How to write and sell your memoir

Learn how to shape and write a compelling memoir book proposal that catches the attention of literary agents and publishers, with critically-acclaimed author and journalist Jessica Pan.

There’s no denying it: memoirs are having a moment. A quick glance at any bestseller list will tell you that many of the books sitting on them are memoirs - and they haven’t even been written by famous people.

Everyone has a story they want to tell, but a memoir isn’t simply talking about yourself; it’s about sharing universal truths with a unique narrative that resonates with your reader. Why is your story special? How can you connect with an audience in a saturated industry?

Whether you have always wanted to write a memoir, or you have a narrative non-fiction idea that you would like to expand into book form, this masterclass will give you all the necessary tools to create your own proposal. Led by Jessica Pan, this practical class covers the essentials for giving shape to your ideas and developing them for the book that’s itching to get out.

This is an unmissable opportunity to receive insider industry advice on the business of publishing. Book your place now and spend the day learning from a leading Guardian feature writer and acclaimed memoir writer.

Course content

• An overview of the different types of memoir and personal narrative fiction

• How to pinpoint what makes your memoir stand out

• Shaping your personal narrative with the principles of storytelling

• How to outline and write a compelling book proposal

• Advice on querying literary agents

• The practicalities of writing - how to finish your sample material for your proposal and find your unique tone of voice

• A practical exercise with opportunity for feedback - turning your idea into a compelling book pitch

Tutor profile

Jessica Pan is a features journalist with bylines in the Guardian's Weekend magazine, Stylist, the Independent, VICE and ELLE. She has a BA in Psychology and Creative Writing from Brown University. In the space of five years she has sold two memoirs off the back of book proposals to two different imprints at Penguin Random House in both the UK and the United States: Graduates in Wonderland (Avery, 2014) and Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come (Doubleday, May 2019), without having any previous contacts in the publishing industry. Both books were sold at auction.

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Full course and returns information on the Masterclasses website