Tag: authors who speak publicly

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Recognize Success

July 27, 2021– Friday will be our last official day of this month’s theme which is Public Speaking for Authors. I hope you have enjoyed the content and put the tips that we’ve given you into action.

Today we’re talking about recognizing your success as a public speaker and why it’s important to step back and evaluate how far you’ve come and if you’ve reached your goals. Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Define what your goals are. You can’t hit a target that you can’t see! If you don’t know what your goals are for your public speaking career, how will you know if you reach them? Maybe your goal is to do a certain number of public speaking engagements per year; maybe it’s to have a bigger audience, or perhaps it’s to lengthen your presentation time; whatever your goals are, make sure you define them clearly.
  2. Look at the big picture. Take a moment to step back and look at the big picture. Have you improved your speech? Are you more comfortable speaking in public now than when you first started? Look at everything that has improved and list things you still need to work on while appreciating how far you’ve come and how much has changed.
  3. Set new goals. What would you like to accomplish next? Do you want to charge more for your speeches? Add more value to your content? Have more public appearances? It’s important to set new goals for yourself.
  4. Continue to learn. Continuous knowledge in your area of expertise, public speaking, and everything included in being an author will only serve you as you grow your skillset. Keep learning and expanding! The more you learn, the more you earn.

Goals, success, and accomplishments are different for everyone. Define what yours are as an author/public speaker and get to work!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Practice Distraction

July 20, 2021– We’re talking about public speaking all this month for authors and today, we’re going to touch on a subject that happens often enough, but hopefully not too frequently! As authors, we know it’s part of the job to give talks, book signings, workshops, and live readings, but along with an audience comes distraction.

What do I mean? I mean that anything done in front of a live audience runs the risk of hiccups! Whether it’s tech issues, a crying baby, a restless elementary classroom, coughs and sneezes, or a pinging phone, there will inevitably be distractions. Yes, even with a room full of adults, there will be things that happen that you can’t control.

So, how do we remedy this? Preparation is necessary and going into your speech/presentation, EXPECTING distractions will help prepare you the most. Instead of derailing your speech, you’ll stay focused and on topic. Here’s how to practice distraction:

  1. Turn up the volume. Turn on the television, turn up the radio, and set a timer on your phone so that it goes off every few minutes. By practicing your presentation with distractions on a huge scale, you’ll be able to handle the little ones that will, no doubt, come up during your speech. If you can stay focused with all of the noise going on in the background, you’re ready! If not, keep practicing until you can.
  2. Enlist your family. Ask your family to fill in as your audience as you perfect and practice your speech. Get them to cough, shift in their seats, whisper to each other, and receive notifications on their devices while you’re presenting because these are things that happen in reality presentations. This will prepare you for when these things happen to you during your public talk.
  3. Get winded. Practice your speech while exercising. Why? Because when most people step on stage to speak to an audience, their heart rate elevates, their pulse quickens, and they get winded because of the adrenaline rushing through their body. Exercise is the best way to mimic what happens to most people on stage, and if you practice your speech while walking or running, you’ll dull the sensation/anxiety, and your brain will say, “We’ve been here before; it’s all good. I know what this is and why it’s happening; we’re just exercising, no need to panic.” Plus, if you use the space of the stage you’re on effectively, you’ll move around (not too much to distract from your message) and gesture to your listeners.

Practicing distraction is an excellent way for authors to stay focused and on track during their presentations!