Ep 84: Your Writing Platform Do People Expect Writers to Be Speakers?
Last week I volunteered to serve at a speech and debate tournament for junior high and high school students. One of the women I served with asked if I thought writers were expected to speak more than ever before, whether through all the video options that are popping up like Facebook Live, or in person at events.\n\nI thought back to the late 1990s, when I was pitching my first book to a publisher. The editorial team took me out to lunch, and someone on the team asked if I would consider speaking as a way to help sell the book.\n\nIf you've read On Being a Writer, you know I practically choked on my sushi, because I always thought of myself as a writer, not a speaker. I couldn\u2019t imagine speaking, and I didn\u2019t think about that being part of the marketing plan. I knew the right answer was "yes," but I panicked at the idea of standing on a stage speaking.\n\nThe editor waited for me to turn from my California roll to look him straight in the eye. He said, \u201cSomething compelled you to write this message and share it with a broader audience. Right?\u201d\n\nI nodded.\n\n"I would simply ask,\u201d he continued, \u201ccouldn\u2019t you see speaking as another avenue to share that same message? Your words\u2014your message\u2014spoken?\u201d\n\nThat makes sense, I thought. I felt strongly about my book and I could see speaking as another way to spread its ideas.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll do it,\u201d I said. \u201cI\u2019ll do all that I can.\u201d A few weeks later they gave me a contract.\n\nAnd I did begin to speak\u2026mostly in small venues, but occasionally in larger settings. I\u2019ll be honest, I did feel panicky at the first few events, but I got a little more confident and comfortable each time. Obviously, I gained more and more experience and learned how I like to prepare.\n\nThat editor was right. Speaking gave me a new way to communicate with people. Interacting with audiences of all sizes gave me immediate input\u2014impossible to get through the written word. I could test out new ideas for future articles and books. I could meet people and make connections. And, to the publisher's delight, I could sell books.\n\nI would never have pursued speaking if that editor hadn\u2019t asked. But I\u2019m glad he did.\n\nTo swing back around to the question I was asked at the tournament, I think publishers\u2014and maybe people in general\u2014do expect writers to speak, though I think they've expected it of us for many years. They expect it, or at least hope for it.\n\nI think publishers hope that writers will open themselves up to the idea\xa0because it\u2019s a tremendous opportunity to connect with people who care about your topic or story.\n\nWhat's new are all the ways we writers can get our message out there as speakers. I think any writer building a platform should\u2014whether asked or not\u2014consider looking for ways to speak, including taking advantage of all the technology available to record and distribute our messages.\n\nFor live events, you can find opportunities locally:\n\n \tSee if a friend would host a coffee where you could read from your work-in-progress or your published pieces.\n \tTry recording a short reading on Facebook Live, where no one expects it to be perfect.\n \tSee if a local civic group would appreciate a short talk.\n \tAsk at your place of worship if an upcoming retreat or conference could use a breakout speaker.\n \tOffer to lead a small workshop at your local library.\n\nWhether in person or through a recording, people love to hear directly from authors. They love to hear a writer\u2019s voice. They love to see how their eyes light up when they talk about something related to the story they wrote or the topic their book was about.\n\nI think some people love getting the information or story through the spoken word not instead of but in addition to the written word\u2014if it\u2019s a podcast, for example, people have the option of listening as they exercise or drive. If it\u2019s a video on YouTube, people can watch facial expressions and see gestures.\n\nGive it a try.\n\nYou may panic. You may hate it.