Craft, not fame, makes your story worth telling - Herbert Lui

"I've bought and flipped through a couple of memoirs lately from popular recording artists. Tens of millions of people stream their music on Spotify every month. It's not surprising that traditional publishers would offer them book deals. What's surprising, at least to me, is how boring they are. One artist seemed to put little effort into the book; a ghostwriter did the heavy lifting. When the artist does interviews, he seems to be talking about nothing. The book feels the same way."

"If you have a story to tell, the infrastructure is all there for you to write and publish it independently. All you need to do is decide your story is worth telling, write it from the heart, and then spend time crafting it. It's not easy. It is pretty simple though. If you can't do this all in one go, do it one story at a time. If you're not a writer, find spaces to deliver a speech. If you're concerned that your story is too boring, put some effort into making it matter."

"You may not get paid a book advance to do it, and you might not gain prestige from all the publicity. That's not part of this arrangement. You will get paid when people buy your books, and your readers will connect with you and understand you better. Maybe your story can help us understand their own journeys more, or find a sense of peace. Wouldn't that be something? The possibility is there, if you're willing to put in the effort."

Many celebrity memoirs lack effort and compelling storytelling despite artists' large audiences and publisher interest. Some books rely heavily on ghostwriters, resulting in flat prose and interviews that reveal little. Publishers often prioritize celebrity status over narrative quality, producing list-like inventories instead of meaningful stories. The infrastructure for independent writing and publishing enables anyone with a story to produce and sell books. Writers should decide their story is worth telling, write sincerely, and spend time crafting it. If needed, develop the work one story at a time, use speeches to practice, and focus on making chosen stories matter. Financial advances and publicity are not guaranteed; reader connection and sales provide the main reward.

Read at Herbert Lui