Written by: Vickie Sullivan | August 02, 2018
Why Some Prominent Authors Don’t Get Speaking Invites
Like any other marketplace, the speaking space is not immune to outside cultural forces. A recent NBC News article outlines why some popular authors don’t get those high-fee speaking gigs.
Let’s take a look at the motivations. If buyers love prominent authors, why wouldn’t some of these attention-getters be hot on the speaking circuit? My answer: They swerved into “business liability” territory, where the controversial go to die.
It’s a fair concern. You might have the right kind of attention that draws excitement to the event. But if you are too polarizing, the appearance could create a backlash on your hosts or a rash of bad media. (And we’ve seen how quickly that can escalate.) It’s an “ounce of prevention” thing.
Listen: How buyers decide if you are a business liability
When promoting your book, it’s tempting to go for broke and be really “out there.” There’s a difference, though, between provocation and inflamed. If you want your book to garner more speeches, make sure you stay in the safe zone.
(Many thanks to alert reader R. Alan Smith who passed this along while I was on the road.)
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