Time to get paid

71

That’s the number of times I’ve been paid to speak. Maybe more…I feel like I’m missing a few.

I had to update my CV a little while ago for a proposal I was submitting, which required me going back and adding three years of speaking engagements because I had stopped keeping track. That’s how I realized that I’ve been paid to speak at least 71 times.

Speaking isn’t easy. Getting up on the stage isn’t easy. Engaging the audience isn’t easy. And asking to get paid isn’t easy.

But you know what made it easier? My book, Saturday Millionaires: How Winning Football Builds Winning Colleges. I went back and counted, and 37 came directly from my book, and arguably another 6 wouldn’t have happened without my book.

So, a minimum of 37-43 times I’ve been paid to speak on a topic directly from my book.

But that doesn’t happen just because you write a book.

You need a little author marketing.

None of those people would have even known my book existed if I hadn’t lined up reviews, newspaper features, guest blogs, radio interviews, television appearances and more before my book came out. And they wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t done outside-the-box type things like talk professors into using my book in their classes.

And that stuff takes time and planning. I spent at least six months before my book was published focusing on the marketing piece.

And I’m here to tell you it paid off BIG time.

My book came out over five years ago, and I still get paid speaking gigs from it. How many authors do you know who can say that?

I’m curious – are you writing a book and want to get paid speaking gigs from it? What questions do you have about this?

As I mentioned, all the interviews, features, etc. that I lined up BEFORE my book came out were essential in getting these paid speaking gigs. Need help with figuring that out? Make sure you grab my book marketing checklist to discover the “must do” marketing activities that make up the bare MINIMUM of what should be done to promote your book to make the biggest impact. Sign up here.