4 bestselling memoir themes | Writing a memoir for the traditional book publishing market

Hi! I'm Louisa Deasey, I'm the author of two traditionally published memoirs. In this video I share the only 4 universal topics & themes you'll find in bestselling memoirs, and actually in any story that hooks readers across a global audience.
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✨ I’m Louisa, I’ve worked in print and digital publishing and media as a writer, editor, journalist and author for over two decades. I now teach writers all across the world how to successfully write, pitch and sell their work to the traditional publishing market. My aim is to pull back the curtain on traditional publishing and share a behind-the-scenes look at how to write, pitch, sell and successfully launch nonfiction books in the traditional publishing industry.
📖 A Letter From Paris by Louisa Deasey
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[@ionlyemergeafterdark]

My favourite memoir is "Stephen Hero" which was written as a novel but was based on James Joyce's life and his intellectual development. I don't think that was one of your four themes. It was rejected by publishers over 20 times, I believe, and then he burned it. His wife managed to rescue a big chunk of the manuscript from the fire which is what is available now. Joyce rewrote it afresh as "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man". Joyce was my hero in my teens. I preferred "Stephen Hero".

[@robertbeattie6003]

Thanks.

[@jilldaltonnyc7545]

Really good info here. My memoir is centered around love, family, relationships, and belonging. Until I read your 4 Universal Themes, I wouldn't have thought that, so this is very helpful. Theme has always been confusing to me, but now I get it. Thank you so much for sharing this important info.

[@LouisaDeaseytv]

That's great Julia, thanks for sharing! Yes, it took me twenty years to wrap my head around this stuff. It's hard when it's your own story...Simplicity definitely helps. And knowing there's only 4 (not 40) themes that matter!

[@marlaneainsworth3336]

Hi Louisa. I'm enjoying these short videos. Thank you for creating them. My theme is finally freeing oneself from a strong religious upbringing, similar titles being "Educated" by Tara Westover, and "Unfollow" by Megan Phelps-Roper. I can't see which of the four universal themes these books fit into. Except perhaps it touches on mental health?

[@LouisaDeaseytv]

Love includes relationships, belonging, family unit... so perhaps there?