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Book Talks: What to Say and How to Say It
Great! The Chamber of Commerce, or a similar group, has asked you to talk about your latest book. Though words are your business, you may terrified of public speaking. What should you say? How should you say it? These tips will help you to give a five-star book talk. Confirm arrangements. Mistakes happen and you don't want them to happen to you. One or two days before you're slated to speak, confirm the date, time, place, and your audiovisual needs. Toastmaster's International says you should visit the site beforehand. Make sure books will be available if you're autographing after your talk. Greet the audience. Arrive early and greet audience members as they enter the room or store. This gives you an instant connection with your audience and makes you an approachable person. Check the audience. According to the Advanced Public Speaking Institute, males and females respond differently to talks. Females laugh more easiily than males and "an all-male audience is more critical to bond [with] . . . especially if you're a famale speaker." Be prepared to make some last minute changes in your talk if you are female. Say thank you. Audience members have taken the time to come and hear you, so thank them for coming. Your thank you doesn't have to be long, but it does need to be sincere. Thank the person who invited you and other contact people. Keep your intro short. Eager as they may be to hear you, audience members don't want to listen to a long lead-in, or what a friend of mine calls the "When grandpa headed West in 1935" introduction. (He's very droll.) Get the audience's attention and cut to the chase - the body of your talk. Make points clear. Speech writers tell their clients to start by "telling them what you're going to tell them." You need to do the same. State the purpose of your talk and summarize your book in one sentence. (This is harder than it sounds.) As you speak you may wish to number your key points. Cite benefits. Though they may not say it aloud, every audience member is asking, "Why should I buy your book?" You should be able to answer this question quickly and clearly. Refer to your book by title, not "the book" and repeat the title several times. Tell stories. The audience won't remember statistics, but they will remember stories. Tell stories about being a writer or stories from your book. Keep in mind that story-telling isn't the same as joke-telling. If you're good at telling jokes include them in your talk. Avoid jokes if you can't remember punch lines. Keep their attention. The Advanced Public Speaking Institute says you should use an "attention gaining device" every two-to-four minutes. These devices include things like movement, showing a prop, distributing handouts, and delivering one-liners. You may also have a Power Point presentation that goes with your book. Have a strong ending. You want the audience to remember you and your book. So tell a touching story, or ask the audience to take action, or whisper your last line for impact. A change in approach can also be a strong ending. If you're giving a talk about a serious subject, for example, you could close on a humorous note. Remember, the audience thinks of your book talk as entertainment. Eddie Albert, the famous Hollywood actor, was a friend of my father-in-law's. I met Eddie several times and he called me once to thank me for a book I'd sent him. During our conversation Eddie said he was giving a talk about conservation that afternoon. The talk was finished, Eddie said, but he was still working on the entertainment aspect. "You have to entertain to educate," he commented. Good advice for us all. Copyright 2005 by Harriet Hodgson. All rights reserved. Harriet Hodgson has been a nonfiction writer for 27 years and is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists. Her latest book, Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief, written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available on http://www.amazon.com. To learn more about her work go to http://www.harriethodgson.com
Latest News:Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for news NBC News announces layoffs; Correspondents let go (AP via Yahoo! News) Several correspondents and other staff were laid off at NBC News this week as part of $500 million in planned cuts at General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal, according to a person familiar with the situation. Scripps puts Rocky Mountain News up for sale (AP via Yahoo! News) The Rocky Mountain News, Colorado's oldest newspaper, was put up for sale Thursday after its owner, E.W. Scripps Co., said it lost about $11 million on the business in the first nine months of the year. Scripps putting Rocky Mountain News up for sale (AP via Yahoo! News) E.W. Scripps Co. says it's putting the Rocky Mountain News up for sale after losing $11 million on the Denver operation in the first nine months of the year. Oil hits near 4-year low on weak economic news (AP via Yahoo! News) Oil prices sank Thursday to lows last seen nearly four years ago as more bleak news from the world's largest economy boosted views that crude could tumble below $40 by the end of the year. E.W. Scripps Seeks Buyer for Rocky Mountain News (Update2) (Bloomberg) Dec. 4 (Bloomberg) -- E.W. Scripps Co. is seeking a buyer for the Rocky Mountain News as the U.S. recession further drives down newspaper advertising. Online Money: Fidelity expands online news focus (AP via Yahoo! News) Fidelity Investments is joining the rush to satisfy investors' growing appetite for news about financial market turmoil. Pound slumps after grim British economic news (AP via Yahoo! News) The pound slumped Thursday to a historic low against the euro and to its lowest level against the dollar in over six and a half years after further grim economic news fueled expectations that the Bank of England will slash interest rates later. Weekly world news quiz (BBC News) At the end of another week, test your knowledge with our world news quiz. UPI NewsTrack Entertainment News (UPI) Mark Ruffalo's brother shot in the head ... Coldplay, Adele earn top Grammy nods ... Oprah taking show to D.C. for inauguration ... Anne Heche expecting 2nd child ... News from United Press International. Get the latest news in racing (Daily Racing Form) In order to read Daily Racing Form's free daily news stories it is required that you have a DRF.com free membership. If you do not have a DRF.com free membership, please register here . You will NOT need to be logged in to read each day's free news stories. Site: news - Google News CNET News Daily Podcast: Facebook, Google open competing services - CNET News
MORE RESOURCES: Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for book marketing Borders launches first social marketing strategy (Mad.co.uk) Borders is boosting its online strategy by using social media marketing for the first time, in a bid to build brand loyalty. The book retailer aims to extend its brand by engaging users to increase traffic and sales, as well as enhance advocacy and word-of-mouth. Infusionsoft Introduces New E-Book, "Master of the Moment: The Art of Follow-Up Marketing" (Marketwire via Yahoo! Finance) A new e-book from Infusionsoft, the leader in marketing automation software for small businesses, delves into the secret of mastering the moment by being there for your customers and prospects when they need you most. The First Book About Marketing Resource Management (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance) Marketing Resource Management", subtitled "The noble art of getting things done in marketing. Efficiently", is now available. Authors Romek Jansen and Frans Riemersma explain in clear wording and through many illustrations how marketing departments can operate more efficiently and how to get the most out of talent, time and money. Leading Online Marketing Firm A Couple of Chicks e-Marketing Wins Hotelier?s Pinnacle Award (Hospitality Net) Only three years young, Canada?s leading online marketing company for the hospitality industry A Couple of Chicks e-Marketing has been awarded the coveted Supplier of the Year Pinnacle Award from Hotelier magazine to be awarded at a gala lunch celebration on Friday, December 5, 2008 at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto. BOOK REVIEW: 'Pulling Weeds to Picking Stocks' an easy, educational read (Suburban Journals) It's lighthearted, written by young adults and an easy read. "Pulling Weeds to Picking Stocks" is a book written by the Beatty brothers, ages 16, 14 and 8. It's about personal finance and responsibility, something most of us hear about from our parents but not something we typically learn in school. The book isn't just about handling money, though. It also stresses building lifelong character ... Beige Book shows gloominess in New England (BizJournals) The Federal Reserve?s latest beige book report ? an analysis of economic conditions ? said the region that includes Boston is facing a squeeze on consumer financing and a big manufacturing slowdown in 2009. Charles R. Stinson's Architecture Chronicled in Book (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance) MINNEAPOLIS----Charles R. Stinson?s architecture is chronicled in a new book within the Master Architect Monograph Series entitled Charles R. Stinson: Compositions in Nature. The modern architecture book, with text by Camille LeFevre and photography by Peter Bastianelli-Kerze, features Stinson-designed homes and buildings that have achieved international recognition along with his distinctive ... Q&A | Daughter's book recalls Bob Evans with fondness (The Columbus Dispatch) For restaurant icon Bob Evans, "down on the farm" was more than a marketing slogan. The Book People Select Percussion to Help Increase Speed to Market (PRWeb via Yahoo! News) The Book People -- the UK's largest supplier of specialty, top quality books -- selected the Percussion Content Management System to manage five online properties. Recession Forces New Marketing Paradigm for Resorts | By Steven Herron (Hospitality Net) Holy demolition, Batman, what now?? You are ranked well in relevant keyword searches. You have allocated dollars to PPC and you manage your exposure and visibility. You have well placed banner advertising on highly targeted portals that historically have delivered excellent ROI. You are feeling pretty good about your strategic plan with tactics designed to deliver specific business and increases ... Site: book marketing - Google News Beige Book report isn't pretty for western Pennsylvania region - Bizjournals.com
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