Caren Johnson Literary Agency

By Terri Clark

As authors we tend to be very focused on selling our books, but we sometimes forget to sell ourselves. Public speaking is a great way to promote your strongest commodity…you. By addressing an audience you become more than just a name on a book cover. You foster a sense of familiarity and kinship, which makes people more likely to want to check out your work—especially if you don’t make your speech/workshop/program an ill-disguised commercial about you and your books. That kind of approach fools no one. When you address a crowd you want to give them something of value. If you’re speaking to a group of writers maybe it’s sharing a unique way to plot a story. If it’s a women’s group, maybe you talk about having faith in your dreams. If it’s a school visit, perhaps you explain the publishing process. Whatever your angle, make sure the audience walks away feeling as if they’ve gained some special insight. It’s good to give samples of your own work and draw attention to yourself, but don’t make that your primary goal. Your goal should be to strip away the veil between you and your readers. By showing yourself as a genuine, accessible person willing to share your experiences you gain trust and that’s the first step in building a relationship. And as an author that’s what you want from your readers, a relationship that will continually bring them back to you and your work. You don’t want them to read just one of your books; you want them to read ALL of them. Reaching out to audiences allows you to create a mutually beneficial alliance.

As for the audiences themselves, they can be anybody and everybody. You can tailor make your workshops to fit any audience. Schools, libraries, churches, clubs, business organizations, women’s groups, alumni…the list is endless. Use your unique experiences and expertise as a foot in the door. Are you a knitter? Talk to a knitting group. Tell ghost stories? Visit a paranormal society. Self defense expert? Give a demonstration to a writers group. You get the idea. Then go further. Do you have a specialized subject in your book—archaeology, special needs children, genetics, etc? Speak to a correlating association. Have you accomplished something rare and wonderful? For instance, I have a friend who can boast about being the first female safe cracker in Colorado. That’s a great attention getter! Take what sets you apart and use that as a hook. Just as we need a great opening hook to start our stories, you should have a hook when selling yourself as a speaker. If you’re not sure what your selling points are ask a friend. Oftentimes they can see things in you that you tend to overlook.

Lastly, enjoy yourself. If you have a good time giving your presentation, your audience will have a good time listening to it. Energy and enthusiasm are contagious. Engage your audience as much as possible so they feel a part of things. No one wants to be talked at, they want to be spoken with. Hopefully you’ll find that public speaking is not only a great way to promote yourself, but a way to enrich yourself with the connections you make.

www.terriclarkbooks.com