Sara Roahen

Sara Roahen is an independent writer and editor who loves to help other nonfiction writers become better at their craft, polish their writing projects, and fulfill their publishing goals with as much joy as possible.

Specializing in life story writing, autobiography, and memoir, Sara is the author of "Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table" (W. W. Norton & Company, 2009), and a guidebook for aspiring writers, "How to Begin Writing Your Life Stories: Putting Memories on the Page," published through her own imprint, Demitasse Press (2024). A second craft book, "A Year of Tips and Prompts for Memoir and Life Story Writers," is forthcoming in June, 2025. For the past eight years, she has found inspiration in teaching life story and memoir writing to adults through Cuesta College’s Emeritus program.

Sara also writes about food and culture. Along with "Gumbo Tales," a food-focused memoir, she coedited "The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook" and has written for a variety of food and culture publications, including "Saveur," "Food & Wine," "Gourmet," "Garden & Gun," and "Bon Appetit." The roughly 100 oral history interviews she conducted for The Southern Foodways Alliance are archived at the University of Mississippi at Oxford. Yes, she also cooks a mean gumbo.

Sara holds a certificate in copyediting from UCSD and is a certified book publishing professional through the Nonfiction Authors Association. She believes sensitivity, compassion, and honesty are paramount attributes for an editor. Her services include manuscript evaluation; developmental, line, and copy editing; customized coaching; and consulting for authors, particularly authors curious about self-publishing.

Sara has presented at many writers conferences and offers interactive life story writing workshops.