Professional public speakers have long known that organizations with training budgets view a book as an excellent indicator of expertise and topic knowledge.

I discovered this, too, when my humor book, WHY CAN’T A MAN BE MORE LIKE A WOMAN?, was released a couple of decades ago. Fortune 500 corporations that included Corning, Kraft, and Xerox invited me to speak, as did organizations that needed a light-hearted, upbeat keynote speaker.

I was happy to oblige and accept flattering fees to speak at sales meetings, conferences, and women’s events.

Speaking doubled my book income

So…when my publisher released Publicity for Nonprofits: Generating Media Exposure That Leads to Awareness, Growth, and Contributions, my book marketing plan included securing paid speaking engagements that would allow me to:

• Provide nonprofits with information they could use immediately to generate publicity
• Sell books
• Leverage the book to earn more

In addition to meeting all three goals, my speaking income was a little more than the advance I received to write the book. Clearly, the time it took to pursue paid speaking opportunities was well worth it for me.

Benefits of being an author who’s a public speaker

Is it worth it for you? Here are five reasons to consider being an author who’s a public speaker, even if you focus on doing it locally rather than outside your home base:

1. You can earn more from your book as a public speaker.

Sure, you can – and should – accept unpaid speaking gigs offered by local groups or association conferences. But why limit yourself to unpaid opportunities? Why not take that experience to organizations that have money to pay speakers?

What’s more, most organizations that invite authors to speak both want and expect authors to have books available for purchase. It’s why publishers like to see public speaking in the marketing sections of book proposals. Speaking equals book sales.

The mechanics of that vary according to the situation. Some events are large enough that organizers arrange to bring a local bookstore onsite to handle sales.

In other situations, you will need to bring, sell, and sign the books yourself. (When that’s the case, always ask your host to provide a volunteer who collects money while you sign books.)

In addition, in some situations, event organizers purchase enough books to give one to every attendee. Sound appealing?

2. You can share your message with more people when you’re a public speaker.

You have something to say, right? That’s why you wrote the book. Speaking lets you present your core messages in person.

But it’s more than that. People in the audience can share their messages, insights, and stories with you, too.

When I spoke about the lighter side of gender differences (the subject of my first book), men and women alike would share funny stories with me afterwards. It’s the best kind of content research!

3. It can lead to more and often better paying work.

Many consultants speak to generate leads. If you’ve got a book and you consult on its topic, public speaking can not only generate more speaking invitations at higher fees, it can also fill your inbox with requests for information about your professional services.

To help seed this, be sure you have useful handouts that supplement your presentation. Brand them and add your contact information. Include a link to a free digital download – a lead magnet – that will let them add themselves to your email list.

4. It supports your expert positioning.

If you wrote a book, you’re considered an expert on its topic.

This applies to all types of authors – from nonfiction writers to novelists to memoirists. (Think about all the research you did for your novel. You learned a lot, didn’t you?) When you add “public speaker” to your list of credentials, you further underscore that expert status.

Expert positioning, in turn, opens you up to media interviews that generate publicity, more invitations to speak, and higher consulting and speaking fees.

5. Your fans want to hear from you.

Whether they deserve it or not, authors are admired by non-authors.

For reasons that I struggle to understand, many think authors are “cool.” And people like to hear what cool people have to say. Oblige them.

via GIPHY

This in-person connection is especially important with memoirists. Because your story is personal, readers welcome a chance to learn more about you in person.

It’s those personal connections that solidify relationships and create loyal fans, too.

How to get started as a public speaker

To get started, identify local groups you’d like to speak to. This is essential if you don’t have much experience.

Groups you belong to should be at the top of your list. Identify groups that reach your audience and check their websites for their meeting schedules.

The daily and/or weekly newspaper calendar of events will give you others, as will Google (try searching for “community events calendar [your city,state]”).

If you’d like to speak nationally, target the local chapters of national associations so you get some practice in front of that group – and some possible recommendations for the national conference. Industry conferences usually have a call for proposals on their websites you’ll need to complete and submit.

For instruction on how to become an author who speaks, see Module 4 of of my two courses, Book Marketing 101 for Nonfiction and Book Marketing 101 for Fiction.

I know that public speaking isn’t an option for every author. You’ll do fine without this tactic in your book marketing plan.

For others, it might be time to step over the wall that’s held you back so far, especially now that there are fewer COVID-19-related restrictions. If you’ve never experienced it before, you might be surprised by the benefits and possibilities being a public speaker will bring to your author experience.

If you speak about your book’s topic, how do you usually get your speaking engagements?

(Editor’s note: This article was first published in March 2011. It has been updated and expanded.)

Because many of her friends have influence with people the course is designed to help, I suggested she start by asking those friends to help spread the word. It’s a quick and easy way to begin moving forward.

But piggybacking onto someone else’s platform can – and should – involve far more than asking friends for support. The process is all about cross-promotion and collaboration.

How to leverage someone else’s network

It’s a smart strategy if you want to sell more books or other products, build an email list, or increase your social media follower count.

Here are eight ways to use the power of someone else’s network to reach your book marketing goals.

1. Do an Instagram takeover.

With an Instagram takeover, you literally take over someone’s Instagram account, posting your content instead of theirs. Create Instagram Stories and posts, or go live.

Keep in mind that this needs to be a mutually beneficial opportunity. Your host – perhaps another author in your genre – wants to know that you:

• Have an engaged audience that you’ll bring with you
• Will deliver quality, relevant content
• Will promote the takeover to your network

Keep the momentum going by arranging for your host to take over your account the following week.

2. Propose a newsletter swap.

A newsletter swap is a smart way to leverage someone else’s network while building relationships with others who reach your ideal readers.

With a newsletter swap, you and the influencer agree to promote each other’s books, programs, or products in your email newsletters.

I’ve got the how-to details in “How to do an author newsletter swap.”

3. Be a podcast guest.

Being any kind of guest is a great way to expand your reach, but I consider a podcast interview to be one of the easiest. Just show up and talk about something you know a lot about.

You’ll want to be thoughtful about what you say, of course. I always recommend working to communicate two or three key messages when you’re interviewed. Write them down ahead of time, and find ways to work each in at least once during the conversation.

Be sure to read “Message development: Know what you want to say and how to say it” first.

Support the podcast by promoting your appearance to your network so this is a win-win for all – you reach the podcast’s audience, but you also introduce your connections to the podcaster and their show.

4. Guest blog.

If you been hanging around here with me for a while, you know I’m a fan of guest blogging for several reasons.

When you write an article for someone else’s site, you’re providing an opportunity for your ideal readers to sample your writing.

via GIPHY

In addition, your host will most likely include a link to your book on Amazon or another retail site as part of your short guest blogger bio. (Learn the other reasons I love guest blogging in “4 reasons to embrace guest blogging.”)

Be careful to deliver a quality article that you’ve edited and carefully proofread. This isn’t an opportunity to “phone it in.” This should be a showpiece, not something you did so you could cross it off a list.

Get tips for being the best guest blogger ever in my free Guest Blogging Cheat Sheet.

5. Speak at a virtual or in-person summit.

via GIPHY

I do this once or twice a year, and I’m increasingly particular about the events I speak at so that I can maximize my time and reach.

I like to speak at events featuring other presenters who I’m fairly confident will promote the event to their networks.

When all speakers share summit news with their followers, everyone benefits. When they don’t, people in their networks aren’t exposed to helpful presentations and speakers, and other presenters don’t expand their reach and influence.

Speaking at a summit and offering free downloadable tips to attendees is one of the best ways I have for building my email list.

I usually create a new advice-packed “lead magnet” related to my presentation topic and require people to provide their email address to download it. They get bonus how-to information and my free, weekly, book marketing newsletter, and I can help more authors with articles like this one.

(Get fiction lead magnet ideas here and nonfiction ideas here.)

6. Bring well-connected people to your audience.

Do you have a blog or a podcast? Do you love using Facebook or Instagram Live? Invite influencers and others who share your audience to be your guest.

This helps you create quality content your followers will appreciate while your guest brings their audience to you, even while they’re connecting with yours.

Expand the impact by providing your guests with event text and images they can use to promote their guest appearances both before and after the events.

7. Get publicity.

Publicity – news media exposure – is the OG of audience leveraging.

Pre-social media, using publicity strategies to reach news outlets’ readers, viewers, and listeners was one of the only ways you could piggyback onto another’s platform.

Why should you work to reach audiences served by newspapers, magazines, radio and TV stations, and content sites? Publicity will help you:

• Get discovered
• Be seen as an authority and expert
• Sell more books
• Appeal to libraries and bookstores
• Expand your platform

Because I’m a national award-winning former publicist, I’ve written about publicity quite a bit on this site. Scroll through the articles here, and be sure to register for my author publicity course, “Get Quoted: A Journalist’s Strategies for Using HARO to Snag Book Publicity.”

8. Propose a joint venture.

The dictionary defines a joint venture as “a commercial enterprise undertaken jointly by two or more parties which otherwise retain their distinct identities.”

For us, it’s a mutually beneficial arrangement where you partner equally with someone else to achieve a common goal.

Let’s go back to my friend’s situation. If her course is designed for people like you – my audience – she could propose that I host a free training with her that teaches something helpful and previews the course.

We agree that in exchange for access to my audience, we will split the income she earns from course registrations generated by our joint event. She expands her reach, I provide you with useful free training, and we’ve both earned something in the process.

That’s a solid joint venture.

Which of these options works for you?

You’re better suited to some of these than others, right? If you don’t have a blog or podcast, you won’t be inviting people to write for you and you won’t be interviewing them on air.

But if you’re killing it on Instagram, a takeover there might become your new best tactic. Love talking about the writing craft or your book’s topic? Look into being a podcast guest.

It doesn’t matter how many of these you’re willing to explore. What matters is that you pick at least one – just one – and learn how to make it happen. You’ll move in the right direction – forward!

Which of these works best for you already? Which one are you going to try now? Please tell us in a comment.

The organizations contacting him didn’t have speaker budgets, but they hoped they could compensate for that by making it possible for him to sell books after his presentation.

He wasn’t sure that was enough of an incentive for the time involved.

It’s a business decision

I can relate.

After my humor book that explained male behavior to women, WHY CAN’T A MAN BE MORE LIKE A WOMAN?, was published, women’s groups all over the country asked me to speak at their meetings. Because of the time and expense involved with traveling long distances, I could only present to organizations with a budget for travel expenses, at a minimum.

It was a business decision. The investment involved was greater than the potential reward.

On the other hand, I happily accepted all invitations to speak within 90 miles regardless of the budget because doing so served more than one purpose.

First, they gave me opportunities to sell books to women hungry for what I could offer. In addition, I always learned from audience members when I asked them to share their stories and experiences.

What’s right for you?

I can understand any author’s reluctance to spend time on unpaid speaking engagements, even if they’re local.

There really isn’t a right or wrong answer in this situation.

You have to do what’s best for your career. What works for me, and what works for the author I mentioned who expected to be paid, might not work for you.

Even so, I encouraged the author in the group to be open to speaking for free.

Here are five reasons why.

1. Unpaid gigs often lead to paid gigs.

I’m Exhibit A for this.

A Fortune 500 company headquartered near where I live paid me to be the keynote speaker at an employee conference because several people on the planning committee heard me speak for free locally.

This happened after the book my presentations were based on had been out of print for almost a decade! Still, they remembered me and tracked me down. And, with my permission, the organizers scanned and reprinted my book, giving a copy to each of the 300-plus attendees.

I was well-paid and had a great time with a group of smart, fun, and engaged women.

2. Presentations can generate book sales and consulting income.

When I had several traditionally published books in print, I bought them at a discount from the publisher and sold them when I spoke. I always earned enough to make it worth my time.

In addition, the speaker, media spokesperson, and consulting fees I earned from my book on the lighter side of gender differences have far exceeded what the publisher paid me to write it.

That also applies to the speaking fees I earned from my third book, Publicity for Nonprofits.

3. You can expand your “database” of anecdotes and get new perspectives on your topic from your audiences.

One reason I get my audience involved in presentations is that I learn from them. They enhance my knowledge of the topic and how it’s relevant to them.

And, when I was still speaking regularly on the lighter side of gender differences, I always came away with pages of funny anecdotes I could use in my radio interviews.

When I talk about book promotion topics at writers’ conferences, I ask attendees to tell me about their struggles so that I can continue to provide them with relevant, helpful information in my newsletter, on this blog, and in training programs.

4. You will expand your reach.

Most of us write books to entertain, educate, or inform, whether we’re novelists or nonfiction writers. We can’t do that unless people are exposed to our books or how we think.

There is no better way to do this than by engaging with people face-to-face.

People support those they know, like, and trust. Connecting with your target audience in person helps you get to know each other better.

5. Speaking for free gives you the experience you need to become a paid speaker.

If you’re not already an accomplished speaker, you have to start somewhere, right?

Meeting planners who aren’t paying you a fee are far more forgiving than those who have written you a check, so use unpaid engagements to practice your presentation and speaking skills. (And be sure to read Betsy Fasbinder’s guest post here, “6 things every author can do to captivate an event audience.”)

You will also discover what works and what doesn’t with your audience. You’ll see when your attempts at humor fall flat, or when people start taking notes because what you’re saying is so important they want to make sure they don’t forget it.

Get feedback

To transition from speaking for free to speaking for a fee, use feedback from the audience to help you improve.

When I first started speaking locally, I always tried to plant an honest (and gentle) friend in the audience to give me feedback about my content and how I presented it.

I’ll never forget the input from one of them after my first-ever presentation on the lighter side of gender differences. She was appropriately honest, explaining why a different approach to my content was a good idea.

I was a little embarrassed, but I was also grateful. She was right.

Ask the organizer to share results of the speaker evaluation forms with you, too. Anonymous feedback is often the best kind.  (Pro tip: Toss out the best and worst evaluations and focus on what’s in between.)

Give it a try

Even if none of these reasons resonates with you, I hope you’ll be open to speaking for free.

You might find that what you receive in terms of information or connections is worth more than an honorarium of any amount. I certainly have.

Do you speak for free? Why or why not?

(Editor’s note: This article was first published in October 2013. It has been updated and expanded.)

I had no way of knowing when I signed the contract months before that my father’s funeral in my hometown 120 miles away would be the day before.

Tucking my grief and exhaustion aside for that presentation was probably one of the toughest things I’ve done professionally. Public speaking requires focus and energy, and I was just plain worn out.

Several things helped me do the best I could under the circumstances.

First, my client acknowledged my loss with a lovely flower arrangement and a warm hug. She and her colleagues discreetly explained the reason for the flowers to guests over eggs and home fries.

Second, I knew I was being paid to deliver a professional presentation. My client had a right to expect quality content presented appropriately.

Finally, I don’t like to disappoint. So I did the best I could that morning.

From Page to Stage

I was reminded of this challenging situation while reading Betsy Graziani Fasbinder’s new book, From Page to Stage: Inspiration, Tools, and Public Speaking Tips for Writers.

In Chapter 16, she discusses why she believes “presence” is “the most important delivery skill of all.” Fasbinder says presence “is about being fully attuned emotionally, intellectually, and physically in the moment . . . .”

I agree. That’s why I wanted to be truly present for this group when speaking the day after my father’s funeral.

It wasn’t the only part of Fasbinder’s book that resonated with me, though. Some sections triggered more memories (including the time I wish I had handled a question from the audience better). Others reminded me of areas where I can improve.

What will you find in Fasbinder’s book?

What’s in this thorough and well-written book for you?

So much!

Here are some of the things that stand out for me in From Page to Stage as I think about what you might find most helpful.

• It covers far more than speaking before an audience at a book signing or at a conference. Fasbinder helps readers see how what she teaches can be applied when pitching an agent, being interviewed by the press or a podcaster, or presenting at a virtual summit.
• There’s useful information for authors and writers at all levels. New to public speaking? Read every page. Are you a veteran presenter? I’ll bet you’ll be intrigued by the story map in Chapter 4.
• Need strategies for getting your audience to tune out the world and truly listen to what you’re saying? Use a few of the “spellbinders” in Chapter 7.
• Chapter 18 details the LEAD approach to answering difficult questions, whether they’re from the audience or a reporter. (LEAD is the acronym for listen, empathize, answer, and detail.)
• You’ll learn how to handle “that guy.” You know who “that guy” is. He — or she — is the person who takes the microphone and starts sharing . . . and sharing . . . and sharing what he knows so others know he knows. Or the woman who asks a question that’s unrelated to the presentation topic. Or the contrarian who wants to argue.
• The anecdotes, examples, and author’s experiences bring life and energy to a how-to topic. I felt like I was getting advice from Fasbinder over lattes at Starbucks.
• The book’s format includes the kinds of special features that I love to see in prescriptive nonfiction. She offers “mental shifts” that encourage readers to challenge presumptions. “Make it stick” sections feature writing exercises along with speaking examples you will want to look up online.
• If you want to read from your book at an event, you’ll learn how to select what to read plus how to include it in your presentation.

More on book clubs, please

I would have liked to have seen more on speaking to book clubs either in person or virtually. Fasbinder only touches on them, even though they’re a big part of the speaking lineup for many authors.

In addition, like most authors except me, Fasbinder refers to book-related presentations as “talks.”

That word feels demeaning to me.

When you go to the trouble of preparing a compelling presentation that’s related to your book, you’re giving a full-blown presentation, not a talk. I’d like to see authors use “talk” less and select a replacement word with more gravitas.

I also want to encourage pragmatic souls to see past references like those where we’re asked to get our hearts ready for speaking. That seems a little “touchy-feely” to me. It’s appropriate for my yoga instructor but maybe less so for a book on the business side of authorship.

From Page to Stage: Inspiration, Tools, and Public Speaking Tips for Writers is a public speaking master class for authors. Whether you’re a beginner or just looking to up your game, you’ll find what you need in this new book.

, published just this week. Watch this space in coming weeks for my book review. Learn more about Betsy on her website.

6 things every author can do to captivate an event audience

By Betsy Graziani Fasbinder  

Speaking in public is one of the best ways to give our books and ideas their biggest chance of success.

Whether your agenda for any single event is to celebrate, inspire, educate, or entertain, captivating your listeners is your method for achieving it.

If this sounds familiar, it should. Isn’t that the goal of every book or story you write? You want to gain the attention of readers from page one, and keep it for the duration of the story, giving them a satisfying experience, and leaving them wishing for more pages from you. You want to pull them out of their world and into yours.

That’s exactly what a dynamic, engaging author talk should do.

But how? 

How can authors captivate their listeners during book launches, subject matter presentations, podcasts, media interviews, and one-on-one conversations?

The following six elements are essential if you want to capture and cultivate the attention of listeners. 

1. Think of your talk as a conversation, not a performance. 

Much of the “stage fright” I’ve encountered about public speaking arises from the feeling that to speak in public is to give a performance that feels unnatural.

If you change your mindset to think of your talk as a conversation—even an intimate conversation—rather than a stage performance, you’re tapping into a skill you use every day, and one at which you’re likely highly skilled in.

The best talks I’ve delivered, and the best ones I’ve seen, are not soaring oratory; they are intimate, vulnerable, candid, natural conversations. Sometimes this means that there is a literal conversation, where audience members ask questions or voice their ideas. But a talk can be a conversation even when the audience is silent.

2. Shrink your audience down to one. 

A mental shift that makes a huge difference in engaging your listeners is thinking of your talk not only as a conversation, but as a series of one-on-one conversations with each person in your audience.

During an in-person presentation, whether you have five or 500 listeners, if you try to talk to all of them at once, with your eyes scanning and darting over the crowd, you’ll make no intimate connections at all. In fact, you can appear panicky, or worse, dishonest. (Think of what the term “shifty-eyed” means.)

Instead, focus your eye contact and linger on one person at a time, for just a few seconds each. Make a visual connection. Then, move your eyes to another listener. Do this in a random, unpredictable pattern.

If this sounds odd, observe how you might tell a story to guests at a large table during a dinner party. It’s the most natural way. Eye contact helps listeners feel included and engaged.

3. Use your storytelling skills.  

Why do writers so often forget their storytelling skills when they speak in public?

The trick is to remember to use conflict, point of view, metaphor, suspense, and other devices in your spoken word as you do in your written pieces.

If you think of your presentation as a story, rather than as a speech, you’ll feel more natural and in your element. Sure, you can convey information, but do so through compelling storytelling, vivid sensory details, and all of the tools that you know to hook readers and keep them hooked.

4. Choose to be “present” rather than “perfect.”  

Writers (like lots of folks) often dislike public speaking; some find the mere idea of it horrifying. My theory is that writers are used to having the opportunity to polish their prose before others read their work. When we speak, there’s no edit function, no cut-and-paste, no find-and-replace so that we can instantly rearrange our words.

Many writers I’ve worked with get so wrapped up in trying to make their spoken words perfect that they forget to be present. Being “present” is the idea of being wholly in the moment with your listeners in a spontaneous and natural way.

If you’re “present,” connected with listeners through eye contact and storytelling, and not stiffly delivering a perfectly memorized talk, they’ll forgive imperfections. They’ll likely not notice the small errors that we all inevitably make, and they’ll even forgive bigger errors if you have a bit of grace and a sense of humor about them.

Your natural, authentic presence captivates an audience far more than any perfectly delivered content ever will.

5. Say less and be remembered more. 

Whether it’s nervous chatter, lack of preparation, or simply trying to pack too much information into too little time, lots of speakers say way too much at their events. They speak in rapid-fire and barely breathe between thoughts.

Embrace silence as an important element of your talk.

Silence in a spoken story is like the white space and punctuation we use in our written stories. Without the spaces, the story stops being a story and instead is just a bunch of words.

Shorten your sentences. Let silence linger after you’ve spoken an important, emotional, or even funny idea so that it can soak in and your listeners can visualize what you’re saying.

I always suggest that a speaker should prepare content for no more than about two-thirds of the time they’re given. For a 30-minute talk, prepare only 20 minutes of content. Time yourself as you practice so you know how long it will take.

By not over-packing, and using silence as part of your talk, your listeners are far more likely to absorb and retain what you say. They will walk away feeling more connected to you and your ideas.

6. Let your heart show. 

When I go to author events, or listen to an author interview on the radio or a podcast, it’s because I want to know the story behind the story. I love learning about the original inspiration for a book or the horrible working title that preceded the final one.

Everyone loves gaining a special connection with authors they love and learning little secrets that make the book that much more fascinating. Let your listeners know and connect to the person behind the pages.

It’s not easy

Engaging and captivating listeners is no small task.

Because writers already know the importance of doing this in their written work, they’re at a huge advantage if they use their skills during spoken presentations.

By having an intimate, candid conversation with listeners, letting them in on a bit of who you are, and being “present” during your talks, you’ll engage their hearts and imaginations. You’ll captivate audience members who become readers, fans, and super fans.

While Talk Up Your Book: How to Sell Your Book Through Public Speaking, Interviews, Signings, Festivals, Conferences, and More draws primarily on Fry’s experiences as an author, it includes interviews with me and many other authors who talk about their books in an effort to reach key audience with their messages.

It’s a comprehensive manual useful for any author who wants to use public speaking to boost awareness, but isn’t sure where to begin. In my experience, many authors struggle with figuring out where they might speak, how to generate invitations to speak, and then what to say when they are invited. This book helps with all of that — and more.

I think some of the most valuable information is in the first few chapters, when Fry explains how to get started (we all agree that it’s smart to start locally), where to look for speaking opportunities, and, most importantly, how to pursue those opportunities. She includes a sample speaking engagement “pitch” letter from a novelist looking to do presentations that can serve as an excellent template for just about any author.

Learn how to get results at book festivals

One of my favorite sections addresses how to prepare for book festivals. As anyone who has done before this knows, there’s a real good chance that you’ll arrive at the event without something important, whether it’s a receipt pad or your favorite book signing pen. Fry makes sure that doesn’t happen by explaining what to expect, how to handle yourself, and what to bring for a successful event.

The book is organized so that you can find just the content you need — whether it’s figuring out what you want to say or learning how to get on the platform at a conference — without reading the whole book if you don’t have time for that.

If you want to know more about what’s involved with talking publicly about your book, whether it’s at a bookstore, the local Kiwanis club’s monthly meeting, or a conference or tradeshow, read this book. Fry is thoughtful and thorough as she walks you through the process of learning how to do it and understanding what to expect.

Author Patricia Fry offers a great deal of advice for authors who want to speak in Talk Up Your Book. What advice would you offer authors who want to talk about their book’s topic in public?