5 Places to Promote Your Book as a Speaker


One of the best ways to promote a new book is through speaking about your expertise. Your book has a powerful message, and the best way to get it out there is — you guessed it — to tell people about it. 

But not all authors are speakers, and if you’re new to the speaking scene, it may be hard to figure out where to begin. When you’re just starting out, it’s important to take your speaking opportunities wherever you can get them. Which is all well and good, but which also prompts the question: Where can you get them?

As an author without a whole lot of speaking experience, you’ve got a little bit of legwork ahead of you. But as long as you’re willing to put in the effort, you’ll find a host of possibilities waiting at the end of the road — all of them excellent opportunities to promote and sell more copies of your book. Here are some ideas to get you started. 


Conventions

Large conventions (also known as conferences) can sometimes book up to 100 speakers for an event. Beyond keynote speakers, conference organizers also look for people to speak during meals, to lead panel discussions and to run workshops. Speaking at a convention is definitely worth your while, so do everything you can to get your foot in the door. After your speech, you are usually able to sell your book at the back of the room, along with other products and services, if you have them.


Trade Shows

Trade shows — also known as expos or exhibitions — will often hire speakers to boost their attendance. There are trade shows on every imaginable topic, so the odds are good that your expertise will fit into one of them. Expos are a great place for networking, promoting your business and selling your book. 


Continuing Education

All over the country, there are various institutions offering continuing education that need your expertise. They are always looking for new speakers, because they want to keep their listings fresh and diverse. That makes it easy for you to throw your hat into the ring. Bring your book along and sell it after the presentation. 


Schools and Colleges

These can get competitive, but schools and colleges do bring on speakers to talk to their staffs and student bodies. Just make sure that your topic is something that this audience will be able to relate to before you put your energy into barking up this tree. If you are a good fit, colleges in particular can be a good place to sell books. 


Speaker Bureaus

There are countless other places to speak in your area — the trick is figuring out where they are. Speaker bureaus are great tools that can help you do just that. These organizations match up speakers with events to speak at. Although not all speaker bureaus are keen on signing on beginners, it’s a good idea to sign up for as many as you can early on. Keep in mind that you’ll need to “audition” with a video demo to get in the door. Speaker bureaus make their money by taking a 20-30 percent commission on your speaking fee. If you run into one that tries to charge you a registration fee, pass on it and go to the next one. The benefit to working with a speaker bureau is that there’s a good chance it will be able to set you up with an audience that matches your target demographic. Usually, this will translate into an increase in book sales for you.




Related Resources

Read more about How to Land Publicity

Read more about Make More Money as an Author

Read more about How to Create a Platform for Your Book


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