by Brenda Collins
Given the emerging power and popularity of social media, do you still need to put your physical face on your author brand? Do you have to give presentations or workshops? According to many successful editors, agents and writers, the answer is “yes”. In this competitive publishing environment, authors have to be skilled marketers. The experts report that live events can be very beneficial to an author’s career. The good news is you can learn how to present effectively even if the thought scares you now.
“For certain audiences,” notes Holly Root, of the Waxman Literary Agency, “it’s absolutely expected that an author would be willing to appear—for instance, a very newsy nonfiction title, or a book with a huge publicity push, or a novel for kids, where school visits would be key. For the majority of novelists, it is optional, the kind of thing that if done well can be a terrific boost. The more people who know about you, the better your chances some of them will be your kind of readers.” Root believes that appearances by one of her authors, Lisa Patton, absolutely contributed to her books becoming bestsellers.
If the thought of speaking in front of a crowd makes your stomach churn, you are not alone. Several studies have shown that public speaking is the number one fear for most people, followed by fear of death.
In my experience, though, even an introvert can become a great public speaker. When I was 10 years old, I stood in front of my Grade 5 class to give my first speech—and burst into tears. With practice, and maturity, I now deliver talks to audiences of all sizes. You just need the right skills, techniques and experience.
Preparation is the secret to successful presentations. Preparation will ease the jitters when first you look out at your audience. Preparation will help you hide the fact you’ve lost your place in your notes. Preparation will ensure your presentation doesn’t run too long or too short. And, more than anything else, preparation will make sure you say something that is worth the time your audience spends listening to you.
Jot down, in plain language, one sentence stating what you want to achieve through the presentation. That is not the same as what you want to say. Ask yourself why you are giving this particular presentation to this particular audience. What should they take away from it? This becomes your key message, which will shape the rest of your presentation. For example, “My presentation objective is to give writers the tools they need to deliver effective presentations with confidence.”
List the important points you want to make in the presentation. For some this may be a neat list of bullet points, but for less linear thinkers, also known as pantsers, it could be a mind map, bubble drawing, or just scribbles all over a page.
Guided by your key message, arrange your notes so that each point flows naturally into the next, like a story plot. Think—beginning, middle, and end. This is your opportunity to make sure your message is clear.
Presentation structure is quite standardized. Your opening is like a novel or magazine article. You need to hook your audience right from the beginning with a relevant quotation, personal anecdote, a rhetorical question or other device.
There’s a saying, “Tell them what you’re going to say—, tell them—, then tell them what you told them!” That forms the body of your presentation: your objective, main points and summary.
Finally, you wrap up your presentation by linking back to your opening. Think of your opening and closing as the bookends of your presentation holding it all together for your audience.
Eliminate unnecessary information and conflicting messages. Presentations are rarely too short; often they are too long. As operatic soprano and self-help guru Dorothy Sarnoff once noted, “Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has finished listening.”
Some of your revisions can help you prepare for audience questions. Don’t worry about anticipating all possible questions. If you do not have the answer, either throw the question out to the audience to generate discussion or ask for the questioner’s card so you can get back with an answer later.
Decide if and where you are going to use slides, handouts or other aids. Slides are not mandatory. In fact, they can be a distraction, and there’s always a risk that the technology won’t work on the big day.
Only use a slide or handout if it illustrates something that is otherwise hard to visualize or if it will support audience participation.
If you do want to use slides, there are a few rules.
If you will be using slides, tell the organizers beforehand to ensure you’ll have the equipment you need and that technical help will be available.
With or without technology, always have a contingency plan. Overhead lamps burn out. The projector provided might not work with your laptop, the thumb drive you had your presentation on could get lost. Bring a hard copy of your slides and notes so you can go ahead without a computer if need be.
The organizer may determine when handouts are distributed but, if you have a choice, consider these options.
BEFORE: Makes it easy for your audience to follow along with you and take notes. However, they also may be reading instead of listening to you and the paper rattling can be distracting.
DURING: This is my least favorite. It is difficult to distribute the handout quickly enough to be relevant to the point you’re making without breaking the flow of your presentation.
AFTER: My preference is to let the audience know they will receive the slides at the end of the presentation so they can focus on what I’m saying but avoid taking unnecessary notes.
One of the ways I learned to overcome the mind-numbing fear was to practice the presentation until I could give it in my sleep.
For notes, only write down key words, in large print so they are easy to read. Use these sparingly as memory joggers, not as a script. The fastest way to bore an audience is to read your presentation word for word.
Practice where you will pause throughout your presentation. You need time to take a breath and your audience needs time to digest your point before you move onto the next one.
Rehearse not only what you’re going to say, but how. Use your voice and body language to make it interesting. Bob Mayer, best-selling author of over 40 books, publisher, and skilled professional speaker, notes, “as much as it is presenting information, it is also a form of entertainment. While content is important, presenting in an energetic and exciting manner is also important.”
A run-through in front of the mirror is good. Even better is a trusted friend who will tell you if you unconsciously use any “ah, um, you know, like” empty fillers.
No friends available? Try recording your practice run, on video if possible. Early in my career, I was taped as part of a media training course. Watching that video was a shocker. As I spoke, my hands were flailing around as if I was swatting at wasps. You don’t have to tie your hands behind your back but make sure you don’t hold a pointer, pen or any other object you might play with if you’re nervous. If you like putting your hands in your pockets, make sure there are no coins in there. You want your entire posture to project confidence and calm.
Your dress rehearsal should include the outfit you plan to wear for the presentation. What you wear should be appropriate and comfortable. You also want to be sure your shoes won’t squeak and your jewelry won’t rattle as you move.
You are ready. Standing at the side of the stage, you hear your name called. Wait! If you want to deliver your presentation with energy and composure—I’m remembering my embarrassing episode of stage fright in Grade 5—the delivery of your presentation starts at least an hour before you get to the podium. You arrive before anyone else so that you can scope out the room in advance, place some water within easy reach, make sure your notes are in order, set up and test out any equipment you’ve requested.
With your environment arranged, you focus on making sure you are ready. My eldest brother had a long and successful career as an on-air morning show host on national public radio. He had to wake up his mouth and voice before flipping on the microphone. He might tighten and stretch his face muscles, rotate his lower jaw to loosen the jaw muscles, and recite a tongue twister, like “Rita wrote a ridiculous rhythm about racoons” or other sound combinations. Try it and your opening will slide out more smoothly.
Right before you begin is also the time to release any pent-up tension from your body by rolling your shoulders, stretching your neck, pulling your arms over your head and behind your back to open up your chest. Then take three deep abdominal breaths, straighten your shoulders and walk out to the podium with confidence.
While presenting, stay aware of your audience. If they are yawning or drooping, do not take it personally, especially if it’s after lunch. Have you slipped into a monotone, or started reading your slides? Add an anecdote or stretch break to wake them up.
Presentations are both an art and a science. Consult your library or bookstore to learn more about giving presentations. I can add a few final lessons that the books often miss, and that I learned the hard way:
Writers are skilled wordsmiths. Presentations are one more way we can use our talent in crafting, polishing and delivering words to an audience. Any writer can learn to give presentations but Alicia Rasley, an award-winning author and nationally known teacher of writing workshops, advises, “Give presentations because it excites you, because it’s fun, because you get to meet new people and see new places.”
As Emily Ohanjanians, Associate Editor, HQN Books (Harlequin) says, “It is certainly not easy for everyone, but just be confident in who you are and what you have to say. After all, if people read your writing, you must have something good to say!”
BRENDA COLLINS has long believed that, for writers to succeed, writing talent must be supplemented with strong business skills. To support that view, she has published articles and delivered workshops to hundreds of writers on career planning, professional networking and presentation skills. Collins also serves annually as a judge for an international mystery / suspense fiction-writing contest. Her paranormal novella, Witch in the Wind, is available on Amazon. Prior to becoming a freelance writer, Collins spent 25 years in the corporate world where her work included award winning technical and corporate writing.