Fall is upon us, complete with beautiful fall colors and raging thunderstorms. It’s a busy season for getting children back to school, football games, and preparing for the holidays. I love decorating for the fall season with pumpkins, gourds and the colorful mums that abound in the markets. It’s a busy time for speakers as well, and I am also booking retreats for the spring of 2015. As I was thinking about what to discuss in this month’s blog, I made a startling discovery.
I’ve told you everything I know about speaking! We’ve talked about speaking on a topic about which you are passionate.
- The do’s and don’ts of speaking.
- How to outline your talks.
- How to dress professionally.
- Common pitfalls.
- Speaking at retreats.
- How to handle Q & A.
- How to charge fees.
I simply don’t have any more “sage advice” on the topic. Speaking at writers conferences and to book clubs has been, to me, a very easy task. They are interested in books and authors and are eager to learn. All we need to do is present the material in a well-organized and enthusiastic manner. The rest will take care of itself.
One other thing I would like to mention concerns the material you may be presenting. If you have handouts for the group, be sure to put your contact information in the footer so they can get in touch with you if they should so desire. And in today’s digital age, it would behoove you to learn how to prepare and present a Power Point Presentation when you speak.
Blessings on you as you speak to audiences concerning your writing career and your books. As a Christian author, don’t be fearful to speak of our God and his call on your life.
Please visit my website at www.goldenkeyesparsons.com. I’ll come see you if you’re speaking in my area, and you do the same. I’d love to meet you!
Golden Keyes Parsons
Golden Keyes Parsons writes historical fiction, and is also a popular retreat/conference speaker. Her highly acclaimed Darkness to Light Series (Thomas Nelson) chronicled the journey of her French Huguenot ancestors in 17th century France. Her fourth novel, His Steadfast Love, is a Civil War novel set in Texas. Her latest release is a compilation of four novellas (WhiteFire Publishing) – a biblical fiction series entitled Hidden Faces, Portraits of Nameless Women in the Gospels. Golden lives in Waco, TX, with her husband, Blaine, where they enjoy their children, grandchildren and are avid sports fans of their alma mater, Baylor University.
