Short “memoir booklets” are an enjoyable alternative to formal book publishing
(Story covered in March 2011 Montana Parent Magazine and February 2011 Montana Pioneer.)
Bozeman, Montana – Anyone who has a great coming-of-age story or has gone through a transforming life experience has heard the well-meant compliment: You should write a book! One Montana writer has simplified that daunting assignment. Through ghostwriting partnerships, Anika Hanisch helps private clients craft their personal stories in a shorter, more manageable booklet form.
“There’s this misconception that memoir needs to be a 300-page best seller in order to justify writing it. No wonder people are scared to start,” said Hanisch, whose writing career has given her opportunities to cover story-makers throughout the U.S. and internationally. “What if we adjust the expectations? Make it a fifty-page booklet that you pass on to your children and grandchildren. Don’t worry about publishing; it’s a private gift to loved ones. That’s what is important, and that is totally do-able.”
Providing an alternative to the stress of formal publishing, Hanisch helps people craft memoir booklets to share with their family and friends. She works with clients at any level—whether that’s editing a draft they’ve already written, or providing comprehensive interviews, writing, revision, and final booklet design. “It opens the genre to anyone who simply wants to share their story,” said Hanisch. “They don’t have to be writers themselves.”
Hanisch recently completed a private memoir project for a fellow long-time Bozeman resident. The result was a Montana native’s memoir about the first three years of her marriage and the birth of her son in the 1960’s. The story takes place on the Navy base near Pearl Harbor and includes flashbacks to the storyteller’s childhood in rural Montana.
The project went so well, Hanisch began similar ghostwriting partnerships with other local clients and formally announced the service on her website. The Spiritus Creative founder and internet writer said she’d been craving more local and regional work; the memoir booklets certainly fit the bill. “For now, I’ll serve Montana and northern Wyoming residents only,” said Hanisch. “With memoir, it’s vital to have face-to-face contact at the first few interviews.”