By Rachel Carrington
As crowded as today’s publishing market is, a good book may not stand out. Readers have so many options in their preferred genre. An outstanding description can catch their eye and help you make a sale, but oftentimes, if you’re a newer author, it’s difficult to get your foot in the door. That’s why the story behind the story matters.
Known as author origin stories, these explain why the writer wrote the book. What moment gave them the idea? Was it an emotional spark or a picture they saw in a magazine? Perhaps it was something they read online. The reasons are endless, and they can build connection, trust, and long-term reader loyalty, especially if you’re hitting close to a reader’s heart.
While there are many readers devoted to certain authors, some will buy a book because it resonates with them emotionally. It touches a part of them, and when they understand why you wrote your book, it can hit the mark.
Maybe you were wrestling with an injustice, were curious about a certain topic, or were trying to understand why a tragedy happened. A reader might be feeling the exact same way. In that instance, the book moves from being a product to being a shared experience. That emotional buy-in increases the likelihood of purchase.
You might be thinking you didn’t have any of those things going on when you got the idea, but there is still a reason why you wrote the story. It might not be because of heavy emotional turmoil. Maybe it was the first idea that excited you in a long time. Or you knew you had to grow as an author. There is always a why, and that’s what you need to discover.
Origin stories also make an author stand out because thousands of books share the same tropes, but very few share the same origin. If you dig deep enough to discover where your story comes from, it becomes a hook that pulls readers and even interviewers and reviewers toward you.
Origin stories build trust and credibility
If you share why your book mattered enough to be written, you’re giving the reader a peek behind the curtain, and that can build trust. Authors who are thoughtful, honest, and emotionally engaged with their work tend to stand out to readers. They don’t just fall for the one book; they fall for the author.
Origin stories make marketing easier
Rather than sharing another social media post asking a reader to buy your book, you can stand out by sharing the moment you realized the idea for your story wasn’t going away. It had its hooks in you because it had to be told. You can share the excitement behind the idea, the moments leading up to starting the story, and even the stops and starts along the way. Origin stories leave the marketing out of the equation, and instead, shift the focus to storytelling, which authors already know how to do.
Stories feel more natural to readers because that’s why they read, but they also give media outlets, podcasters, and influencers something meaningful to discuss beyond plot summaries.
The long-term impact
An origin story doesn’t just help sell one book. It helps sell you as an author. It creates your brand, shows what kind of stories you tell, and helps readers decide that you are the author for them. When readers connect with why you write, they’re more likely to follow your career, recommend your work, and return for future books.
Author origin stories can’t replace good writing, but they can magnify it. They invite readers into the story before they even pick up the book. That invitation is often the difference between a book that is skipped over and one that is bought.
Bio: Rachel Carrington is a published author of over fifty novels and novellas with three fantasy novels scheduled for release this year. Until 2024, she was the editor-in-chief of Vinspire Publishing. A freelance writer as well, Rachel’s work can be found in the New York Times, The Writer, Short-Edition, Startrek.com, and more. Her website is rachelcarrington.com, and she can be found on most social media using the handle @rcarrington2004.
