I just wanted to comment because I got plenty of rejections on my memoir, Breaking the Code. If you want to sell your memoir as a memoir, don't give up. Rejections are just part of it. If you feel like you've done all you can do, start something else. Then when the passion returns, get back out there. And I don't mean just in sending it out to agents. I mean, find the publishers who accept unagented material. There are plenty of them. The "big six NY publishers" seem to be the goal of every writer. But I'm here to tell you that it is entirely possible that you could get more attention for your book with a mid-sized publisher or even a small one. All you need is a passionate editor/publisher - someone who loves your book and wants nothing more than for it to succeed.
My memoir was a hard sell to some. Is it memoir? Is it military? Is it for baby-boomer women? Is it narrative nonfiction? That was really a problem. But my publisher, Sourcebooks had no problem with it. In fact, many right here on AW told me that I shouldn't call it a memoir because of the above issues. When I first spoke to my editor, he was surprised by that and said, "of course it's a memoir." I love AW, by the way, but you can't turn your brain off for any website or well-meaning person for that matter. As cliche' as it may sound, follow your heart. If this is the story you were meant to tell, keep with it. Do absolutely everything you can to get it out there. Attend workshops, and conferences. Join a critique group. Use social media. Do what it takes because that is what you need to get your story in the hands of your audience.
Just my opinion. ~Karen
