Stories are Your Proposal's Secret Weapon--How to Use Storytelling to Engage Editors and Agents

This is the 4th installment in my 8-part series that’s focus on sharing my best advice for nonfiction book proposals. My goal through this series is to give the next level advice that when done right, can make all the difference when you are trying to get the attention of an agent or editor.

In my 2nd post I talked about the importance of using the proposal as a sales tool—it shouldn’t just describe your book, it should sell it. 

In my 3rd post, I focused on the importance of selling you.  Your expertise and your platform are just as important as your book idea so make sure you are selling yourself when you sell your idea.

For this piece, I want to focus on how stories can be one of your best tools for writing a compelling proposal.

I can’t tell you the number of unexciting proposals I’ve gotten in my 20+ years in publishing that feel more like an academic dissertation than a book proposal.

Readers want to be engaged in a book even if it’s on a serious or technical topic. 

Editors and agents also want to be engaged in the proposals they read. And the easiest, time-tested way to do this is by engaging with a story.

And yes, I’m talking nonfiction proposals here—not fiction.

Storytelling can make any reader feel a part of something. It’s been a huge trend in the business world as sales professionals, product designers, executive leaders, and more use narrative stories to engage customers, colleagues, and more.

And this works in nonfiction book proposals too. Stories help build an emotional connection to an idea. They help establish trust with the reader. And, most importantly, they help differentiate you from other people who are writing about similar ideas.

When you are writing a proposal, look for ways to insert examples throughout the proposal. For example, consider starting the proposal with a story that exemplifies the focus of your book.

If your book presents a solution to a problem, show how you do this using case studies from your clients or the people who you’ve interviewed for the book. If your book is a narrative, you should have plenty of stories to share. Give some of the most exciting details in your proposal. Even big ideas are best shared through engaging examples. When you are describing what your book is about, weave stories throughout your proposal.

Stores also help an editor and agent see what your writing style is like.

Stories can be your secret weapon.