Public speaking is a very effective marketing strategy for authors as they help to promote and more importantly sell books. Every author should embark on a tour of public speaking. People love to hear other people talk about their life and interests and for any readers out there who have read your book, they will be more than interested in hearing you talk about yourself and getting to know more about you. So how do you go about this?

A good place to start is at your local bookstore or library. Many will already hold short seminars for authors anyway and they will be more than happy to host an event for a local author. They can sell copies of your book during the events which will increase their sales, and it is also an excellent opportunity for a book signing session. So it is therefore a profitable opportunity for everyone involved.

Public speaking for nonfiction authors is usually a much easier task as they already have a built in topic so to speak. For example, if the book is about growing vegetables then the author simply speaks about growing vegetables, what vegetables are easier to grow, and how to grow them. But for the fiction author, public speaking can be a little more difficult as what do you talk about exactly?

One idea is that the fiction writer can read from their own book, for example reading a few chapters followed by a Q &A session. This will provide a topic of discussion and you could even introduce a little about yourself and why you chose to write the book.

As well as speaking at local bookstores and libraries, it is also a good idea to look for events that use authors to speak. Many schools, churches and community groups are interested in listening to what a local author has to say, so go along and introduce yourself and your writing.

What you can also do is volunteer for speaking opportunities, put yourself out there. Local charities may take an interest in having a local author speak at one of their events. Just ask around and see what is available.

Once you have gained confidence in your public speaking and have managed to sell a few books, it is then time to branch out and start travelling. This is where you will really start to see an increase in your sales as you will begin to gain a wider readership and following. Again focus upon independent bookstores, libraries and any writers groups in the area who would be interested in an author talking about their book.

Just how many books can you sell through speaking engagements is hard to calculate; however, this number very much depends upon the type of event and the audience. What is important to remember though is that each public speaking engagement is exposure, more people get to know about you and can tell their friends, and this in turn should hopefully increase book sales.