Re: Re: Lecturing over Writing?
- Subject: Re: [GWL] Re: Lecturing over Writing?
- From: M* <m*@optonline.net>
- Date: Mon, 08 Mar 2004 16:02:12 -0500
- List-archive: <http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/private/gardenwriters>
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Hi Jessie,
Lecturing was multi-faceted for me. As a stay at
home Mom with young children I was surprised that the writings I had posted on
the internet caused different garden clubs to come ask me to lecture. The first
club was in Florida, I live on Long Island, NY. No fee was offered but all
travel expenses were included plus the chance for me to meet the latest &
greatest in the Daylily world.
At one time I was lecturing once a month in a
different state each time. Some paid an honorarium, others couldn't afford one.
I saw Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Dallas, Chattanooga, Atlanta, San Diego,
Nashville, Washington DC, Boston and so many more places. The hosts were always
anxious to show off their best garden locations so I was taken to marvelous
private gardens and arboretums. The best situation for me was lecturing at large
conventions, I took the opportunity to sit through every other lecture and
touched base with the other speakers. It was a great learning experience that
cost next to nothing.
A local nursery woman had begun a garden website at
www.ligardening.com and asked me to
write the "ask the expert" column. It was so easy. Two questions, always my
choice from the write-ins, once every two weeks for $200 per month. Plus the
option to write an article when ever I wanted for another $100. I was making
$300 - $500 a month at something I loved.
The web site went belly-up after two years and
after 9/11 I found I didn't want to get stuck off Long Island away from my
family. Now I lecture out of town 2 or 3 times a year. Still for no money but
yes, I love the rewards of teaching.
Locally I started doing libraries and garden clubs.
Last year I had quite a number of bookings at $125 for a one hour lecture. I was
surprised at how many times the host/librarian would come up to me at the end of
the program and tell me my fee was too low. This year I raised my fee to $175
and instead of booking up to five lectures per week in the spring, I've
only booked 8 lectures in the next three months. Still, I've been advised to
stick with my higher fee, as a number of publications will come out with my name
in the next 1/2 year.
In September I'll attend the GWA convention and
look to make contacts to do more writing. With the economy the way it is here on
Long Island I really need to begin to earn enough money to buy more than
just perennials for my garden. I also need desperately to break out of the
"daylily world" and into the gardening world. The funny thing is that when I
lecture to daylily clubs or conventions I'm the non-daylily/perennial/design
specialist they bring in!
Sorry this was so long :-) I really do
love the lecturing!
Melanie Vassallo
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- References:
- Re: Who's the Audience
- From: M* &*
- Re: Lecturing over Writing?
- From: "Jessie Stephens" <jessie@texoma.net>
- Re: Who's the Audience
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