Re: Speaker Fees

**R* M* M* <r*@comcast.net>**

This is a tough subject for me. Because I own a business "Nichols Garden Nursery" they often think I should be free and seem quite surprised and bereft of any funds when I ask for a bit. I agree with most everything said thus far and have to also add I'm appreciative of the smaller groups that asked me to speak along the way and provided an opportunity for me to become a better speaker. Times change, audiences have ever higher expectations and costs to speakers are increasing. 
Does anyone have a suggestion about the "owning a business" aspect? I come pretty cheap when my husband and I are hosted at a wonderful Oregon Wine Country restaurant and I've sold a pile of books.
Rose Marie Nichols McGee
www.NicholsGardenNursery   coauthor McGee & Stuckey's Bountiful Container
On Aug 2, 2011, at 11:01 AM, Ann McCormick wrote:

> Somewhere in the 60's $50 came to be the acceptable fee for speakers. I
> still get garden clubs asking me to accept $50 and a free lunch. And for
> someone out of town, $125 barely covers a tank of gas plus lunch at
> McDonald's.
> 
> As you can tell, this topic gets my dander up. Speaking is hard work, if you
> do it right, and should be paid accordingly.
> 
> Ann McCormick, Herb 'n Cowgirl
> Web: www.ann-mccormick.com
> Facebook and Twitter: 'herbncowgirl'
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Katie Elzer-Peters [k*@thegardenofwords.com] 
> Sent: Tuesday, August 02, 2011 10:44 AM
> To: gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: [GWL] Speaker Fees
> 
> Hi Everyone,
> 
> I've gotten several questions from Botanical Gardens lately about speaker
> fees. One garden is redoing their fees. Their current free structure is
> really low, I think. Right now, they give $50 to everyone and $125 to anyone
> outside of a 20 mile radius.
> 
> Would anyone care to weigh in on what their organizations pay, or ball parks
> for what they charge?

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