Writers Who Kill

Why Authors Need Public Speaking Skills

By Heather Weidner

If you read studies about universal human fears, public speaking is always at the top of the list. In high school and college, I was terrified of any speaking engagement, and it took years for me to overcome it.

My company sponsored a Toastmasters group when I was a technical writer, and I swallowed the panic and signed up. The good thing was that the group was new, and everyone was a novice. We bonded over a “we’re in this together” vibe, and it was the best training that I’ve ever invested time in.

As a writer, you are often asked to do panels, teach workshops, do readings, and speak to groups. The more you practice, the better you get. But many people miss opportunities to meet readers and talk about their books because it is such a debilitating fear. I stuck with my Toastmasters journey, and after several certifications and what felt like hundreds of speeches, I finally was comfortable standing in front of a group.

 Here are some things I learned that have helped me along the way.

•  Don’t have anything in your hands or put your hands in your pockets. People tend to jiggle their keys or change and play with pens or things in their hands. Don’t clutch the microphone, lectern, or table. It makes you look like you’re hanging on for dear life. (I shredded a tissue once, and another time, I broke a ball point pen.)
• Practice what you’re going to say in front of a mirror or record it, so you can see if you’re making faces or tripping over certain words. But don’t write out your presentation verbatim. Put bullet points in your notes. You want to look natural and sound authentic.
• Make sure you’re looking at the audience. If it terrifies you, look at the top of their heads. They think you’re looking at them, and you’re not staring them in the eyes.
• Don’t read your PowerPoint slides verbatim to the audience. Talk about key points and provide examples. And don’t turn your back on the audience to read your slides.
• Watch the “errrrs” and “ummms.” A lot of times, you use them or crutch words (like “you know,” “you see,” or lots of “ands”) for fillers. People start paying attention if there are too many, and they listen for them and ignore your message.
• Know your material. It’s okay to have index cards or a few notes (like bulleted items), but don’t take a copy of what you’re going to say verbatim. You will go to where you are most comfortable, and you’ll end up reading your text, and that is the fastest way to put people to sleep.
• If you lose your thought, take a breath or a pause and then continue. Pauses always feel a lot longer for the speaker than they do to the audience.
• If you’re on a panel, be a good citizen. Don’t hog the time or the microphone. If you agree with what someone else said, give them a shout out. Be attentive and listen to your fellow panelists’ answers.
• And don’t forget to speak into the microphone. You want to make sure everyone can hear you.

Feeling comfortable as a speaker opens up all kinds of opportunities (many of them are paid) for writers. And it’s nice to be invited to be a presenter or a guest speaker. 

Through the years, Heather Weidner has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager. She writes the Pearly Girls Mysteries, the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, The Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, and The Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries. 

Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a crazy Mini Aussie Shepherd.