Our Process
From untold stories to lasting impact—how a book comes to life.
Who’s Involved?
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The Champion
A donor or foundation funding the project.
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The Sparrow
A community member whole story needs to be heard.
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The Storyteller
A nonprofit leader, advocate, or changemaker sharing their impact.
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The Ghostwriter
A writing expert developing, shaping, and crafting the story.
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The Publisher
A publishing partner ensuring professional production and distribution.
The Step-By-Step Process
Step 1: A Champion Funds the Book
Every story needs someone to help carry it forward. Champions—foundations, intermediary sector organizations, and individual donors—fund books that amplify lived experiences and hard-earned wisdom.
By funding a book, Champions:
Give voice to the unheard, ensuring vital stories reach those who need to hear them.
Scale positive impact, spreading solutions far beyond local communities.
Ignite action, because powerful stories can transform the world.
Step 2: The Storyteller Brings Their Wisdom
We work with nonprofit leaders, changemakers, and the people they serve—voices that hold insight, resilience, and solutions the world needs to hear.
Our storytellers include:
Nonprofit founders & advocates pioneering change
Community leaders & organizers on the frontlines of justice
Survivors & firsthand witnesses of inequity, resilience, and healing
Educators, healthcare workers, & social workers serving those often unseen
Their stories shed light on complex issues, build compassion, and challenge people to see the world differently.
Step 3: A Ghostwriter Brings the Book to Life
Writing a book takes time, skill, and care. Each storyteller is paired with an experienced ghostwriter who helps shape their message while honoring their voice.
Through deep collaboration, ghostwriters:
Clarify the book’s core idea, audience, purpose, and structure.
Conduct in-depth interviews to capture authentic insights.
Shape ideas into a compelling narrative that has the power to drive impact.
The result? A book that sparks conversations, preserves wisdom, and invites readers into the realities shaping our world.
Step 4: The Book Reaches the World
Once the manuscript is complete, sparrow·stories connects each Storyteller with a trusted publishing partner to bring the book to life—professionally and powerfully.
This strategic partner provides:
Copyediting & Proofreading – Ensuring clarity, polish, and precision.
Cover Design & Page Layout – Creating a beautiful, readable, and impactful book.
Distribution Support – Helping you get the book into the hands of the people who need it most.
Our Storytelling Approach
Stories take many forms, and the best structure depends on how the storyteller wants to share their wisdom. Here are some of the ways we bring these stories to life:
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Memoir
A deeply personal, narrative-driven book that brings readers into the storyteller’s lived experience—their struggles, victories, and the truth they carry.
Example: Whiskey Tender by Deborah Jackson Taffa—a powerful Native memoir weaving personal history, identity, and systemic injustice.
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Practical Guide & Playbook
A hands-on resource that equips leaders, advocates, and changemakers with actionable strategies to create meaningful change.
Example: Teaching with Poverty and Equity in Mind by Eric Jensen—a hopeful and research-based guide that explores how poverty affects learning, and how educators can respond with empathy, insight, and practical tools that help every child thrive.
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Thematic Essays
A book structured around a central theme, with each chapter offering a fresh perspective, insight, or lesson that deepens understanding.
Example: Soldiers and Kings by Jason De León—a groundbreaking work blending ethnography and essay to illuminate the human realities of migration and smuggling.
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Collective Storytelling
A book that weaves together multiple voices, sharing stories of struggle, resilience, and hope to create a powerful, shared narrative.
Example: High Rise Stories (Voice of Witness)—an oral history collection sharing the lived experiences of Chicago public housing residents, spotlighting injustice, community, and survival.
