Yesterday\u2019s post featured one of the challenges public speakers face. You don\u2019t consider yourself a public speaker? If you have a book to promote (or you\u2019re working on one), I urge you, no matter how distasteful it seems, to get out there and talk to your readers (or potential readers).<\/p>\n
You can\u2019t sell a book that no one knows about. One way to spread the word is to go out and talk about it. <\/p>\n
I tell authors, \u201cTalk about your book everywhere you go.\u201d When Debbie Puente came out with her book, \u201cElegantly Easy Cr\u00e8me Brulee and other Custard Desserts,\u201d she did this and regularly made sales. She said, \u201cI sold books at the ball park, the grocery store\u2026 Everywhere I went, I\u2019d sell books.\u201d <\/p>\n
An author should also be relatively comfortable as a public speaker. I\u2019ve sold many books and have received great exposure from my numerous presentations. I speak at civic club and organization meetings and in public schools. I\u2019ve spoken before numerous writing\/publishing groups, at writers\u2019 conferences and I was the first woman keynote speaker at a Toastmasters convention in the Middle East some years ago. And then there are book signings. Sometimes authors are required to give informal presentations when they sign books at bookstores or other venues.<\/p>\n
If public speaking gives you noodle knees and sweaty palms, I recommend:<\/p>\n
\u2022\tJoin a Toastmasters Club. http:\/\/www.toastmasters.org<\/a> for the one nearest you.<\/p>\n \u2022\tJoin an organization of your choice and gain speaking experience by participating.<\/p>\n \u2022\tGet involved with a storytelling group.<\/p>\n \u2022\tHire a voice coach. (Generally listed under \u201cmusic teachers\u201d in the Yellow Pages)<\/p>\n \u2022\tObserve other speakers. Note what techniques work and which ones don\u2019t.<\/p>\n \u2022\tTake on leadership roles at work.<\/p>\n \u2022\tFind a mentor\u2014someone who\u2019s speaking abilities you admire.<\/p>\n If you are an author who is interested in honing your public speaking and communication skills and if you need help finding speaking gigs, writing a speech, participating in a successful interview, knowing how to handle audience questions, handling hecklers, protecting your speaking voice, giving more creative presentations, approaching program directors, getting invited to do radio shows and much, much more, \u201cTalk Up Your Book, How to Sell Your Book Through Public Speaking, Interviews, Signings, Festivals, Conferences and More.\u201d It\u2019s at Amazon.com in print, Kindle and audio and at most other online and downtown bookstores. Or order your copy here: http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/TalkUpYourBook.html<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Yesterday\u2019s post featured one of the challenges public speakers face. You don\u2019t consider yourself a public speaker? If you have a book to promote (or you\u2019re working on one), I urge you, no matter how distasteful it seems, to get out there and talk to your readers (or potential readers). You can\u2019t sell a book […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t