Today, I'm excited to share an interview with memoirist and writing instructor Sue William Silverman. Her memoir, Love Sick: One Woman’s Journey through Sexual Addiction, inspired a Lifetime Television original movie, and her earlier book, Because I Remember Terror, Father, I Remember You, won the AWP award in creative nonfiction. More recently, she wrote Fearless Confessions: A Writer’s Guide to Memoir (see video book trailer). She also teaches in the low-residency MFA in Writing Program at the Vermont College of Fine Art and works as a professional speaker. We discussed building a platform, dealing with criticism, and honing the craft of writing.Urban Muse: How important is it for memoir writers to have a platform before they get published?
S: While it can help to have a ready-made platform before publication—and while that might assist getting published in the first place—it is far from being a pre-requisite.
And, after all, one of the main ways to garner a platform is to first publish a book. That was definitely true for me. All I did before my first book was published was write, write, write. Only after Because I Remember Terror, Father, I Remember You was published did I become a professional speaker.
UM: You've written about some very personal topics. Have you had to deal with any criticism for baring your soul like this? How did you handle that?
S: Not so much criticism, as misunderstanding.
For example, when I was on a radio tour with my second memoir, Love Sick, I was asked some very inappropriate questions by “shock jocks.” One, for example, asked me where the kinkiest place I ever had sex was?
When I was asked that question, I was really caught off guard, so my initial response was to panic!
But then I took a deep breath and realized that just because the radio host asked an inappropriate question, didn’t mean I had to answer it. Basically, I simply explained that my book was about recovering from sex addiction. Period!
UM: Any tips for first time memoirists? What are some of the biggest mistakes you've seen?S: Take your time with your prose. Study the craft of writing.
Some beginning writers (myself included!) think that the most important thing is getting published. Really, the most important thing is the writing itself. Do that well, and the rest follows.
So read books on craft. Take a writing class or two. If you feel really industrious you can even get a Master’s of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in creative writing. In short, remember how important your story is, and know that it’s just as important to take the time with the writing, until it’s the very best it can be.
UM: Aside from Because I Remember Terror, Father, I Remember You and Love Sick, what other memoirs would you recommend for learning the craft?
S: There are, literally, hundreds of great memoirs. Rather than try to name a few, I’d love to suggest you review my contemporary creative nonfiction reading list, available on my website, at http://www.suewilliamsilverman.com/. (Scroll down on the home page, and you’ll see a link to it on the right-hand column.)
The list is divided by category and subject matter, so there should be something for everyone.
UM: What's next for you?
S: I’m still teaching at the low-residency MFA in Writing program at Vermont College of Fine Arts.
I’m also working on a new manuscript: The Pat Boone Fan Club: My Life as a White, Anglo-Saxon Jew. Which pretty much sums up the theme of the book!
Thanks, Sue!
Find out more about Sue and her books on Sue William Silverman's website.
7 comments:
How did you get your first book noticed by reviewers, readers, media--since you didn't have a platform?
I've read Fearless Confessions and loved it. Thanks for the insightful Q&A. It's a strong reminder to focus on writing and not get hung up on selling a memoir first.
Hi, Jodi, the publisher for my first book sent it out to the usual places for review. And it did get receive some standard book reviews, like most books.
Additionally, I took the initiative and contacted as many places as I could think of that might be interested in having me give a speech or a reading--mainly child abuse prevention organizations.
Plus, I wrote a few editorials about child abuse prevention that appeared in such places as "The Chicago Tribune" and the "Detroit Free Press." After the web became more of a presence, I posted on websites, etc.
In other words, sure, your publisher will help you some, but it's also important to take the initiative yourself to promote your book and your message as much as possible.
In fact, I have a chapter about publishing and marketing in "Fearless Confessions."
Hi, Jesaka, thank you SO much for reading "Fearless Confessions," and for your comments.
And, yes, I feel these memoirs we write are stories that need to be told...so write first, get the story down on paper. Only after the writing is finished do I seriously persue the publishing aspect.
Thanks for this interview and reminder to focus on the writing. Unfortunately many agents will not touch a manuscript unless the memoirist already has a platform.
Alexandra, thanks for your post. You know, it occurs to me, that maybe we're talking about different kinds of memoir?
In other words, in my experience--i.e. my own and that of my friends--this isn't true for literary memoirs. In other words, for a literary memoir, agents would treat the memoir just as they would a novel--they would not be interested in whether the author has a platform or not.
So perhaps this idea of a platform is more true for books that are more subject driven--or only subject driven.
That's all I can think of as to why there might be differing views on this. Thanks so much for your insights! Sue
Alexandra--I meant to mention--about the "platform" issue: if you look at my creative nonfiction reading list (it's on my website), I would say that only a tiny handful of all those authors on all those pages had a platform.
So I would not worry about that issue if you want to write a memoir.
And you can find my reading list at www.suewilliamsilverman.com . Just scroll down and you'll see a link to it on the right-hand column. Sue
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