Sell Your Memoir – 10-week workshop with Sam Hiyate

Name: Sell Your Memoir - 10-week workshop with Sam Hiyate
Availability: InStock

Over the past 22 years Literary Agent Sam Hiyate has sold 25 memoirs, over 22 of which were debuts, several of which were bestsellers and critical hits. In each case, he has worked with the author to rework their original material, to help them apply the rules of great storytelling to their personal experiences to sell their books.

Examples of memoirs Sam has successfully worked with authors on include:

In this workshop, you will work with Sam to increase your chances of success in selling your memoir – whether that is to a traditional publisher or directly to readers.

Over 10 weeks, you will learn how to:

Focus on the most universal elements of your life and experiences to embrace a wider readership.
Make the reader fall for you.
Structure the story for maximum stakes and drama (even if psychological).
Determine the best shape for your story.
Make it as compelling as a novel.

Beginning February 1, 2026 this workshop will run for 2.5 hours, weekly on Sunday at 12:00 eastern time.
Each week, Sam will provide a talk on critical elements of successful memoirs, and will workshop pages submitted from the group.

Please note, not all participants will be able to workshop pages each week due to time constraints.

To sign up for the Memoir Workshop, please submit your query letter for the project and a 1-2 page outline (without spoilers) of the current or planned story.

Lectures in the course will include:

Your Story
Your Platform
Your Audience
Your Voice and Craft
Your Proof of Concept
Your Market Comparables
Your Best Query
Your Proposal

Lectures will be followed with the illustration of concepts using specific group member’s work as examples.

Course dates:

February 1, 2026	Introductions
February 8, 2026	Lecture and Workshop
February 15 2026	Lecture and Workshop
February 22, 2026	Lecture and Workshop
March 1, 2026	Lecture and Workshop
March 8, 2026	Break Week: No Class
March 15, 2026	Lecture and Workshop
March 22, 2026	Lecture and Workshop
March 29, 2026	Lecture and Workshop
April 5, 2026	Break Week: No Class
April 12, 2026	Conclusions

Sam Hiyate

Literary Agent

Literary agent and president of The Rights Factory, an international literary agency based in Toronto.

In his 30+ year publishing career he has launched the careers of numerous New York Times and Globe and Mail bestselling authors.

He teaches creative writing at the University of Toronto and publishing at Ryerson University.

An expert on outlining your book. A creativity/mindset coach to speak about writer psychology. A professional editor for guidance on polishing your book. An expert on querying literary agents and securing a traditional book deal.