As writers, we know how to put pen to paper and create engaging, powerful content. However, promoting our work is equally integral to strong writing, and public speaking provides a valuable way to increase book sales.
When I first published my memoir, Breaking Vases, I gleefully set up a book signing with a local bookstore. However, to my dismay, I spent two long hours trying to catch the attention of anyone willing to listen. I only sold six copies that day—I was completely disheartened.
In the same week, I was booked to present at a conference, and had set up a small booth in the lobby of the event. After my speech, there was a line of people eagerly waiting to purchase their signed copy. The two boxes I brought stuffed with books were empty by the end of the event – I sold over 60 books.
These experiences were an eye opener as a self-published author. To this day my public speaking events have produced much larger book sales, and I learned that connecting with an audience is the most powerful marketing tactic to increase sales.
If You’re Uncomfortable With Public Speaking:
It’s completely normal to be terrified of public speaking, but what matters is not allowing this fear to stand in our way. Start small and contact your local libraries, chambers of commerce, and places of worship—this will give you smaller, low-stakes engagements to get use to speaking.
It’s also important to remember that you don’t have to be the loudest, most energetic person in the room to be a good speaker. Your speaking style should be a reflection of who you are—whether that’s energetic or soft spoken and inviting
Before Booking an Event:
Speaking to the right audience and knowing what they need is essential to the success of our presentations. We need to start by defining our audience. Who would benefit from hearing our talk? Why should they care about our messages? What value are they gaining from reading our book?
When writing Breaking Vases, I knew my book would revolve around my journey of leadership transformation as a woman, so I focused on speaking at conferences for women; and I crafted my presentation to hit on the key points my audience would care about.
Once a speaking engagement is booked, I recommend three things to make sure presentations boosts book sales:
Give Away a Copy of Your Book
Giving away 1-2 copies of our books as a door prize will excite any audience. It makes us look generous and also makes attendees excited for the possibility of winning the book. Additionally, before the door prize, I always like to pass around a copy or two of my book to my audience to peak their interest. Usually, attendees will be more likely to purchase it after holding a physical copy.
Ask for a Vendor Table
Always request a vendor table for book sales. This gives the opportunity to meet interested audience members, sign copies of the book, and make sales right after the speech. If you’re unsure how many copies to bring, I usually estimate that about 25% of my audience will buy a copy of my book and plan accordingly.
Negotiate Bulk Sales with the Event Organizers
Contact the event organizers and see if they are interested in purchasing copies as a gift to attendees at a bulk rate. I usually give them 25% off. This way, every audience member will leave with a copy and will spread the word within their networks. While it may seem like a large discount up front, but this allows us to sell a large quantity and share our message with the entire conference.
When we get on stage to share our work, we’re not only sharing our books’ mission, but we’re sharing our energy with attendees—igniting a passion for our books that will spark the greatest word of mouth. Public speaking is one of the most authentic and powerful marketing tools at our disposal, and once we harness its power our book sales and readers will skyrocket.
