Re: Public speaking

**G* R* <g*@tiscali.co.uk>**

This has been a great thread. So many different approaches, different 
preferences.

Fees etc - Everyone has their own point of balance between the fee 
charged, the rewards in publicity, the sales of books, the getting 
across of the message, the necessity to earn a living at this 
business and so on. The problem with people charging $75 is that it 
brings rates down for everyone. I sometimes get a response such as, 
from a botanic garden: "we only pay $75, that's what [insert name of 
book author, retired from career in a different industry on a 
comfortable pension] charged." According to the GWA survey, 28% or 
respondents charge less than $100.

Preparation - Gene's account confirms that even if he gives the same 
talk twenty times he's probably earning only a few dollars an hour. 
But he's also promoting his nursery and perhaps selling plants - at 
local events, at least. It takes me less long to prepare a new 
lecture, but I also deliver a new talk to an empty sofa a couple of 
times before taking it out to a group. Moving to digital 
presentations should speed things up.

Organisation - Of course, things go wrong... accidents happen. The 
problem is not that the bulb blows in the group's projector - it's 
that they don't have a spare. And when they insist on taking the lock 
off the top of the slide carousel "to make sure the slides are all in 
the right way up" and then, before they can be stopped, drop the 
whole lot on the floor - it happened. And when they don't black out 
the room properly, only have remote control with a 6ft cord, insist 
you stop your talk in the middle so they can hold a business meeting 
or run the raffle, change the venue without telling you (even if it's 
because you're so popular they need more space) and so on.

Accommodation - The problem here is that some organisers think it's a 
treat for the speaker to stay in a hotel, others that it's a treat to 
stay in a private home with an attractive garden. But what does the 
speaker need? That's what counts, not what the organiser thinks the 
speaker needs. And try persuading the hunter who's putting you up 
that you can't eat the venison they shot because you're a vegetarian!

Publishers and book sales - I don't think a publisher has ever paid 
me to give a talk to promote a book. Most will re-imburse expenses 
after the event; though some publishers pressure you to go, won't pay 
expenses or fee then complain when told a 300 mile round trip to 
speak to 40 people is not practicable. I'm in danger of doing Cathy's 
rant against publishers for her but income from the sale of one copy 
of a book is so much less than it used to be that, logically, we 
should be expecting publishers to do more. Instead one publisher 
recommended that I hire my own publicist because their PR office was 
so understaffed. In Britain, where most venues can be reached by car, 
loading up a few boxes of books to sell is no big deal. And out of 
print titles bought at a massive discount at the end of their 
published life can be sold at half the cover price - and everyone 's 
happy. Here in the US, once you have to get on a plane all that 
changes. Intersting that Amy says she never sells her own books 
herself, while Mary insists on it.

Getting bookings - I know someone who would make a wonderful garden 
speakers agent.... But I haven't yet persuaded her to take this on. 
Still trying. I tend to get bookings - or at least booking requests - 
as a result of someone in an audience enjoying the presentation. The 
GWA seems to have failed to add my details to their register months 
after I sent in the form - I'll try again. Just contacting 
organisations and offering to speak gets some response. I sent out 
about 120 in the summer, for example, got six bookings, plus three 
possibilities for the following season - but only 20 replies of any 
kind.

I enjoy giving talks, I enjoy the Q&A and I enjoy meeting people at 
the event. I'm starting to do more than I have been in recent years 
(after once doing quite a lot) as I'm planning my transatlantic 
travels more efficiently. But I'm also paying more attention to the 
balance between the time involved in the whole process and the 
various rewards (financial and otherwise) .

One final thing worth saying is that many people are finding it hard 
to make a reasonable income from the speaking part of their working 
lives - but the same is true of writing and photography. One magazine 
recently offered me some writing work - same rate as ten years ago, 
take it or leave it. One big British newspaper halved its photo rates 
not long ago - take it or leave it. Using one strand to take up the 
slack in another is now much less practicable.

OK... off to update the lecture page on my website.

Wishing everyone an enjoyable - not to mention prosperous - new year.

Graham

-- 
Website: http://GrahamRice.com
Blog: http://TransatlanticPlantsman.com
Image library: http://GardenPhotos.com
AHS Encyclopedia of Perennials: http://AHSPerennials.com
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