Blog - News and Updates from the World of Ghostwriting and Self-publishing

Book Promotion Basics

Posted on January 7 2025 by Mark Graham

The Art of Spies – collaboration with Robert E. O’Connell III and Mark Graham Communications

Deciding you want to write a book might feel daunting. Getting an idea from your head onto the page, in a completed book form, requires time and dedication. Nonetheless, there’s a level of excitement for both seasoned and aspiring authors who have a story to tell, whether fiction or nonfiction. However, once the book is written, the next step of the process can overwhelm any author: promoting your book.

Given the choice, most authors would rather write than promote. But the reality is, no one can read your book if they don’t know about it. Ideally, over time, many potential readers will learn about your book from other readers. However, building initial interest and sustaining that interest for a widening base of readers are tasks that fall primarily to the author, whether traditionally or self-published.

So how do you let people know about your book? Here are some basics:

Publicity. Promotion that you don’t pay for, including interviews, podcasts, articles, blog posts, and any other mention of your book from a source whom you have not paid for their services.
Self-generated Promotion. Social media, website, newsletter, speaking engagements, videos, and any other area where you personally talk about your book. Self-generated promotion differs from publicity in that you (rather than someone else) are the source of the information. Additionally, while some self-generated promotion is free, other areas have inherent costs built in, such as the costs to set up and maintain a website.
Marketing. Promotion that you pay for, including advertising, paid reviews, book giveaways, swag, blog tours, book trailers, costs associated with a book launch event, and more.

While the above list is not exhaustive, it provides a basic overview of options. Most book launch campaigns include a combination of publicity, self-generated promotion, and marketing.

So how do you decide which strategies are right for your book? First and foremost, it’s vital to understand your target audience. No book is right for every reader, and the more you focus your promotional efforts on reaching the potential readers who are most likely to pick up your book and read it cover to cover, the more effective your promotional strategies will be.

To help you determine your target audience, make a list of successful books that are similar to yours. Do not let yourself go down a path of thinking your book is like no other. While your book inevitably has unique qualities and attributes (as all books do), your goal should be to reach readers who are already interested in your genre or topic. Don’t think of such books as competition, but rather as a conduit to reaching readers who are hungry for further reading material in your genre or on your topic.

The books you come up with on this list are your comparative titles, or “comps.” Once you have a list of comps, think about the type of readers who are interested in these books. What qualities do these readers share? How are the authors of your comps reaching their readers? Follow these authors on social media, subscribe to their newsletters, and observe any paid marketing being done on behalf of the author or book.

While promotion might feel daunting, the sooner you begin thinking about your target audience and promotional strategies, the easier and more natural the process will be.

Keep in mind that your most important promotional material is your book itself. Writing and producing a high-quality book is the first step. If you need help, our team of ghostwriters and editors can assist you in ensuring your fiction or nonfiction book is the best it can be. If you’d like to learn more, please get in touch. We look forward to helping you get your book into the hands of your target audience as soon as possible!

Your Story: Memoir or Autobiography (And What’s the Difference?)

Posted on December 26 2024 by Mark Graham

The End of 1 – collaboration with Chris Reese and Mark Graham Communications

We’re frequently asked by potential clients if we can help them write about their own lives. The answer is always yes, but we follow up by asking the client to explain a bit about the story they want to tell. Why do we ask this? It’s because the client’s response gives us a sense of whether the client is considering writing a memoir or autobiography.

If you’re unsure of the difference, it’s fairly simple. An autobiography is a book about the full spectrum of your life, from birth to the present time. It includes key events, family members and other important people in your life, anecdotes, and the details that add color to the story, particularly if you grew up in an era unlike our current times. A memoir, in contrast, is about a specific theme, event, or aspect of your life. A memoir might be about your recovery from a serious illness, for example, or your quest to discover clues about your heritage. It could be about a perilous adventure you had, or what you learned when you went on a life-changing trip.

How do you decide which type of book to write? Consider the following:

Audience. Who is the book for? If the book is primarily for family and friends, with the goal of providing them access to your story when you’re no longer here to tell it, you’ll likely want them to know your life story from birth onward. In this case, an autobiography is the way to go. On the other hand, if you want to share what you’ve learned based on something specific that happened to you, and your goal is to reach a wider audience who would benefit from hearing that story, memoir is the more appropriate form.
Marketability. Related to the above, most autobiographies, unless you’re a celebrity or notable public figure, are likely of most interest to those who know the subject of the autobiography. While it’s certainly possible to market your autobiography to a wider audience, general readers tend to be more interested in the specific, relatable stories and lessons found in a memoir than they are in the life-to-present-day story of someone they do not know.
Length. While some memoirs are lengthy due to complex subject matter, most memoirs range from 60,000 to 80,000 words (about 220 to 300 pages). Depending on how much you want to share, your autobiography can be much longer, much shorter, or around that same length. If your goal is mostly to share your life story with loved ones, you are not as limited by length conventions in autobiography as you are in memoir.

It’s worth noting that while autobiographies about the “man or woman on the street” generally do not turn into runaway bestsellers, there is no reason not to share your autobiography with a wider audience if you so choose. Self-publishing a high-quality book has never been easier than it is today, and if you’re comfortable with the idea of a wider audience reading your life story, there is no harm in publishing the book on Amazon and other online sites for anyone who chooses to purchase a copy. Our team of designers and publishing experts can help you with all aspects of turning your manuscript into a quality book.

But first, the book must be written! If you’ve started writing your story but aren’t sure how to finish it—or if you have ideas about what you want to say but need help writing the book from start to finish—our team of expert ghostwriters and editors is here to help. Please reach out so we can begin a conversation about your book. Before you know it, you will be holding a copy of your memoir or autobiography in your hands.

Writing for Youth: Becoming a Middle Grade or Young Adult Author

Posted on November 13 2024 by Mark Graham

Spark – collaboration with Dr. Greg Ayers and Mark Graham Communications

Last month on the blog, we talked about genre fiction, particularly the popular genres of romance, mystery, and fantasy. As suggested, if you want to write a novel but are unsure what type of story interests you, writing in a genre that you also love to read can be a good option for breaking in.

Another avenue to explore is writing for middle grade and young adult readers. Source material often flows naturally from your own experience or that of children and teens in your life. Within these popular categories, readers—as well as their parents, caregivers, teachers, and librarians—are frequently on the lookout for fresh material from new-to-them authors. Additionally, in both categories, series are popular, which opens the door for authoring multiple books.

How are middle grade and young adult readers defined?

Middle grade (MG) is considered appropriate for children ages 8 to 12 who are reading on grade level. Middle grade readers have moved beyond picture books and brief, picture-based books designed to teach children basic reading skills. At middle grade, children are reading independently and are eager for chapter books that follow a simple but compelling plot featuring memorable characters who are around the same age as the reader, up to pre-teen (age 12).
Young adult (YA) books, by contrast, are geared toward readers ages 12 to 18. Because this is a wide range in both reader ability and experience, there are subcategories within young adult, such as teen fiction (geared toward the younger teen, age 12 to 14). Young adult fiction addresses more complex themes such as identity, relationships, and independence.

Both the middle grade and young adult categories encompass nonfiction as well as fiction. Biography and history are common nonfiction topics in both categories. It’s also worth noting that some adults enjoy reading young adult fiction and nonfiction.

If you have a great idea for a middle grade or young adult book—an experience from your past that would make a compelling tale, a fascinating subject in which you have expertise, or a story concept you’ve come up with—how do you turn your idea into the reality of a book?

Here are some tips:

Study the market. Read books in your desired category (middle grade or young adult) and genre (fiction or nonfiction). Become familiar not only with the classics but also with newer books and authors who are popular with your target audience.
Write down your ideas for the book. You don’t necessarily need to outline the entire book, but having a roadmap of what you want to say is helpful when you begin the project.
Keep in mind length. Middle grade novels are usually about 20,000 to 25,000 words, while young adult novels are 40,000 to 80,000 words. To maximize your book’s commercial appeal, aim for a word count within these standard ranges.
Work with professionals. If the ideas are flowing but you’re not in a position to write (or complete) your book, consider a ghostwriter or editor. A ghostwriter will study your basic concept, interview you thoroughly about your ideas, and write the book from start to finish. An editor will take the draft you’ve written of your book and work with you to polish it until it’s ready for publication.

Writing for young people can be exciting, invigorating, and provide a refreshing break from the pace of adult life. Once your book or series is out in the world, connecting with youth and knowing you’re helping to foster a new generation of readers are among the most rewarding aspects of the process.

If you’re ready to begin, please get in touch. We’d love to hear your ideas and help you get your middle grade or young adult book into the hands of eager readers!

Break Into Publishing Via Genre Fiction

Posted on October 7 2024 by Mark Graham

The Eyes of the Moose – collaboration with David Ranking Johnson and Mark Graham Communications

If you want to be a published writer but you’re not sure what you want to write, a logical question might be, “What type of book is the easiest to get published?” While there’s no definitive answer to this question, there are certain genres that tend to be perennial favorites with the reading public. Among these are genre fiction categories such as romance, mystery, and fantasy.

What makes a book qualify as genre fiction? A novel that fits into a particular genre follows the norms of that genre. For example, readers of romance novels expect the story to center on an amorous relationship between two people. Generally, the two characters meet and there’s a romantic spark, but there are also conflicts. By definition, romance includes an “HEA,” or “happily ever after” ending, in which the couple finds a way to overcome their conflicts and be together. Within this genre, there are subgenres such as LGBTQ+ romance, historical romance, and so on. The same sort of pattern can be found for mystery novels (and their subgenres), fantasy and subgenres, and so on.

If you’re considering genre fiction as a way to break into publishing, it’s important to take the following into consideration:

Write what you like to read. The majority of fiction writers also read a lot of fiction, and often they gravitate toward particular genres. Consider what draws you in when you select a book to read. What types of stories keep you turning the pages late into the night? Because you’ll be bringing your passion and enthusiasm to the project, what interests you most as a reader is also the genre in which you’re likely to produce your best book.
Study the genre extensively. Select a variety of authors, both well-known and emerging, and read their books with a critical eye. What did you like? What didn’t work for you? If you’d written the story, what elements might you change?
Consider a series. What makes many genre fiction books successful is that they’re part of a series. Once readers discover a series that they enjoy, they’re likely to pick up the other books in that series, too. Every book in your series doesn’t necessarily need to be about the same characters, but the books should be tied by theme, location, time period, or other unifying factors.
Plan for marketing. Writing a book (or a series) is only one piece of the puzzle. Once the first book is written, you’ll need to get the word out about the book using a combination of techniques (advertising, word-of-mouth, publicity, and so on). You will also need a compelling cover design that fits the mood of the genre, as well as expertly produced interior pages.

The first step is to get the book written! If you’re inspired, there’s no time like now to begin. If you have ideas but you’re not sure how to get started, please get in touch. We can help you brainstorm your ideas for your genre book or series, then partner you with a ghostwriter or editor to help write or polish the manuscript. After the manuscript is complete, our marketing team will be ready to assist you with getting your first professionally written, edited, and produced novel into the world.

At that point, congratulations are in order—you will have officially broken in as a published author!

The Ins and Outs of the Bestseller

Posted on September 4 2024 by Mark Graham

The Rigel Affair – was a collaboration with L. M. Hendrick and Mark Graham Communications

What does it mean to write a “bestseller”? At one time, the meaning of “bestseller” was abundantly clear: enough copies of the book sold in a single week to put it on one of the “big” bestseller lists: The New York Times, USA Today, or The Wall Street Journal. How many copies are “enough”? No one responsible for compiling any of the three lists will say exactly, but the common perception in publishing is that for all three lists, the number is well into the thousands.

In a week.

Compare this to the reality that the vast majority of published books, whether self or traditionally published, sell under 2,000 copies over the lifetime of the book. Put in those terms, the notion of writing a “bestseller” becomes daunting for most authors, from those just starting out all the way to experienced authors writing their third book, fourth book, or more.

The “bestselling” game changed significantly when Amazon came into the picture. Amazon posts a ranking for every book on its site, in categories specified by the publisher (whether the publisher is an individual author self-publishing their book or a traditional publishing house). Ranking starts as soon as a single copy is sold, and rankings update depending on copies sold of both the book in question and other books in the same category. Amazon’s algorithms update these rankings hourly.

As part of the process of adding a book to Amazon for sale, publishers specify a set number of categories for the book. When specifying categories, most publishers think long and hard about where to place that particular book. The more niche the category, the more likely the book is to rise in the rankings. Generalized categories such as “Business Books” or “Thrillers” are more competitive, simply because more books are placed by their publishers in such categories—but rising in rank in these generalized categories also carries more clout. For maximum effectiveness in the rankings, most publishers aim for a combination of niche and generalized categories.

If your book rises to a high ranking—even for an hour—in a niche category on Amazon, does that make you a “bestselling author”? Opinions about this are strong on both sides. Purists say only the big lists matter. Authors whose books are selling well, particularly online, beg to differ.

Regardless, it’s important to note that “bestselling” status is often short-lived, whether its lifespan is an hour or a week. Nonetheless, once an author has achieved “bestselling” status, the author can use that label to further their career and sell their books to a wider audience.

So how do you become a bestselling author?

Write a quality book. Readers are smart, and their time is limited. No one wants to waste time reading a book that is not well written and professionally edited.
Keep the audience in mind. No book is for every reader. When writing your book, consider who it will appeal to. Writing for yourself is an admirable personal goal, but writing for a specific audience is vital if you want to sell significant copies.
Create an appealing book package. This includes the cover design, interior design, marketing materials, and all other elements that give the book a professional, polished appearance.
Work with marketing and technical professionals. If marketing and sales, and/or nuts-and-bolts technical aspects (such as file uploads to sites like Amazon) are not in your skill set, hire professionals to handle these aspects of the job.
If it sounds intimidating, we’re here to help. Mark Graham Communications’ ghostwriters and editors can help create professional, audience-centric content for your book. Once the content is complete, our marketing and technical teams can assist with the production aspects that are vital to generating a bestseller in any category.

Interested? Please get in touch. We’d love to talk with you about your bestselling dreams!

All the Feelings: Bringing Emotion Into Your Personal Story

Posted on August 8 2024 by Mark Graham

Oh, Nantucket – was a collaboration with Peter M. Browne and Mark Graham Communications

Consider the last book—or movie, song, or other narrative content—that brought up strong emotions in you. Maybe a tear formed at the corner of your eye as you listened to a singer croon about his children growing up. Perhaps you felt genuine anger for the main character in a novel as you read a scene between the character and her overbearing, abusive boss. In a darkened movie theater, you might have put your hands over your eyes, heart racing, as you watched the killer draw near the next victim.

If you’ve felt such emotions, then the creators of these works did their jobs. When a story brings up strong emotions, the audience is much less likely to tune out. We’re held captive by our emotions, and the last thing we’re going to do is shut the book, turn off the radio, or walk out of the movie theater.

For novelists, memoirists, and even those writing nonfiction such as business or personal growth books, emotion is key to engaging and retaining readers. If you’re not convinced, think about the last dry, factual textbook you had to read for a class. Even if it was decades ago, you likely remember the experience: looking ahead not because you’re eager to discover what comes next, but rather to know how many more pages you need to drag yourself through before you’ve finished your required reading for the night.

Textbook authors are required to lay out the facts, and nothing but the facts—but for authors of other types of books, the possibilities when you tap into emotion in your writing are endless. Not only do you want readers to feel the “big” feels—thrills, rage, heartache—but you also want to include emotional resonance in the small moments that make the overall narrative memorable.

Not sure how to do it? Here are some ideas:

Determine what you want readers to feel. Different books bring up different emotions. In memoirs, readers want to feel the emotions that you (as the subject of your own book) were feeling. To tap into that, recall what the experience brought out in you. How did you feel when you went through it? As a memoirist, you want readers to feel that, too. In contrast, if you’re writing a business book and using a story to make your advice more engaging, you likely want readers to feel inspired and empowered to take the next steps in their own careers or entrepreneurial endeavors.
Avoid “reporter-style” language. While it’s important to get the facts down, particularly in a first draft, expanding this factual-style language in later drafts to include emotional details that resonate with readers will go a long way toward making your book memorable. In business and personal growth books, factual content can be balanced with periodic storytelling-style content to keep readers engaged.
Use your senses. Details that involve the five senses put readers emotionally into a scene. While describing what can be seen with the eye is most common, don’t neglect the other senses. Air conditioning that sends a chill along a patient’s bare arm in a doctor’s office when bad news is conveyed, for example, can bring up the same feeling in a reader.

If you’re struggling to get the emotions right in your book, you’re not alone. This is an area in which many writers are challenged. Fortunately, help is available. An experienced editor or ghostwriter can help you flesh out the details in your story and ensure that emotional connections are integral to the narrative. To learn more about how an editor or ghostwriter can help you, please get in touch. We’d love to hear about your story, chat about where you are in the process, and determine how we can be of assistance.

The Importance of Empathy in the Client/Ghostwriter Relationship

Posted on June 28 2024 by Mark Graham

Get Your Career in Shape – was a collaboration with Chris Thibodeaux and Mark Graham Communications

Thinking of hiring a ghostwriter? The idea can feel daunting—ghostwriting is a big investment, and there are scores of ghostwriting companies and hundreds of freelance ghostwriters out there. How will you decide who to work with? What criteria should you use to evaluate ghostwriters?

Certainly, experience and professionalism top the list. Make sure to choose a ghostwriting firm or an individual writer with the know-how, acumen, and professional skills to help you turn your vision for a book into reality. The goal is to find a writer who has strong writing and editing skills, as well as a keen eye for how to structure a book—overall, on the chapter level, and on the sentence level. Much of this can be gauged by looking at the ghostwriter’s previous projects, especially those in the same genre as your book.

When considering potential ghostwriters, another key quality to look for is a sense of empathy. Not only should your ghostwriter be a talented writer, the ghostwriter should also be someone who truly knows how to listen to others.

Why? Because this is your book—not the ghostwriter’s. That means the ghostwriter has to thoroughly understand your vision, the story you want to tell, and how you want to tell it. To gain that understanding, the ghostwriter has to put themself in your shoes. The ghostwriter, like any empath, has to be truly invested in knowing how you feel and what you are trying to say. It’s only through ghostwriter empathy that the final book will look, feel, and sound like your book—not the ghostwriter’s.

How can you gauge a potential ghostwriter’s empathy skills? Here are a few ideas:

During an initial conversation, does the ghostwriter ask you questions? If the ghostwriter is doing all the talking, chances are, they’re not attuned to hearing about your vision.
When the ghostwriter does ask you a question, do they listen to your answer? If you get the sense that the ghostwriter is “listening to respond,” rather than listening to truly listen, it could be an indication that the ghostwriter does not have strong empathy skills.
Do the ghostwriter’s writing samples demonstrate unique voices? If the ghostwriter submits several samples from different clients for your review, and they all sound as if they were written by the same person, it’s possible that the ghostwriter is more skilled at using their own writing voice than they are at honing a client’s unique voice.

Ghostwriter empathy can be difficult to gauge, but one thing that helps is working with a reputable ghostwriting company. At Mark Graham Communications, we use a highly selective process for hiring writers. In addition to confirming that our team members’ writing skills are second-to-none, we carefully evaluate each potential team member’s ability to empathize, thus ensuring our ghostwriters exceed our clients’ expectations for a book that perfectly captures the client’s voice and vision.

If you’d like to know more, please get in touch. We’d love to connect you with one of our talented, empathic ghostwriters, to help you turn your dream of a published book into reality.

Creating and Using Consistent Messaging

Posted on June 12 2024 by Mark Graham

Surreal Estate – this captivating thriller, was a collaboration with Sugar and Mark Graham Communications

If you’ve been working hard to write a book (or you’re putting together ideas for one), congratulate yourself. A book with your name on it—whether written yourself, ghostwritten, or heavily edited to ensure professional content—is an accomplishment, and you should be proud. Launching the book into the world is no small task, either. If you’ve done this or are contemplating it, hats off to you.

However, getting that book into the hands of readers requires more than a finished manuscript. While your book’s content is the most important consideration, other factors play into the book’s success. One of the most important is consistent messaging.

What is consistent messaging? Briefly, consistent messaging means ensuring that the methods you use to present your book to the world are consistent across all communications channels. This includes how you talk about the book; the tone you employ; the colors, graphics, and other branding elements you choose, and other considerations.

Here are some common questions about consistent messaging.

How do I create consistent messaging?

Determine what you want to say about the book. Create and memorize a logline (a 1 – 2 sentence “elevator pitch” for the book). Whenever someone asks what your book is about, you should be able to answer them in the time it would take to go on a short elevator ride together. Next, expand your logline into a description that’s several sentences long. To anyone who expresses interest in the logline, make sure you can deliver the expanded description smoothly, without sounding rehearsed.
Ensure the “look and feel” of your book is consistent across all platforms. Use a consistent color palette, fonts, graphics, and photography. This includes your website, all social media platforms you use, printed promotional material such as bookmarks and postcards—and of course, the book’s cover.
Test your messaging. Give your logline aloud to family and friends, then solicit their reactions. Provide them with your expanded description, and again ask for their thoughts. Have others evaluate your online and print presence, ensuring that all elements work in harmony and that the messaging is pleasing to the eye.

Won’t readers get bored seeing and hearing the same message over and over?

Actually, they won’t. The “Rule of 7” marketing principle states that a message needs to be repeated at least seven times to be understood and accepted. The key is to keep the message short and aimed at your target audience. No one remembers a long-winded message or information that doesn’t apply to their circumstances. But if your messaging is consistent and brief, interested readers will develop a comfort level and familiarity with it, and will act accordingly.

I don’t have the skillset to create consistent messaging. What should I do?

First, you’re to be commended for knowing when you need help. If this is your situation, we highly recommend working with professionals to ensure your messaging is on-brand and consistent. A book design service (such as our sister company, Graham Publishing Group) can help you with these considerations.

My book isn’t written (or finished) yet. Do I need to worry about consistent messaging?

The sooner you think about it, the more consistent your message is likely to be. If you need help developing your messaging, please get in touch. We can assist you with determining and refining the message you want to relay, as well as the best way to get your message into the world. Collaborating with you on your book’s content, we will ensure that your message comes through clearly and consistently throughout the book’s pages.

Second only to superior content, a strong, consistent message is the key to a successful book. We’d love to help you work toward both of these goals!

Help! I Can’t Afford a Ghostwriter (But Maybe You Can)

Posted on May 7 2024 by Mark Graham

Sold on Sales is a collaboration between Jet Abuda-Sison and Mark Graham Communications.

Maybe you’ve been thinking about it: a book with your name on the cover, sharing your story. Whether you dream of writing a business book, memoir, self-help title, or novel, you might be someone who has a great story to share or a strong message to impart, but you’re unsure about writing a full-length book. You might simply have little time to write, or you aren’t as interested in honing your writing skills as you are in getting a timely, important message into the world. Maybe the words you want to share aren’t your own—they could be those of an older relative, for example, whose memories your family wants to capture on the page. All of these are compelling reasons to seek the assistance of a professional ghostwriter.

Frequently, we hear from prospective clients that while they love the idea of having a book ghostwritten, the process seems daunting. One of the biggest concerns is that ghostwriting will be cost-prohibitive.

It’s an understandable concern. Hiring a professional ghostwriter does represent a financial commitment. But you might be surprised to find that it’s more affordable than you think. As you work through the prospect of hiring a ghostwriter, here are tips to consider:

Shop around. There are many ghostwriting services out there, from individual “one-writer shop” ghostwriters to small and midsized ghostwriting firms, to clearinghouses that connect prospective clients with freelancers, to large-scale ghostwriting operations. The pricing for these different models varies as much as the models themselves. Be sure to vet any individual or service you’re considering, and make sure you understand all costs upfront.
Draft the book first, then hire a ghost editor. Writing a draft of the book can go a long way toward bringing down the costs. If you have the time to devote to writing a first draft, this written draft can provide the ghostwriter/editor with a strong sense of your voice and what you want to convey. This, in turn, can significantly lower the project cost.
Understand the value of a ghostwritten book. Anyone can self-publish a book and post it to Amazon and other online services, hoping to generate sales. But not every book out there is a quality product. As book-buying options continue to grow, readers become more and more savvy. They know the difference between a well-written book and one that was let loose in the world before it was ready. If strong writing isn’t in your skillset, a professionally ghostwritten book will stand out from thousands of other books in your genre that are available to readers.
Realize that the book is only one part of your revenue stream. A professionally ghostwritten book can open many doors for you, from speaking engagements to book club appearances to charity events. All of these provide another way to get your message out—and opportunities to sell more copies of your book. Moreover, a book can go a long way in establishing your credentials and helping you become a thought leader in your field of expertise.

Interested? If you have a project in mind, please get in touch. We’re happy to offer a free consultation, walking you through the ghostwriting process and helping you decide if a ghostwritten book is right for you. We’d love to hear your ideas, and we look forward to working with you!

Sell Your Book from the Back of the Room

Posted on April 3 2024 by Mark Graham

The Amazing Huff is a collaboration between C. Herbert Locy and Mark Graham Communications.

While it can be challenging to find professional public speaking gigs, it can be done. To locate speaking opportunities, first and foremost, ensure you have expertise in a specific topic. After you have identified potential topics, search online groups and websites related to your subject matter, as well as professional sites such as LinkedIn. Be willing to start small. Before you pitch, take the time to research any conference or event that interests you, thus ensuring your pitch addresses the conference organizers’ needs.

Once you secure that coveted speaking engagement, what comes next? First, take plenty of time to prepare. Learn as much about your audience as you can. How many attendees should you expect? What characteristics are they likely to share? Will there be time for Q&A?

Next—practice, practice, practice. Write your full speech, ensuring you’re covering all salient points. Then hone it until you’re able to deliver it comfortably and naturally using only an outline. No one wants a speech read to them word-for-word. Instead, you will best engage your audience by speaking comfortably and knowledgeably, using humor where appropriate, and making eye contact. Practice in front of a mirror, a test audience, or even by recording yourself on your phone or other device.

If you plan to sell your book at the event, remember that it’s your expertise, personality, and brand that matter. The audience wants to know who you are as a person and why your words are important. While they might be interested in hearing teasers from the book during your speech, they will quickly lose interest in a speech that’s a thinly disguised sales pitch for the book. For this reason, at Mark Graham Communications, we encourage our clients to retain some of their important material for public speaking, rather than attempt to put everything they know into a single book. The idea is to generate audience interest in your book, not to use the speech to reiterate every piece of data or story within its pages. If audience members buy your book and find the content is nothing they haven’t already heard during your speech, they will consider you an unreliable source in the future.

It’s also important to keep your expectations realistic. Many audience members, even those interested in your topic, will not purchase the book. Some are simply overwhelmed by the amount of information they’re receiving at the conference or event. Others might turn down the offer of a physical book because they prefer ebooks. Ensuring your ebook is readily available and providing a link can help the audience find it later. To sell the ebook on-the-spot, have a QR code available that takes readers to your ebook on your preferred online vendor’s site.

All of this, of course, starts with a great book. If you need help writing yours, please get in touch. We’d love to talk about your interests, passions, and expertise—and how we can help you get a book out there that everyone is talking about!