Learn From Speaking
Speaking in Front of Humor Writers
The time I spoke at the University of Dayton’s Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop
As the author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, I have spoken at writer’s conferences around the world, but the one I remember the clearest was the year I spoke at the University of Dayton’s Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop for humor writers. The workshop was named after one of the funniest humorists to ever write a newspaper column.
Now, I’m not a humor writer, but I can tell a funny story or two. Not jokes, never jokes — I don’t have the timing or the confidence to tell jokes.
I was invited to give the after-lunch talk on the second day of the workshop. But I didn’t talk about humor, jokes, laughs, or anything funny. My talk that day was focused on helping authors sell their books (first to a publisher and, second, to readers).
With some 350 people in the audience, all of whom are funnier than me, I was a bit nervous as I stepped up on the stage to speak. But that nervousness quickly disappeared as I started sharing stories and advice on writing, publishing, and marketing a book.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about speaking, it’s the stories people will remember — not your advice, but the stories you tell.
So I wove in stories about The Bridges of Madison County, Chicken Soup for the Soul, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, 1001 Ways to Be Romantic, The Dummies series, and other authors and publishers I’ve known or consulted with. When telling such stories, I always include some funny tidbits along with meaningful advice.
I was hoping for this sort of applause:
Well, I didn’t get a standing ovation, but I did get some laughs, a lot of questions at the end, and some polite applause.
One question inspired me to offer to do a special session on the last morning of the conference (when nothing was scheduled). In that session, I offered to reveal to people how to market their books online, how to build an army of fans, and how to navigate the world of social media. Over 80 people squeezed into the small room given to me to do the presentation — it really was standing room only.
I probably received more laughs and more applause in that smaller meeting than in the larger after lunch talk.
What I learned from that experience is to be open to sharing more than anyone expects you to share. Sharing stories, especially, is a very effective way to create fans that will tell other people about your work.
In my experience, every time I speak before a group, I seem to learn more from them than they learn from me. People inspire me. They tell me their stories, and I always listen. It’s how I learn.
If I do not listen, my job is only half done. It’s in the listening that I learn more about my own business of publishing. But, more important, it’s in the listening that I learn what moves people, what gets them going in the morning, what stirs them into more action, and WHY they do what they do. It’s in the WHY that most people truly act.
I realize that the above story isn’t humorous at all, so to end this article, I’d like to share a few of Erma Bombeck’s best pieces of wisdom:
“It was rumored that Ernest Hemingway wrote naked, standing at a typewriter waist-high. Women novelists couldn’t do that. They couldn’t hold in their stomachs that long.” — Erma Bombeck, humorist
“It is probably true that every person has a book in him fighting to get out. …The wannabe writer has to commit by putting all those hopes and dreams on the line.” — Erma Bombeck, humorist
“When I wrote my first book, I outlined it on paper plates because they were the only scraps of paper in the house that hadn’t been crayoned on.” — Erma Bombeck, humorist
“I believe everything of any importance in this world has been brought about by dreamers, visionaries who see beyond the first step.” — Erma Bombeck, humorist
“Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart.” — Erma Bombeck, humorist
“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, “I used everything you gave me.” — Erma Bombeck, humorist
