In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Howard Lovy talks with Australian author, playwright, and writing coach Jacqx Melilli about turning life experiences into compelling memoirs. They discuss the difference between memoir and autobiography, how to choose which memories belong in a book, and how to bring personal stories to life through scenes, dialogue, and sensory details. They also explore the challenges of writing about traumatic experiences, the role of editors in shaping memoirs, and why preserving personal histories matters.

Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of 2,000+ blog posts, and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need.

We invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.

About the Host

Howard Lovy is an author, developmental editor, and writing coach with a long career in journalism and publishing. He works with writers at many stages of their careers, with a focus on helping them develop their ideas and strengthen their work while preserving their unique voices. He lives in Northern Michigan.

About the Guest

Jacqx Melilli is an author, playwright, and writing coach who helps people tell the stories they have carried for years. She holds a Master of Arts in Writing and Literature from Deakin University and has worked across film, television, theatre, and youth drama education. Her award-winning stage plays led to the Lights, Camera, Action educational drama series, and she later produced and directed two of those plays as short films. She is also the author of the Australian historical novel When the Glitter Fades, inspired by showbiz history. Through memoir and creative writing workshops, Jacqx helps writers find their voice and leave a record of their lives.

In this episode of Self-Publishing with ALLi, Orna Ross talks about seasonal selling and why it's a smart strategy for indie authors. December is the biggest season for selling books, but Orna also covers Valentine's Day, summer holidays and other moments when readers are looking for books. She shares ideas for turning a book into a gift, explains why you need to plan at least three months ahead, and walks through the most common mistakes authors make.

Sponsor

This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookfunnel. Do you have reader magnets, ARCs, and direct digital sales? Want to join multi-author promotions? Thousands of authors trust BookFunnel for seamless delivery and real human support. Visit BookFunnel.com.

Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally.

About the Host

Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller's "100 top people in publishing". She also publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and is greatly excited by the democratizing, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website.

On this week's Self-Publishing News podcast, ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway warns indie authors about a major PHP vulnerability affecting WordPress.org sites and WooCommerce, and explains what to ask your web host. He then covers three platforms with new money-making options: Spotify's new Memberships for podcasters, Kindle Unlimited passing $5 billion in author payouts, and YouTube's plan to launch an audiobook offering in 2027.

Show Notes

Critical PHP Security Release

About the Host

Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.