What Type of Stories Sell the Most (And Why It Matters)

The undeniable power of emotional storytelling

Honestly, if you’ve ever cried during a Pixar movie or binge-watched an entire Netflix series just to see what happens to that one character, you already get it. Emotional stories sell. Period.

Why emotions drive engagement

I once pitched this startup founder a super detailed, data-rich article. He skimmed it and said, “Cool, but I didn’t feel anything.” Ouch. So I rewrote the same piece with a real story about a founder who lost everything, and bam—huge engagement. Turns out, people remember how you made them feel, not just what you told them.

There’s actual science behind this, too. Neuroscientist Paul Zak found that character-driven emotional stories increase oxytocin, which boosts empathy and connection. More connection = more sales.

What kind of emotions sell?

• Inspiration (think: overcoming massive odds)

• Relatability (awkward first dates, career mess-ups, family drama)

• Suspense (cliffhangers are not just for fiction)

• Hope (this one’s big in health, wellness, and self-help content)

Pfff, sometimes I feel like marketers are just undercover therapists.

Real stories > perfect ones

You know what doesn’t sell? Perfection. People see through polished BS faster than ever. It’s why influencers who show their mess, their breakouts, their fails — they build loyal audiences. (Well, as long as it doesn’t look fake messy… you know what I mean.)

Vulnerability sells better than polish

Last year, I shared this story about a project I completely tanked. I was terrified to post it. But the response? Wild. More leads, more DMs, more real conversations than any “win” I’d ever shared.

It’s like my friend Chloe told me over coffee: “Your mess-up made me trust you more. Like, finally someone’s not pretending.”

So yeah — don’t underestimate the power of saying: I messed up, here’s what I learned.

Genre matters... but not as much as voice

Okay, let’s talk types. You’re probably wondering, but what kind of stories exactly sell best? Depends on the context, but there are patterns.

Fiction: Romance, Thriller, and Fantasy dominate

Data from Amazon and Goodreads consistently shows:

• Romance leads in digital sales (especially self-published ebooks)

• Thrillers are huge in audio format — suspense keeps listeners hooked

• Fantasy thrives when there's deep world-building + emotionally complex characters

But here's the kicker: even in those genres, what really sells is the voice. I’ve seen mediocre plots blow up because the voice felt so damn real. Like the author was whispering it to you.

Non-fiction: Transformation sells

Self-help, business, memoir — the bestsellers always promise one thing: change. They tell stories that make the reader think, “That could be me.”

Example? "Can’t Hurt Me" by David Goggins. Brutal, raw, no sugarcoating — and readers eat it up. Not because it’s perfectly written, but because it punches you in the gut.

The pacing, the hook, the “WTF” moment

Well, here’s where things get a bit tricky. Even great stories flop if they’re boringly told.

Start with a bang (or at least a question)

You’ve got maybe five seconds to hook someone. So don’t start with background fluff. Hit them with tension, curiosity, or some weird twist.

Like: “I lost $80,000 in 3 months—and I’d do it again.”
You have to read on, right?

Keep the stakes high

Whether it’s a fictional dragon or real-life burnout, the stakes need to matter. If nothing changes, if no one grows or fails or risks something… meh. Nobody cares.

Actually, I used to think a “nice story” was enough. It’s not. Stakes are the soul.

Final thoughts (and a few doubts)

Honestly, I still second-guess myself when writing stories. “Is this too much? Too personal? Too weird?” But every time I lean into that discomfort — the kind of stuff you’d only tell a close friend — that’s when the magic happens.

So what type of stories sell the most?
The ones that make us feel, relate, and remember.
Not the most polished. Not the most complex. Just... the most human.

And hey — if you’re not sure what kind of story to tell, start with something true. Something that still makes you feel something. That’s usually the one that works.

Is 165 cm normal for a 15 year old?

The predicted height for a female, based on your parents heights, is 155 to 165cm. Most 15 year old girls are nearly done growing. I was too. It's a very normal height for a girl.

Is 160 cm too tall for a 12 year old?

How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).

How tall is a average 15 year old?

Average Height to Weight for Teenage Boys - 13 to 20 Years

How to get taller at 18?

Staying physically active is even more essential from childhood to grow and improve overall health. But taking it up even in adulthood can help you add a few inches to your height. Strength-building exercises, yoga, jumping rope, and biking all can help to increase your flexibility and grow a few inches taller.

Is 5.7 a good height for a 15 year old boy?

Generally speaking, the average height for 15 year olds girls is 62.9 inches (or 159.7 cm). On the other hand, teen boys at the age of 15 have a much higher average height, which is 67.0 inches (or 170.1 cm).

Can you grow between 16 and 18?

Most girls stop growing taller by age 14 or 15. However, after their early teenage growth spurt, boys continue gaining height at a gradual pace until around 18. Note that some kids will stop growing earlier and others may keep growing a year or two more.

Can you grow 1 cm after 17?

Even with a healthy diet, most people's height won't increase after age 18 to 20. The graph below shows the rate of growth from birth to age 20. As you can see, the growth lines fall to zero between ages 18 and 20 ( 7 , 8 ). The reason why your height stops increasing is your bones, specifically your growth plates.