Carl T. Rowan, Journalist Extraordinaire
by,
February 12, 2019

As many of you may know, February is Black History Month. President Gerald Ford recognized it during the celebration of the United States Bicentennial in 1976, urging Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Today, we at Swenson Book Development would like to take time to recognize one outstanding man,… [Read More]

Ready to Write Memoir?
by,
May 2, 2017

It can be intimidating to think about writing your life story. Relax. Memoir isn’t your entire life story. It’s a slice of life, not birth to death. Don’t confuse memoir with autobiography. Today the only autobiographies which find publishers are those written by presidential candidates, retired statesmen, and superstars. And typically written by authors who don’t trust biographers to paint their portrait in a flattering… [Read More]

Writing Memoir: Getting Started
by,
October 13, 2012

Where to begin? Getting clarity on the genre of memoir is a good start. Then writing one memory. It can be intimidating to think of writing your life story beginning at your birth. So, don’t write autobiography. The classical forms of autobiography are called apologia, oration, and confession. Apologia are written as self-justifications for one’s actions. Orations are written to document one’s literary talents in… [Read More]