Giving Speeches Helps Selling Books

Writers tend to be shy types, happy to hole up in basement offices, remote cabins or messy dens, turning down social invitations in favor of a computer and lots of coffee (or whiskey: ) Why on earth should they speak publicly?

How speaking can help your writing career:

• You will sell more books after your talk. Attending a writer’s conference as a speaker / expert is much better than attending as a participant. You get instant credibility, even before your work is examined.
• The more you speak, the better you get, and the better your speaking resume gets – the more writers’ conferences you will be invited to speak at.  Speakers are looked upon as subject matter experts, even if they aren’t.  Plus, you get to sit at the editors and agents’ table!
• Speaking enhances your author’s brand and extends the efforts you make through social media because your audience is very likely tweeting or blogging about the conference. Public speeches help even to promote your online platform.
• People who have heard you speak are more inclined to like you and your writing. There is a kind of celebrity involved with speaking. When you speak, no one else is talking; YOU are talking, and the audience listening. That dynamic illustrates a premise that you are someone important who can be learned from.  If you give out business cards or bookmarks with your information on it – blog site, Amazon book page, website – people will see it valuable, because you have been set apart as a VIP.

How do you achieve this desirable state of feeling comfortable when speaking publicly? 

Toastmaster’s for sample is a great way to learn this skill in a friendly, supportive way.  Everyone at the meetings is working to be a better speaker so you are in good company. After a few months of having a helpful, friendly group of people listening to and critiquing your speeches, heading out to a public forum will give you lots of confidence. The more you speak, the easier it gets. Isn’t it worth a try?

Get some encouragement with these videos: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtL8gTEuwvU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7i_H3epgd4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDnNZfGbNeE&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm1hCGWWwzc&feature=relmfu

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Hyper Smash

 

Scholarships for Writers Conferences

Photo Christl Walker

KACHEMAK BAY WRITERS’ CONFERENCE
http://writersconference.homer.alaska.edu/scholarships.htm

An early number of partial and full scholarships are available for application covering the $325 registration fee only. Transportation to and from Homer and conference activities, housing and incidentals are the recipient’s responsibility.

To apply, individuals must submit a letter describing why they want to attend the conference and the reasons for scholarship assistance need. Applications are due March 12. Applicants will be notified of their status by April 6.

OP-ED PROJECT SCHOLARSHIPS – SEMINARS
http://theopedproject.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=61&Itemid=76

Locations:  Washington DC, Boston MA, Los Angelos CA, San Francisco CA, New York City, Chicago IL.

We are committed to making The OpEd Project programs affordable for any woman who is committed to changing the world with her voice. To that end, we provide full and partial scholarships for up to 40% of participants in any seminar. Our scholarship protocol is as follows: We ask anyone requesting a scholarship to “pay in words” by sending us a request in writing telling us why the assistance is needed, what op-ed you are committed to writing, and how it will contribute to changing the world.

Found at Fundsforwriters