Would you ask a plumber to work for free?
As an author I love giving talks to readers and groups. I'm very happy to be invited to give talks. I've met wonderful people and am often invited back to give even more talks. I've been told, many times, "You're the best speaker we've ever had!" Not bad for a lass from a council house on a working class estate in an ex-pit village. Not bad for someone with zero confidence, crippling anxiety and no training in public speaking. My passion for my subject carries me and always shines through. However an author talk takes up a lot of valuable writing time. Time to prepare, often with PowerPoint presentations. Time to travel there and back. Time to set up, speak, chat afterwards, pack away and leave. Time to decompress afterwards. Time to reflect and absorb feedback. Time to follow up on contacts made. Time to write to thank everyone involved. Time to type up and prepare my invoice, adjust my self-employed business accounts and update my admin. It's a...
