6 Common Memoir Mistakes (And What Publishers Want in 2025-26)

Your go-to guide to publishing trends in 2025-26

I’ve been working as a book editor for over a decade, and I’ve seen a lot of trends come and go in that time. So, it’s not surprising that many of my writers come to me with misconceptions about how a memoir needs to look and feel — and it’s getting in the way of their book dreams.

These are the biggest myths — for publishing trends in 2025-26 — that I love busting with my clients:

🙅‍♀️ You need to write chronologically.
One of the biggest myths I bust early is that your memoir has to start at birth and work its way forward like a résumé. In fact, some of the most gripping memoirs begin at the emotional climax — the break-up, the diagnosis, the turning point — and then unravel the backstory like a mystery. Structure is a creative decision, not a formula. If you’re feeling trapped in a linear timeline, it might be time to shake things up.

🙅‍♀️ It’s all in your head. (This is a BIG one)
Ten years ago, you could sell a whole book of navel-gazing internal monologue — twenty chapters all about your thoughts and how you perceive a situation. Now my publishers are all saying the same thing: we want more dialogue. That means writing out a conversation between you and your dad — and letting us, the reader, decode its deeper meaning.

Want to know more? Check out my Chapter Editing Service and I’ll even translate your inner musings into dialogue for you.

🙅‍♀️ You need a milestone ending.
None of my favourite memoirs end with a marriage proposal, a new baby, or a promotion — we’re not writing fairy tales, people. Publishers value endings that feel realistic, raw and relatable. The moments in between the milestone moments, when you know you’re on the path of recovery — that’s what really holds the exhale.

Check out my course The Book Writing Remedy for my tried and tested storyline plotting tool.

🙅‍♀️ You need to have “credentials.”
Of course, a PhD has a time and a place. But thankfully, publishers value the power of lived experience told by “normal” people. You don’t need to be a therapist to write about grief. You don’t need to be famous to be interesting. You just need to have something honest to say — and the guts to say it well.

🙅‍♀️ Gift books are only for Christmas.
So-called “gift books” are extremely popular with my publishers right now — typically hard cover books with fewer words and more images or illustrations. They used to be novelty Christmas items, but in the age of social media and content squares, publishers are looking for gift-style books all year round. Think self-helpy content, but make it Canva-y.

My Book Pitching Template will instantly add clarity to your pitch (and give you a burst of confidence).

🙅‍♀️ Spiritual content is a niche.
Nope! Spiritual books are now big business and mainstream publishers are realising it. A big publishing trend for 2026 and beyond will be normalising and demystifying spiritual concepts. (I write this as a Hay House author who appreciates their niche, but also works with the big 5 publishers who are also chasing spiritual content).

I have a new masterclass coming soon — how to write spiritual content that goes mainstream. Send me a DM if you want to hear more, or subscribe to be the first to know.

I hope that gave you some clarity and a confidence boost to keep writing!

Amy x