StoryV is coming up with new ideas every day to make your experience on the website even better and so you can share your stories. With plans for the development of our newest functionality, you will be able to receive donations or even sell your stories through our marketplace. We want your exclusive, original and valuable stories as we aim to inspire, motivate, educate and move people within society.
Why share your stories on StoryV?
1. Story Sells
In 1999 best-selling author Paulo Coelho, who wrote the story of “The Alchemist”, wasn’t doing so well in Russia. He’d only sold about 1000 copies of his book all year so his Russian publisher dumped him. When he eventually found another publisher to take him on, he decided to do something a little extreme. He posted a Russian copy of the story (torrent) on his own website, for the public to read for free. Suddenly, sales picked up. Within a year he’d managed to sell 10,000 copies with no extra promotion. Today, Coelho has made over 10 million sales in Russia alone with total print sales worldwide surpassing 100 million, and still growing.
Everybody enjoys a good story. Why? Because we’re wired that way. Research shows that we remember stories much more than data, facts, and figures. When Buffer co-founder Leo Widrich started marketing his product through stories instead of benefits and bullet points, sign-ups went through the roof. We think in narratives all day long and make up short stories in our heads for every action and conversation. Hence, whenever we hear or read a story, we like to relate it to one of our existing experiences (ref). When Paulo Coelho put “The Alchemist” out there on the internet, free for all to see, people then went out and bought it because they simply felt a connection to the story and needed it for themselves. It’s about being relatable. If people see value for themselves in a story they’ll put their money into it.
2. Opportunity to expand your network and gain popularity
During our time in Pai, Thailand, Dan became very interested in the booming music scene that seemed to surround us everywhere we went. So, one day he picked up his cajon and began playing around at different venues and open mic sessions, meeting many talented musicians along the way.
It wasn’t long until he’d collaborated with four other’s who felt as passionate about music as he did. They named themselves “The Pairates (see video)” and began playing a mixture of gypsy jazz, blues and funk around town.
One afternoon in rehearsal, Glen, one of the band members, shed a new light on what music meant to them. As each person went in for their solo he’d call out, “Okay, time to tell us your story!“. Instantly the band members transformed into storytellers. Instead of just playing their solo’s, they would put their heart and mind into connecting with the audience. This caught on with the people of Pai. They were the talk of the town and before long Dan, Jason and Alex (three members of The Pairats) had scored themselves a four night gig in Laos (free MP3).
As two band members could not make it to Laos they altered their name to “The Chesnut Trio” and told everyone they did and didn’t know about the upcoming show, face to face and through social media. They also formed a good relationship with the owner of the venue they were playing at, who then went on to gain sponsorship from a major bank and promote the gig around Luang Prabang.
The first night came along and the response was huge. Most of the audience was made up of the people the band had connected with at some point in Thailand or during the journey to Laos, as well as the people they had gone on to tell about it. The venue was brimming and the waiters were the busiest they’d ever been.
Again, they were the talk of the town. The same people were coming back each night, bringing others along with them to hear the stories that were being shared through the music. People were paying in tips to hear more and the restaurant was selling double the amount of beer. By night four, The Chesnut Trio had made connections with people from all over the world who were left with a memorable experience that they will go on to share further.
Becoming well known is the most valuable element in the connection process. By sharing your stories with the world, you are putting yourself out there and “marketing yourself, your uniqueness and what you stand for” – Christine Comaford-Lynch. Expanding your network could bring you a tonne of new opportunities, including exposure to fresh innovative ideas, business collaborations and employment prospects.
3. You can finally face your blog writing fears
A mother repeatedly called upstairs for her son to get up, get dressed and get ready for school. It was a familiar routine, especially at exam time.
“I feel sick,” said the voice from the bedroom.
“You are not sick. Get up and get ready,” called the mother, walking up the stairs and hovering outside the bedroom door.
“I hate school and I’m not going,” said the voice from the bedroom, “I’m always getting things wrong, making mistakes and getting told off. Nobody likes me, and I’ve got no friends. We also have too many tests and they are too confusing. It’s all just pointless, and I’m not going to school ever again.”
“I’m sorry, but you are going to school,” said the mother through the door, continuing encouragingly, “Really, mistakes are how we learn and develop. Please try not to take criticism so personally. Also, I can’t believe that nobody likes you – you have lots of friends at school. Yes, all those tests can be confusing, but we are all tested in many ways throughout our lives, so all of this experience at school is useful for life in general. Besides, you have to go, you are the headteacher.”
So, you’re not writing because you don’t have a story worth telling? Wrong. You hold a world of valuable knowledge within and there are people out there who seek it.
If its fear that’s holding you back from writing then ask yourself, what is it i’m really afraid of? Research suggests that denial of fear does not support courageous action, so by acknowledging what it is that you’re afraid of you can then choose to work through it (ref). Once you’ve acknowledged it, the most effective way to banish fear is to repeatedly force yourself to face what you’re afraid of. This repeated exposure lowers the psychological fear response until it is more manageable or in some cases gone. So get writing!
Readers want YOUR exclusive, original stories, making you extremely important to StoryV. Hop on board and give it a go. Honestly, what’s the worst that could happen? It’s all experience at the end of the day!
4.You have the power to transform lives – what goes around comes around
One day a man saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.
Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn’t look safe; he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was those chills which only fear can put in you. He said, “I’m here to help you, ma’am. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.”
Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.
As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn’t thank him enough for coming to her aid.
Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.
He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, “And think of me.”
He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.
A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn’t erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan.
After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin.
There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: “You don’t owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do, do not let this chain of love end with you.” Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.
Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard… She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, “Everything’s going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.”
Your story has the power to transform lives and though you may not hear it, there will be people out there thanking you for it. What goes around comes around. By putting your stories out there and helping others, you’ll attract many new opportunities that could have the power to transform your life as well. Wouldn’t it be nice to know that you are making a positive difference in the world?
Convinced?
