing classes with her, and to work with Jennie or one of her best-trained memoir writing coaches. She is the real deal. Virginia Littlejohn
August 29, 2023
this really is a blueprint of how to write a memoir, check it out
This is a thorough, well thought-out blueprint for how to write a memoir. It covers why do you want to write a memoir, who do you want to read it? It helps you narrow down what you want to include as well as looking at your marketing plan. Even if you were just thinking of writing a memoir, I recommend that you take a look at this book. I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and my review is totally voluntary..
This is a thorough, well thought-out blueprint for how to write a memoir. It covers why do you want to write a memoir, who do you want to read it? It helps you narrow down what you want to include as well as looking at your marketing plan. Even if you were just thinking of writing a memoir, I recommend that you take a look at this book. I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and my review is totally voluntary..
February 11, 2024
Super helpful!
I was stuck on how to develop my memoir from “idea” to actual working story, and then I read this book and got unstuck! I’ve been sitting with this idea for two years and wondering if I’d ever figure out where I wanted to go with it. The strategies in this book really work!
I was stuck on how to develop my memoir from “idea” to actual working story, and then I read this book and got unstuck! I’ve been sitting with this idea for two years and wondering if I’d ever figure out where I wanted to go with it. The strategies in this book really work!
August 13, 2023
Outstanding system and process for writing memoir
I’ve had the opportunity to utilize the ideas presented in a “Blueprint for a Memoir.” Everything the author says about using her tools and system is the real deal. Anyone interested in writing memoir can benefit by reading and taking action by following this excellent book.
I’ve had the opportunity to utilize the ideas presented in a “Blueprint for a Memoir.” Everything the author says about using her tools and system is the real deal. Anyone interested in writing memoir can benefit by reading and taking action by following this excellent book.
February 16, 2024
As with the other two Blueprint books, Nash provides a clear framework for writers. Nash gives readers actionable steps as she gently guides them through the complexities of bringing a memoir into the world.
February 2, 2025
I read this book cover-to-cover and I plan to refer back to it throughout my memoir writing process. While this doesn’t directly address the stylistic elements of writing, it offers a great overview of the development and marketing processes from first draft to pitch.
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August 24, 2023remove from list
December 28, 2023
A great resource to read while writing your manuscript! I plan on going back to this book once I finish mine then go through each chapter's action steps. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews