August 2020 - Forever Young Autobiographies

Book launch: A toast to 8 book party tips to try

Super book launch ideas + book launch party suggestions

What’s the next best thing after finishing your autobiography, memoir, biography or other life-story project?

Holding a book launch party to celebrate!

Certainly finishing a book is a momentous achievement and definitely deserves to be shared and enjoyed.

Coronavirus has put a dampener on parties, as I recently found out firsthand with my grandmother’s book.

But a celebration of some description (while observing health restrictions) should definitely be entertained after all the time spent sitting down to write and navigating the planning, writing, polishing and planning phases.

So let’s get this party started with eight top book launch tips …

Edit: The ultimate guide to polishing your writing

What every life-story writer ought to know about revising and editing

I like gardening, specifically pruning.

Hacking into overgrown trees and shrubs with a pair of loppers is just so satisfying!

However, when these ‘flowery’ limbs are paragraphs in your life-story project it gets a bit more difficult.

Indeed, often we are attached to our writing or are confused about what parts need work or culling.

But just like a wildly overgrown garden, a first draft definitely needs taming.

Therefore, in this ultimate guide I show you how to sit down to edit and come up with a final draft of which you will be proud.

This guide is part three in the ‘ultimate series’, which includes the ultimate guide about planning to write life stories, the ultimate guide of life-story tips for new writers and the ultimate guide to publishing a life story.

Okay, roll up your sleeves and let’s get pruning!

Book review: Working Class Man by Cold Chisel’s Jimmy Barnes

The quick way to find out what Barnesy’s second memoir by Harper Collins is all about

In his youth Jimmy Barnes reckons he was here for a good time not a long time.

And you definitely get that feeling from the start of the Australian rock-and-roll legend’s second memoirWorking Class Man released by HarperCollinsPublishers Australia Pty Ltd in 2017.

This fast-paced book is a follow up to Barnesy’s award-winning bestseller Working Class Boy (see my review here), which detailed moving to Australia and growing up in Adelaide.

While the first book is about running away, Working Class Man is about running out of time and trying to put things right.

The two books have reportedly sold over 500,000 copies making them the most successful biographical series in local publishing history.

And hot on the heels of these two is Killing Time: Short Stories From the Long Road Home, due out in October.

But first, let’s find out more about Working Class Man and what it can teach us as life-story writers …

Ask Nicola Q&A: Secrets to creating a super book back cover

How to come up with a book back cover design in 4 easy steps

Hi and welcome to Forever Young Autobiographies – Ask Nicola.

As a writing coach I’m asked many questions about planning, writing, polishing and publishing life stories for family and friends.

And in this series I show how I help new writers just like you!

So this week’s Ask Nicola answers this question:

I’m nearly ready to publish my autobiography for family and friends! Do I need to design a book back cover? If so what do I need to keep in mind?