8 Ways to Profit from the Art of Storytelling

8 Ways to Profit from the Art of StorytellingBy Rebecca Matter Good stories are hard to resist. That’s why it’s such a treat to curl up in a comfortable chair and devour a great novel, or hit up the theater for a celebrated movie.  But stories do much more than simply entertain us. They also influence the way we think, and even what we feel. Stories can sway the way we see the world, not to mention our decision-making processes. If you’re a writer, telling good stories is one of the most powerful skills you can have. And it’s an easy way to make your copy memorable — not to mention, profitable. Yet most writers I talk to don’t think about telling stories for profit …  So today, I’m going to show you how you can use your story-writing skills to boost your income, and where to find the most lucrative story-based writing jobs. How Stories Influence Us  If you think about it, stories have been woven into the fabric of everyday living since the days of cavemen, when folks would gather around a fire after a long day of hunting and gathering.  Stories are how history gets passed down from one generation to the next. They help us learn about morals and language and the way things work. We basically use stories to make sense of the world around us, to teach, to make people laugh, and to underscore what’s important in life.  Robert McKee, author of Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting, does an excellent job explaining the impact stories can have on the reader. He points out that most people attempt to persuade others with conventional rhetoric like statistics and quotes.  But this is problematic, because while we’re making our case for one thing, people are likely arguing the opposite in their heads based on their own sources and experiences.  And, as McKee says, “People are not inspired to act on reason alone.” So the key to good communication (not to mention persuasion) is to use a story. “In a story,” says McKee, “you not only weave a lot of information into the telling, but you also arouse your listener’s emotion and energy.”  That’s why the most powerful stories are the ones that evoke some kind of emotion from the listener. Along with that, they need to be simple and unique enough to ensure they’re memorable. Good Stories Are Super Valuable to Businesses (and They’ll Gladly Pay You to Write Them!) Let’s talk more about that emotional connection, which is one of the reasons stories are such a powerful tool for persuasive writers. It all begins in the brain…  Say, for instance, you read a brochure with a list of informative facts and statistics. Your brain will process that information as an intellectual experience. Interesting, educational, but not necessarily memorable. Writing like that really only taps into your cerebral cortex, which is the part of your brain that decodes words into meaning.  A well-told story, on the other hand, takes you on an emotional adventure. It involves the language-processing areas of your brain along with many other areas — including your sensory cortex. This is the part of your brain you’d use if you were actually experiencing the events of a story. Meaning it’s the area where you detect sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch. When you’re involved at a sensory level, it’s easy to feel like you’re in the story. And it’s the reason you’re more likely to remember stories over statistics.  When a story is used in persuasive writing (copywriting), often to present a brand or a product, it goes one step beyond pure entertainment. Instead, the story becomes representative of what’s being sold or presented — the voice, if you will, of a company, brand, product, or service.  It’s also why persuasive writers can use stories effectively to move people to action, whether that means buying something, making a donation, or signing up for a subscription.  8 Paid Writing Projects that Benefit From Good Storytelling Whether you’re an aspiring novelist, a weekend writer, or a full-time copywriter, the ability to tell a story well can net you a lot of money.  Here’s a sample of paid writing projects that benefit tremendously from the inclusion of good stories: 1. Case Studies. [A case study is about helping clients tell their stories.]( It’s generally a success story that details a customer’s experience with a company’s products or services. Case studies basically describe how a company or organization solved a challenge using a product or service, and what the outcome was. Think of it as a “before-and- after” story. Case studies often run $1,250- $2,000 for two pages. 2. Email Autoresponder Series. These are a terrific option for a series-type story. Come up with a great hook that makes a prospect want to opt-in to your client’s newsletter, and then break your story up into five or seven emails. Close each email with something that makes your readers wonder what happens in the next installment, much like novelists often finish chapters with a teaser of the next adventure to come. Email auto responder fees vary between $150 and $350 for a beginner up to $1,000 per email for an experienced writer.  Stories come across as more “real” instead of appearing abstract, like concepts or logical arguments tend to do. 3. Long-Form Sales Promotions.  Copywriting promotions that run 12 pages or longer often perform well with story leads for several reasons. For starters, it gives you a practical way to get into your sales letter and creates a conversational tone for your copy. Plus, a good story lead can make your message easier to remember. Long-form sales promotions, depending on length, can range between $2,000 and $10,000 in initial fees, often with a royalty agreement included. 4. Social Media Campaigns.  Think of movie teasers or commercial previews of upcoming episodes for your favorite shows. That’s what social media campaigns can be for any kind of story. If you’ve written a compelling story elsewhere, whether it’s on a website, in a case study, or even for purchase on a digital download site, then a well-orchestrated social media campaign can drive readers to that story. Start with a good hook and some preview content and you’ll have potential readers clamoring to click. Social media writers can make between $50 and $500 per hour. 5. Video Marketing. Videos are an effective way to connect with any online audience and allow you to tell your story visually. Best of all, there are loads of ways to take advantage of social video sharing sties like Instagram and Vine so you don’t break the bank (or your client’s), yet still connect with high numbers of people. Depending on the video you make, you might charge per minute of script (up to $200 per minute) all the way to $10,000 for a flat-fee Video Sales Letter. 6. Blogs. Blogs are ideal places for multiple short stories or stories with an ongoing theme or topic. Readers come to the blog for updates on the story, and along with it, get updates on what your client has to offer. Depending on the goal and audience of the blog, you can net $50 to $500 per post. 7. Website Editorial. Whether you’re telling the story of how a company first came to be or you’re telling the stories of many satisfied customers, website pages can house a variety of short stories interlaced with a common theme. A small website (five to seven basic pages) averages between $1,500 and $3,500 in fees. 8. General Content Marketing. Anywhere you’re trying to build a brand or product awareness, stories can play a role. Use your creativity to think about what makes your client or project special, and then tell the story. This includes coming up with a systematic approach that links your email outreach, social media efforts, SEO plan, and website sales pages. Fees in this area vary tremendously based on the size and scope of the project, but often include some combination of the fee scales above.  A lot of good story writing also comes down to knowing your prospect. Meaning, you need to understand your prospects’ deepest fears and wishes. You need to know what their pain points are, and you need to tap into those points through powerful writing — which is (fortunately) made easier when telling a story. Resources for Inspiring Your Own Powerful Story Any time you decide to incorporate stories into copy, you can tap the following sources for a rich trove of ideas: 1. Customer testimonials.  Often, some of the most powerful stories for product or service-related copy will come from the customers themselves. When a customer writes in to say “thank you” or “job well-done,” it’s not unusual for a related story to follow: “I’ve battled weeds in my lawn for years, but your touch-up spray solution did the trick. It’s easy to use and takes no time at all to get out and put up!” 2. News stories. Newspapers, magazines, radio stations, and sometimes even the evening news are great sources for original stories. Online posts can spark ideas as well, just be careful not to draw too much from stories that have gone viral. After all, originality is key when telling any story. 3. History books and biographies. Instead of doing a quick online search for stories, go the distance and hit up your local library. That’s where you’ll find seldom-told stories that, by nature of being unique, will catch your reader’s attention. 4. Birth-of-the-product (or service) stories. When trying to engage a prospect with a new product or service, it’s often useful to tell the story of how that product or service came about. Chances are, it was because the creators had a need similar to the prospect’s and then found a way to address that problem. Meaning your prospect will likely relate to the story in a positive way. 5. People-watching.  Go to any coffee shop or park and sit and listen for a while. You’re bound to observe and possibly even overhear interesting tidbits that could spark terrific story ideas. There are a variety of ways to get paid to write stories. The best approach is to target a client or a niche and propose story ideas that position their brand or product in a positive way. Or, you could write stories and post them as samples on your professional writing website. Another approach is to take business testimonials and turn them into stories on spec, then submit them to the business you’d like to write for, along with a proposal to use the story in a specific marketing channel (e.g., in an email series or as editorial on the business’s website). Remember, stories always have been, and will remain central to communication. Compelling stories entertain, inform, and offer value to your customers, which makes them more likely to engage with your brand. They also cut through the noise when it comes to the mass amounts of information out there. Best of all, stories come across as more “real” instead of appearing abstract, like concepts or logical arguments tend to do.  Whether you write them for fun, to convey a point, or to advertise a product or service, they’re a nearly guaranteed way to capture attention and become memorable. And when you can get paid to tell a good story … all the better! Ready to put your storytelling skills to practice? AWAI's Writing Case Studies program is currently on sale for 50% off. [Get all the details here.]( For questions or requests: [contact us online](. Trouble viewing this email? [View in your browser, here](.  --------------------------------------------------------------- Ensure your subscription delivery. AWAI Whitelisting info available [here](. You are subscribed to this newsletter as {EMAIL}. 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