Storyline is a selling tool that helps in your novel success.
If you want to write a commercially successful novel, then you need to sell your book not once, but seven times. This is known as the "selling chain," and it’s a vital process to ensure your novel reaches the hands of readers. Every link in this chain plays a crucial role, and breaking any part can cause your book to fall short of its potential.
The Concept Sale: You (or your agent) pitch your novel to an acquisitions editor. If they’re intrigued, they take it to the publishing committee for review.
The Publishing Committee: Here, the editor sells the concept to the committee, who decides whether to offer a contract, including your royalties and advance.
Production Sale: When your book goes into production, the editor sells the idea to the sales team. This team’s job is to get orders from bookstores and chains.
Bookstore Buyers: The sales team sells your book to professional buyers who decide which books will make it to their shelves.
Sales Staff Engagement: The back-cover copy and catalog descriptions serve to sell your book to the bookstore staff, who interact with customers daily.
Reader Sale: Whether through bookstore staff or back-cover copy, your book is sold to individual readers looking for their next great read.
Word-of-Mouth: Finally, if the first readers enjoy your novel, they’ll sell it to their friends by word-of-mouth.
This chain is delicate. Each person in the process doesn’t know your story as well as you do, but they must pass along their excitement to the next in line. To make this easier for everyone involved, you need to provide them with a tool: a one-sentence summary of your novel. This is called the storyline, and it captures the very essence of your story.
The goal of your storyline is to provoke one of two reactions from those who hear it:
I like that. Tell me more.
Sorry, I’m not interested.
Both are perfectly acceptable outcomes. The purpose of the storyline is to clearly communicate what your book is about, allowing people to quickly determine whether it’s for them. You cannot appeal to everyone, and trying to do so will dilute your message. A successful storyline helps you succeed quickly with your target audience and move on from those outside of it just as swiftly.
Brevity: Your storyline should be short enough to memorize and deliver quickly. It must be something that everyone in the selling chain can remember and repeat without difficulty.
Emotional Appeal: Fiction is about engaging emotions, and your storyline needs to reflect the emotional journey your readers will embark on. Whether it’s suspense, joy, fear, or love, convey what emotional experience your novel promises.
Curiosity: Your storyline should spark curiosity, not answer all the questions. It should hint at the heart of your story and make people want to know more, creating a sense of intrigue.
You can craft your storyline at any point during the writing process. Your approach may vary depending on how you write:
Pantser: If you write by the seat of your pants (pantser style), it may be best to create your storyline after completing the first draft. By this point, you’ll have a solid grasp of your story’s plot and characters.
Outliner: If you outline your story in advance, you might write an initial storyline early on, revisiting it as your story evolves. Regardless of your approach, continually refining your storyline is key. Keep honing it to make it sharper, clearer, and more potent.
The storyline is more than just a quick summary; it’s the backbone of your selling strategy. A great storyline acts as a bridge, helping each person in the selling chain pass your book along with excitement and confidence. By investing time and care into crafting a compelling one-sentence summary, you provide your novel with the best chance to make it through the complex journey from concept to reader’s hands.
A well-written storyline is your key to unlocking the hearts and minds of editors, booksellers, and ultimately, readers.