Do you attend local author events? You really should, when you get the chance. I heard three authors who are on totally different paths speak at a luncheon yesterday. It is always inspiring and interesting to hear how others approach writing\u2014how their journey to authorship began, where it has led them and where it is likely to take them in the future. <\/p>\n
I am reminded that there is no one off-ramp for everyone. And, while professionals like me try to teach hopeful authors the right way to discover publishing success, there are those who are living that success without having experienced the hardships and the disappointments. Are these people simply more patient, more tenacious and, perhaps, lucky?<\/p>\n
I invite your take on this subject\u2014post your views in the comments section here:<\/p>\n
In the meantime, I promised you an example of a tip list. Here it is? I might send this to magazines for corporate managers, business owners or college students, for example.<\/p>\n
Do you dread standing up before your peers? Are you timid about speaking in front of a group Do your presentations lack luster? Here are seven tips that will help you be a better speaker:<\/p>\n
1: Be prepared. Know your subject and spend time organizing it so it flows.<\/p>\n
2: Develop a strong and pleasant speaking voice. If you need to, hire a voice coach. You can retrain your voice.<\/p>\n
3: Learn to speak up so you can be heard. Mumbling isn\u2019t cool. <\/p>\n
4: Use vocal variety. Hone this skill by reading to children\u2014use your voice in all of its ranges. Another effective and fun way to develop vocal variety is by joining a storytelling group .<\/p>\n
5: Eliminate filler words and phrase such as \u201cuhm,\u201d \u201cer,\u201d \u201cyou know,\u201d etc. Avoid connecting sentence after sentence using \u201cand.\u201d It takes practice to change these bad habits, but you can do it. Start by eliminating them from your everyday conversations. Practice, practice.<\/p>\n
6: If you are required to read something in public, practice reading it over and over again. Most of us do not come across as natural when we read before a group. This is a skill that needs to be honed. <\/p>\n
7: Join a local Toastmasters Club and participate often in order to improve upon your public speaking and communication skills.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the long and the short of a tip list. The point is to offer something of use in a brief list of tips to a segment of people\u2014most often, it is the audience for your book. At the end of the tip list, you would type a brief bio. For this tip list, I might write, \u201cPatricia Fry is the author of several books related to publishing and book promotion. She often speaks to large audiences on these topics. http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com<\/a> <\/p>\n