14 Powerful Public Speaking Tips for Writers
While many authors would love it if they could simply stay home and write out of the public eye, the truth is, books do not sell on their own. Many of the anthologies I am part of and many of the recently published books by authors I admire have set the ball rolling with a book launch.
A book launch brings together the publisher, contributors, or author of the book and connects them with their audience. Hopefully, connections are made between writer and reader at the launch and hesitant buyers are convinced the book in question is suited to their taste after listening to relevant discussion and perhaps gorgeous excerpts.
Admittedly, I am still not comfortable speaking to an audience, but public speaking is a useful skill that helps authors market their books and engage their audience through presentations, events, and powerful storytelling.
Here I will be discussing what goes into a presenting a successful speech or talk, how to use body language to engage your audience, and how to discover and build your self-confidence. I speak from my little experience addressing an audience and mainly from my experience sitting in event audiences.
Practical Public Speaking Tips for Writers: Preparation
It is essential to prepare emotionally, mentally, and physically for a speaking event. Put together a comfortable, dressy outfit, round up a few snacks and a bottle of water, and organize your notes.
1. Prepare your Materials
Before your event, spend some time thinking about what you will present and discuss. Consider what excerpts from your book might make for compelling reading and how you can use relevant excerpts to discuss the unique, behind-the-scenes aspects of your story.
2. Dress the Part
Dress in comfortable, breathable clothing and opt for shoes that will support your feet for long periods of time. Also consider dressing in layers to account for temperature variances between the indoors and outdoors.
3. Hydrate and Eat
You will be miserable if you are hungry and thirsty. Eat something light and filling before the event, such as nuts or an energy bar, and bring some light snacks to the event with you in case you need a pick-me-up. Do not forget to bring water as well.
How to Embrace the Public Speaker Mindset
4. The Mindset is Everything
Adopt a professional attitude and think of yourself as a writer writing out loud. The audience is your page to write upon. Write about it creatively and artistically!
5. Be Confident
If you have prepared your talk in advance and are confident in your choice of clothing, there is no reason not to be confident in yourself and your work. Get out on stage and get excited!
6. Tell a Story
Storytelling should come naturally to you at this point! Share personal experiences that help make your points more interesting and relatable. Talk about your book, talk about the aspects of your book that were inspired by reality, and talk about what parts of yourself you put into your book. More simply, share why only you could have written your book.
Powerful Public Speaking Tips for Writers: How to Perform
7. Your Body Language is Key
I have a great professor for my mythology class who makes Greek myth fun and interactive through his lectures. He uses body languages and words to create an immersive storytelling atmosphere I love.
Body language means using hand gestures, facial expressions, pose, stance, and movement to create a listening experience that relies both on listening and on watching to create a storytelling experience that blends audio and visuals seamlessly together.
8. Move Around
Do not spend the whole talk standing or sitting in one place. Get up and move around. Address different parts of the room. Walk back and forth across the stage. Use your body to empathize what you are saying with bodily pauses and movement alongside pauses, stops, and intonation.
9. Have Fun!
If you are having fun, no doubt you look like you are having fun. If you are having fun, the audience is having fun. When everyone is having fun, it becomes an event to remember.
Practical Public Speaking Tips for Writers: Event Logistics
10. You do not have to Read an Excerpt
If you feel reading excerpts will add to your presentation and deepen the discussion you want to have with your audience, absolutely choose relevant, interesting excerpts. However, if excerpts have no place in the narrative you are telling, leave them out altogether. Your audience will hopefully be convinced to go pick up a copy of your book and read not an excerpt but your entire book just by listening to your presentation.
11. Take your Time
There is no sense in rushing through a talk, as you will likely confuse your main points and jumble your narrative. Instead, take your time. Speak clearly and allow your audience to savor and digest your every word.
12. Avoid Awkward Pauses and Cluttered Language
Do not use words like “um”, “uh”, and “you know”. Words like this clutter your sentences and make any speaker come across as uncertain and hesitant. Own the silence by briefly pausing to consider a question or emphasis a point and then continue your talk.
13. Make it a Q&A!
It is so fun when readers can ask their favorite authors about a book’s backstory or just bring up interesting points about a story, so consider taking questions from your audience. Always repeat or rephrase a question before answering it so that the entire audience is sure to know what you are talking about.
14. Do a Book Signing
Conclude your talk with a book signing. This is a great way to offer your book on the spot and sell signed copies of your book to people who hopefully loved your talk and cannot wait to read a personalized copy of your book.
Have you ever spoken at an author event? Have you ever attended an author event? What do you love about book launches and book signings? Tell me below!
godtisx
Thank-you for this. I’m not a public speaker, yet I’m thrust into that light often – through adjacent efforts of my own. But I’m nervous in front of crowds.
Keep Calm & Drink Coffee
Have fun is definitely my favorite!
Lisa Orchard
Great tips! Public speaking is not my favorite thing. LOL!
Khaya Ronkainen
A brilliant resource, Layla. Thank you!
M Jay Dixit
I’ve an interview today with a startup company that is hiring creative writers, these tips are very helpful, Layla. Especially the “owning silence” and “The audience is your page to write upon” Many thanks, dear friend ❣️
Layla Todd
Wonderful news, Jay! I hope the interview went well.
M Jay Dixit
Yes , it went well but now there’s one more stage. Fingers crossed!
This Loud Creator
These are really great tips! especially number 12. ‘um’, ‘uh’, ‘like’, ‘you know’ are deeply ingrained in daily vocabulary
Belladonna
These are great tips Lyla🤍you really did your research for this topic
Layla Todd
Thank you so much! ❤️
Belladonna
You’re so welcome!!!!
I'm All Booked Up YA
This is great advice for public speaking. Avoiding uh or um is most important in our opinion. I’d rather pause than use an awkward filler word.
Ka Malana - Fiestaestrellas.com
I’m definitely a big fan of when speakers walk around. I notice this happens in TEDTalks, and I think that’s part of what makes their signature style that we love so much!
Layla Todd
We can learn so much just by watching speakers perform! 🥰
Ingrid
I’ve not done any public speaking in person, but I do enjoy giving Zoom readings and recording poetry recitals. It certainly adds another dimension to an author’s work!
Writing to Freedom
Good tips Layla. Thankfully I haven’t had to do any public speaking in a long time. Good luck!
Jacqui Murray
Great tips though I can’t remember the last time I did public speaking. And I’m happy about that!
Susi Bocks
Great advice, Layla!
K.M. Allan
Excellent post, Layla! Not sure if I’d ever be ready/enjoy a public speaking event, but if I was ever invited to one, these tips are perfect.
Layla Todd
Thank you for reading! ❤️
Cindy Georgakas
You have nailed all of the really important things necessary for public speaking Layla. Nice job and thanks for sharing! ❤️
Layla Todd
Thank you for reading, Cindy! 🥰
Cindy Georgakas
you are always welcome Layla! ❣️
Michelle (Boomer Eco Crusader)
I have never spoken at an author event but I do a lot of public speaking. I can honestly say it gets much easier with practice. You just have to force yourself out of your comfort zone and go for it.
Layla Todd
I so agree with your last thought, Michelle! Just going for it makes all the difference.
Baydreamer - Lauren Scott
Valuable tips, Layla, and what a great post! Even the thought of public speaking increases my heart rate. 🙂 But I’ve done it and these tips are perfect. #4 & 5 are key! ❤️
Layla Todd
❤️ Love that you connected with this post, Lauren.
Grace
I love this post, Layla! Thank you for sharing your personal relatability/touch to these 14 tips! It’s all about confidence, and I love how you wrote about that here! And I LOVE that “hydrate and eat” is a tip because that is so true and rarely talked about!!! Amazingly done and so helpful to us all, my friend. Thank you 🤍🤗🤍🤗
Layla Todd
Thank you for sharing this amazing comment of connectivity, Grace! ❤️
haoyando
I just dreaded public speaking and tried to avoid it at all cost. Love your post. “Make Greek myth fun”? That’s quite an achievement. I tried to read a book of Greek myth, but abandoned it after ten pages. LOL. I just couldn’t connect and didn’t understand what they are about…I guess we all need a good lecturer to make something alive for us. And hopefully we can do the same ourselves….
Layla Todd
It is definitely worth it to get out of our comfort zones once in a while. When it comes to Greek myth, it is a bit heavy but the class setting pushed me to learn it as best I could. ❤️