How A Published Author Can Become A Paid Public Speaker

A book is your golden ticket into the speaking business. If you had a book published by a "real" publisher within the last 12 months in your hands, you have the calling card you need to get those speaking engagements now.

Some authors-to-be and new authors have trouble figuring out precisely how to leverage that book into speaking. First, when the book is printed, ask the publisher for a few hundred copies of the cover, as "overrun." Usually you can have them free or at cost. They make large-sized, noticeable postcards to send to meeting planners to attract their attention.

Next, you want to get media. Radio, print, television appearances based on your book are all critical. Capture the name of the show, the host and the date you appeared and put it on your website, in your speaker's package, and in your file. Eventually, you will collect all of your TV clips and ask a professional video editor to combine it into an excellent montage. These will impress the heck out of a meeting planner and should be used liberally.

Now that you've got some ammo, and assuming you have a website touting your brilliance and your book, it's time to petition all those hapless meeting planners out there. Write letters, make phone calls, send post cards, follow up and be persistent.

You can buy a book of meeting planners in any industry online. Then, you make them your new friends. Go to their meetings. Hang out. Cold call them and be friendly.

I personally love cold calling. I also don't even notice rejection. I suggest you adopt my personality for a little while each day. In the speaker trainings I do, I make them all recite a mantra that will help their business. "The most important thing that I can do is make 12 calls between 10 and 2." That refers to the minimum I expect from a speaker-to-be. Make 12 calls each day to meeting planners, offer them you, a free copy of your book, send them a postcard thanking them for their time on the phone written on your book jacket cover, and make at least three follow up calls (or fewer if they tell you to quit calling.)

Make those 12 calls five days a week. Give them what they ask you for. If you do this, you will make 3,120 calls in a year. You will have gotten speaking engagements simply by the law of averages. Your investment of time will be small, but results can be huge.

Good luck!

(c) 2007, Keller Media, Inc. Want to use this article in your publication? Reprints welcome so long as the article and by-line are reprinted intact and all links made live.

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About Wendy Keller

Wendy Keller is a professional speaker, published author and book agent. Her company Fame Finders delivers a proven marketing, training and promotion system to help successful people become famous authors and professional speakers. Her system provides a clear competitive advantage for successful individuals who are now ready to lead the field. If you're ready to become a thought leader and famous speaker visit http://www.famefinders.com today.


And here is another random article you might be interested in...

Dealing With Stress in Our Overworked Lives

As small business owners, we often take on more than we can handle. Wearing all the hats running our businesses, as well as the other commitments we have (i.e. volunteer work, family, etc.), can sometimes leave us feeling overworked, frustrated, and stressed out.

Being under so much stress is not good for anyone and it can definitely have an effect on our businesses.

So we need to alleviate some of our stress and find solutions for the reasons that we are so overworked.

  1. Take a step back from everything and decide which tasks are 'needs' and which tasks are 'wants'. Which tasks are more important than others? We consider everything that we do in our lives, especially when running our businesses, as important. However, which tasks can you postpone long enough without producing a negative effect on ourselves and our success. Which tasks can wait?
  2. Learn that you cannot say 'yes' to everything. For most people and for most businesses, saying no to anyone can be like pulling teeth. It can be very painful and have a lasting effect. But again, you need to think of yourself, your success, and your well-being. Decide which tasks you have been asked to do that can be better accomplished by someone else or that will have a negative effect on yourself and make a point to politely decline to assist.
  3. Prioritize your life. In step #1 above, we learned to decide between 'important' and 'can wait' tasks. But, even the important tasks can add up. So, you need to break down that list of important tasks even farther and prioritize them. In business, ensure that those tasks that will enhance your business and your reputation with your clients are the first tasks on your list.
  4. Focus on the task at hand and not so much the long-term outcome of the task. All to often, as small business owners, our heads are working in overdrive as we imagine the possibilities that can occur because of certain tasks that we do. Now, that doesn't mean we shouldn't imagine the outcome of accomplishing tasks and any rewards or ramifications that may result from it, but just don't obsess or over-dream about it and make it your sole purpose in thriving.
  5. Remember to pat yourself on the back when you have accomplished a task, especially the important ones. Take a break away from it and refresh yourself before beginning your next task. I've always found going and looking out the window at the wonders of nature while I wait for the kettle to boil for my hot chocolate can have a brightening and rejuvenating effect on my day.
  6. And last, but not least, ask for help. No matter how much we think we can take on the world we are not all 'super human' and to ask for assistance with something is a part of being 'normal human'. When running your business, generating revenue and increasing your customer base is your most important 'needs' so why not get some help with the non-core tasks (i.e. correspondence, maintaining your website, designing your newsletter, etc.) in order to keep up. There are many, many qualified professionals out there that specialize in helping others stay on the right track and grow their businesses.

Stress is an all too common word in our society but it doesn't have to be something that rules our lives. Learn to manage your time and prioritize your life (and all of it's aspects) and you will find that you not only feel better inside, people will notice the new relaxed you which, in turn, will be another benefit for yourself and your business as they are more comfortable dealing with you.

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About Janice D. Byer, MVA

Janice Byer is a certified Master Virtual Assistant and owner of Docu-Type Administrative & Web Design Services (http://www.docutype.net). See this and other articles on her website.
jbyer@docutype.net