By Laura Bradford
I'm in a hotel outside Franklin, NC today as part of a little mini book tour for my latest release, ASSAULTED PRETZEL.
I'll spend the better part of the afternoon at Dalton's Christian Bookstore before driving five hours to get to Nashville, TN for a signing at Mysteries & More tomorrow afternoon.
Early on in this book stuff, I felt sick every time I had to talk to a group of people. My voice shook, my mouth felt like I had bags of cotton in it, and I'd get this squirrley feeling in the pit of my stomach. It wasn't pretty, I'll tell you that.
Fast forward seven years and, well, no more cotton...no more shake...no more squirrley feeling. In fact, I think I'd even go so far as to say I enjoy talking in front of a group now. I suppose it has something to do with practice. Maybe some of it is the realization that most people are receptive. And maybe some of it is that after spending so much time alone with a keyboard during the writing process, I welcome the opportunity to see human beings. Toss in the fact these particular human beings are book lovers and, well, it's a pretty ideal situation.
Am I gifted at the public speaking gig? No. But I'm far better than I was, that's for sure.
So how about you? Is public speaking something in your comfort zone?
~Laura
Laura, I spent decades running a university women's center, putting on seminars and conferences, giving talks, teaching, so the getting up to speak in public part of an author's life wasn't a problem for me. Too many years of practice. Some of the rest of it really kicks my butt, though. :-)
ReplyDeleteHope your book tour goes well and you sell TONS of books!
Linda, I imagine that experience has helped you a lot!
DeleteWell, no book tours under my belt but when I do have to speak in public, I'm usually a wreck until I begin, then I enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteThe before is a little unnerving, isn't it? :)
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