Some authors make a portion of their bread and butter not from their writing but from their speaking engagements. When speaking at professional conferences, authors generally receive a fee for sharing their expertise. Other speaking gigs like book clubs, libraries, and bookstores, and book festivals typically offer no compensation but do present the opportunity to sell books and build speaking experience and a following.
A speaking tour consists of presentations given by an author over a short period of time, usually up to a month. Before beginning a speaking tour an author needs to create speaking presentations to connect with audiences. Public speaking classes can help hone speaking skills. Authors should also spend significant time practicing, in order to polish their speaking skills.
Once an author has a developed a few strong presentations, it’s time to book a few practice events. These will be for free and used to build a speaker’s resume. Book clubs, senior centers, and book festivals are great places to start. Look for events that have built in audiences like conferences.
Be aware, speaking tours are only valuable if they connect an author with an audience. It may seem glamorous to go to New York City and speak in the famous Strand Bookstore or to travel to Powell’s City of Books in Portland, Oregon for a speaking gig, but in reality when only a few people show up, you may be bitterly disappointed. Your book about gumbo and the Cajun-Zydeco music scene connects with Southern readers. You will sell more books by focusing on a speaking tour in the area that connects to your content.
Once you have targeted your audience, it’s time to begin book events. Library associations also have large-scale events that bring in many book buyers. These large conferences often book events up to a year in advance. Generally, October and April have the most planned book friendly events; hence consider these months for a tour. Of course, your book content will direct the best time to offer a book tour. Summer reads, holiday tie-ins and content tie-ins may also direct the timing of a speaking tour.
Professional proposals are needed. Consider taking a proposal writing class to help you with this piece of the puzzle. Be reasonable when booking events. For children’s authors, four sessions at a local elementary school per day may be all you can handle. A thriller author may reasonably handle three book clubs in a day. Always think about the logistics of travel when booking consecutive speaking events. If you can rope someone in as a driver for a tour, do it. You need to focus on communicating. Also, get the most out of your tour. It’s also a good idea to concurrently have a blog tour with your speaking tour. This helps drive the “buzz”.
Booking a speaking tour is a time intensive commitment. Remember to make reasonable goals that you can meet with ease to ensure absolute success.