May 2021 - Forever Young Autobiographies

Errors in print: Who else wants to get over book typos and misprints

How to deal sanely with publishing errors and bad editing in 4 steps

After decades working as a newspaper journalist and life-story writer I have seen all kinds of errors in print.

From Page 1 headlines with words misspelled to factual inaccuracies in opening sentences and gaping white holes where pictures weren’t printed.

Certainly I’ve seen errors made by others and by myself printed into thousands of copies.

Indeed the realisation of spotting a mistake after printing can make you feel ill to the pit of your stomach.

But today I’m here to tell you it is not the end of the world (yes really)!

And in fact I’m going to give you four ways to move past that ‘icky feeling’ and celebrate publishing an autobiography, memoir, biography or other life-story project – warts and all.

Case study: The Moonsamy family’s The 17th Suitcase: Vignettes from a South African Family

The amazing story of how one family of Indian heritage survived life under apartheid and moved to America

This week’s case study is The 17th Suitcase: Vignettes from a South African Family, a fascinating compilation of life stories by Reverend Samuel Moonsamy and his family.

It tells how the family of Indian heritage, navigated the system of apartheid in South Africa – amid racial tension plus economic struggle – and settled in northern California, United States of America.

Certainly the book’s anecdotes are sometimes hilarious, sometimes serious and invariably thought provoking.

However, they ultimately aim to highlight a strong, faith-based legacy for future generations.

Recently Forever Young Autobiographies caught up with Priscilla, the eldest of Rev. Moonsamy’s six children.

And she explained more about the book, how it evolved plus offered helpful tips to those keen to sit down and record their own family stories …

Print run: Decide how many books to print like a boss

Ask Nicola Q&A: What a life-story coach knows about book print run numbers + print numbers

Hello and welcome to Forever Young Autobiographies – Ask Nicola.

As a life-story coach I get many queries about planning, creating, polishing and publishing.

And in this series my answers aim to help new creators just like you!

This edition of Ask Nicola starts with the question:

I have finished writing my autobiography but don’t know how many books to get printed? Who and what should I consider before placing a print run order?

Wow, how exciting you are getting ready to print your life story – congratulations!

Now keep reading to find out how many books I suggest …

Writing characters: If you’ve already tried creating characters, don’t read this. It’ll break your heart

Quick and easy ways to character build, write character traits and show not tell

I love Mother’s Day and not just because I am one!

It is an important time of the year.

Certainly mums shape our character, especially when we are young.

And in turn they can also shape the way we care for our children and grandchildren.

So as you sit down to create an autobiography, memoir, biography or other life-story project think about how to portray characters like VIP mums.

Next, keep reading as I show you ideas for creating characters that sparkle …