If you’re a pastor, evangelist, teacher or any other category of public speaker, being a published author will:
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increase the effectiveness of your message
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improve your performance
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increase your audience
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boost your income
Here are six reasons why:
1. Being a published author can make you a better speaker.
The process of professionally publishing a book can make your speaking more dynamic and more popular. The discipline of turning your message into a manuscript and the process professional editing, proofreading and dialogue with your publisher that turns your manuscript into a book will sharpen your thinking and can help clarify and organize your oral presentation.
Even though your book won’t necessarily make you and expert, popular, more dynamic and your message more appealing, the process of publishing a book often helps all of those results become a reality.
2. Your book will give your audience in-depth access to your message and a call to action.
Regardless of how effective your presentation is, you can only fit so much into and sermon, teaching session or speech. Oral presentations are limited to the time and attention of the audience and the venue. By nature, what you tell your live audience is going to be more concise than what you can tell them in a book.
You may be able to share the core of your message in a live presentation by hitting the high points and sharing some anecdotes, but without the depth of understanding your book will allow it may impossible for your audience to fully understand and internalize your point.
There’s no ‘rewind’ in a live presentation – you’ve got to say it right and they’ve got to be listening. If your audience leaves the room without understanding what you’ve tried to share with them, you’ve lost them … and they’ve lost your message.
3. Selling books after your message creates additional revenue.
Several of our authors make more from book sales after their presentation than the honorariums they receive. In some cases your venue may not offer an honorarium, your book revenue will be the only recompense you may receive and may be the critical factor that makes the engagement financially worthwhile or possible for you.
It’s remarkable (and admirable) that so many ministers accept non-paying speaking opportunities, covering the cost of time and travel out of their own pockets. Selling your books to a grateful and interested audience not only provides resources that will benefit your audience long after your presentation is over, book sales provide revenue that allows your ministry to continue and thrive.
4. Being a published author lends credibility and validity to your ‘resume’.
You may think that having a published book shouldn’t affect the credibility and validity of your resume, but it’s a reality. People and organizations actively looking for talented, qualified speakers may not be familiar with you or your message. When evaluating a potential speaker they often look for evidence why they should consider you or your message.
A book with your name on it is the easiest, quickest way to establish credibility among those who are interested in your topic but may not know of you personally.
5. Being a published author can increase the amount and quality of your speaking invitations.
Whoever books you to speak wants the best possible experience and result for ‘their’ people. To the host, the fact that you are a published author means that you’ve most likely done your homework on the subject and the book itself allows the host to understand and vet your message up front, before inviting you to share it with their audience.
6. Being a published author make you easier to find.
Let’s face it, one of the first things a host does when considering a potential speaker is an Internet search. This is, by far, most common validation step in the vetting process. Your online footprint (your digital ‘resume’) should appear early and often by an Internet search of your name.
Being a published author with a reputable publisher, especially one who understands publishing in the21st century and the power of a strong Internet presence adds significantly to your online footprint. The online ‘places’ and frequency with which you and your book show up dramatically increases the “stature” of your online identity.
Now it’s your turn.
Are you a pastor, evangelist, teacher or any other category of public speaker? Have you thought of writing a book? Maybe you’re already in the process? Maybe you already have a published book, but it’s not doing as well in the market as you’ve hoped?
If you’re looking for more success in your career and more results with your audience, we’d like to help.