There are many books out there on “How to write a memoir,” but what about a magazine? Viga Boland decided to start Memoirabilia, a magazine that would help you write your memoir, and also give you the joy of seeing your story in print.
I had the pleasure of meeting Viga Boland at the Readers’ Favorite Awards in Miami in November, 2014, where we both won gold medals for our memoirs.
“I just finished your memoir, “No Tears for my Father”. I could so relate to what you lived through because I have a similar story. I would love to write my memoir but I don’t even know how to get started. Can you help me?”
“These words warmed my heart,” says Viga Boland.
I sighed. The writer lived in Australia. I live in Canada. How could I help her? I didn’t have the time for one on one coaching. If she were nearby, she could attend my memoir writing workshops. But that was out of the question.
She wasn’t the first to write asking for help write her story. Ever since I’d published my first memoir and begun running workshops for my local library, I’d been receiving such requests. Again, I asked myself: what can I do for those who can’t attend my live workshops?
Perhaps a book! Perhaps my next book could be on the how-to of memoir writing. I checked Amazon. There were pages of books on writing memoir by more experienced facilitators than myself. And besides, there was another idea that had been playing at the back of my mind with every workshop I ran. All of the participants dreamed of seeing themselves in print, but the reality was that for various reasons, not all of them would. What if I could give them that chance, even if only in a small way? A book wasn’t the answer. But a magazine? Yes! A magazine could fulfill both their needs: that of getting help with writing their memoirs and that of having the joy of seeing themselves in print.
On December 31, 2014, I transitioned from writer to editor and entered the new year with a new magazine for memoir writers: MEMOIRABILIA.
I have to tell you, I just love my new role as editor and publisher of Memoirabilia which I hope to publish about 6 times a year. It’s an incredibly exciting project, though not an easy nor inexpensive one. Each issue of the magazine has a central theme, eg. Memoirabilia #1 is based on the idea that “Your past can write your Future”, which it certainly did for me when I published my first memoir. Issue #2 is focused on “Memoir as Therapy”. Issue #3, coming out in April 2015, is centered on “How to get that memoir finished”.
Every issue contains useful how-to articles by experts, along with book reviews and interviews with a featured author. And based on the feedback I’ve received from members of my Memoirabilia group on Facebook, what they love best, and wait for most eagerly, is seeing their 750-word submissions or book excerpts published in Memoirabilia magazine and also on the Memoirabilia website. I must confess, I share their excitement on that score: sharing the work of other writers is one of my favorite jobs as editor of Memoirabilia. There’s no fee to submit and submission guidelines, along with a submission form, along with flipper previews of the magazine are available right on the Memoirabilia website.
I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Matilda Butler of Womens Memoirs in early March. Her interview offers further insight into my motivation and goals for Memoirabilia, and for the writers whose work is featured in the magazine. You can read that interview HERE. The way I see it, there are lots of books available on memoir writing but at this point, only Memoirabilia offers writers both helpful information on how to write a memoir and a chance to show off their memoir writing and editorial skills.
My primary goal for Memoirabilia is to help others realize their dreams as I did. I hope memoir writers reading this post will check out the Memoirabilia website and join my wonderful Memoirabilia group on Facebook. I look forward to welcoming you there. Check out Viga’s website: http://www.vigaboland.com
SONIA MARSH SAYS: What a great idea to come out with a magazine for memoir writers, focusing on a different theme in each issue. Thanks for sharing this with other memoir authors, and aspiring authors.
Follow me on my grand adventure to:
Greece, London, Paris, St. Malo, Madrid and Pedraza, Spain,
Thanks so much Sonia for sharing my story and goals for Memoirablia magazine. I hope your readers will take the time to look it over and I look forward to their submissions. I’d be delighted to welcome them into our Facebook group as well. Helping other writers as you have done and I now hope to do is a wonderful thing.I’m honored to be featured here in your Blog. Thank you.
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Thank you Viga for offering this opportunity to memoir writers who want to publish their stories in Memoirabilia.
Sonia Marsh recently posted..Get Help Writing Your Memoir
My pleasure!
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