I spoke yesterday at our famous outdoor bookstore in Ojai as part of the week-long Ojai Wordfest. Bart’s Books has been in existence for about 60 years. Used books are shelved in little alcoves surrounding a couple of large patio areas where you can sit and read or attend a book event. Some books are on shelves outside. When the store is closed, you can still purchase books. You just look at the price on the book and toss that amount over the fence onto the patio.
Today, I believe they have a slot where you put the money and it drops down into a can. I guess the new owners didn’t enjoy looking all over the cement each morning for coins.
One charm of Bart’s was the huge oak tree that grew up from the very center of the store. It had to be taken down a few years ago. It’s just not quite the same. I see that they have a resident cat, though. It seems that there was always a Bart the Cat wandering around the premises. Yesterday, I met Bart number 5 or 8 or 10—who knows?
My talk went okay. I got to talk about me—my journey as a career writer. I think I spread some inspiration around. A few people came up to me afterward to tell me that they felt inspired to follow their writing dreams and hoped they could be as committed as I was through the early years.
I had a friend ask me yesterday if I ever get nervous before a talk. I thought about it and responded this way:
“There is always the Gemini tendency to think and rethink and plan and consider and strategize and maybe worry a tad before a talk. No matter how well you plan for a presentation, there are still a lot of unknowns until you arrive at the venue.”
Yesterday, I arrived early, as I always do, and discovered that the metal chairs and tables were still very wet after the rainstorm the day before. I spent my prep time wiping them down with paper towels and pushing them out into the sun to further dry before guests arrived.
I told my friend, “Some of the unknowns are not revealed until you actually get up in front of the group. You don’t know how many people will show up, whether they will be friendly, what they hope to get from you, etc. So I think I get a little nervous until I feel the energy coming from my audience. If it is positive, which 99.99 percent of the time it is, this will settle any uncertainties or nerves within me.
“I may be concerned that I can deliver what the audience wants. I try to squelch that concern by asking what they want. And I may experience some anxiety about being able to stay on track with my speech—you never know when your message will fall flat. Of course, that’s why you prepare, prepare, prepare and then give yourself permission to deviate from your speech if you see a need to.”
I remember once, tearing up my speech notes in front of an audience, tossing the pieces up in the air and letting them rain down on me. Once I got started, I realized that the audience wanted/needed something different from me than I was led to believe. So I improvised and it worked out very well.
I no longer feel nervous about going before a group, but I do shine brighter when I feel the group is friendly and are really interested in the information I am presenting.
So I told my friend, “Nervousness—as in fear of speaking isn’t a problem for me, in most cases. But I think it is useful to be a little charged or stressed or on edge before speaking. It gives you a greater sense of energy. For me, I become more animated and energetic. And this, I think, energizes the audience and keeps them interested.”
Today, I’m speaking on another outdoor patio under a canopy of oaks. My talk title is “Generating Revenue Through Writing.” I imagine I’ll have quite a few people there who are eager to get insider tips for making money with their writing. I hope they aren’t discouraged when I tell them, what you’ve been hearing from me in this blog for years, that it takes more than writing talent to make money in this industry.
I’ll let you know how attendees accept my message about dedication, commitment, motivation, tenacity, persistence and hard work.
Have you ordered my two latest books, yet? I sold some on the patio at Bart’s Books yesterday and have some packed up to take with me today, in case people are in the market for some seriously valuable information and guidance.
Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author and Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author.
http://www.matilijapress.com
Also available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and most bookstores.