Writing a Memoir That Sells: You Need a Mullet

By Allison K Williams

As an editor and writing coach, I hear from many writers with intriguing family histories. Mom has a great life story. They’ve found a cache of grandparents’ beautifully written love letters. They want to preserve meaningful, generational stories from the town in which they grew up.

These are the literary equivalent of a bouffant hairstyle. Delightful to look at, and from the front, you’ve seen it all.

Family and community histories are valuable and worth writin...