Taking Senior Academics to Trade Book Success in 9 Months or Less

Scholars to Storytellers helps academics bridge the gap between university presses and commercial publishing, turning specialized knowledge into books that reach mainstream audiences and transform careers.

We don't just edit manuscripts—we transform how academics think about their work, helping you find the compelling narrative within your research and develop the voice that agents and publishers seek.

Our selective approach means we only work with scholars whose ideas have genuine commercial potential, providing personalized guidance to navigate the unfamiliar terrain of trade publishing. From crafting proposals that sell to securing literary representation, we offer a direct pathway to bringing your expertise to mainstream audiences—without sacrificing intellectual integrity or scholarly credibility.

Founded by John Ghazvinian—historian, journalist and Knopf (PenguinRandomHouse) author—Scholars to Storytellers bridges the gap between academic expertise and commercial publishing success.

Featured Services

  • Coaching Packages

    From concept to agent-ready proposal, our tailored packages help you navigate every step of the trade publishing journey.

    Discover the Package for You

  • Campus Workshops

    Bring the art of public scholarship to your university with customized workshops for faculty and graduate students.

    Host a Workshop Today

  • Videos

    Learn the essentials of trade publishing with our video library to understand the fundamentals of securing an agent and commercial book deal.

    Explore Video Library

  • Blog

    Discover insights on navigating the journey from academic to trade publishing success.

    Read Latest Articles

  • “Life-changing.... Working with [Scholars to Storytellers] has fundamentally changed the trajectory of my career and has been nothing short of a godsend.”

    — Associate Professor, History

  • “A complete success! We found an agent very quickly and the extensive preparation we had with you helped us navigate this.”

    - Professor of History

  • “I feel very comfortable with the academic publication process, but the trade world was entirely new to me and I didn't know where to begin. [Scholars to Storytellers] was invaluable in demystifying the process.”

    — F H, Professor

  • “Within a couple of months we had a solid working draft of the book proposal, but more than that [Scholars to Storytellers] helped us figure out what the book was really ‘about.’ I can’t stress enough how valuable that was”

    - David Sepkoski, Professor, University of Illinois

READY TO REACH BEYOND THE ACADEMY?

Schedule your free strategy session to discuss your book concept and discover how we can help.