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Making Money as a Writer: Speaking · The Daily Writer

• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Daily Rider Podcast, where we bring you tips and inspiration each day to help you build habits for writing success.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: For more resources, including your free Daily Rider Starter Kit, visit DailyWriterLife.com.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: We've been working our way through a series on making money as a writer.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: On today's episode, we're talking about a strategy that many writers want to avoid entirely, but it's also one that can lead to all sorts of interesting opportunities.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: And what I'm talking about today is speaking.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: If you, like many writers, label yourself as an introvert, you probably think of speaking as something that you generally want to avoid because it involves interacting with groups and crowds.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: It involves standing up in front of people to deliver a talk.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: It involves engaging with strangers and maybe some travel.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: Well, as an introvert myself, all of those things drain my energy.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: For years, I tried not to admit to myself that they do, but it's just simply true.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: You can't really avoid reality.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: And there are certain activities that, no matter how valuable they might be, simply drain my emotional batteries.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: However, that doesn't mean that you should avoid those things entirely.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: It just means that you have to take advantage of those opportunities strategically and prepare for them accordingly.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: Speaking can be a really great way to get in front of groups and test out ideas.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: You can meet a lot of new and interesting people that you might otherwise not connect with.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, you can build new customers, clients, readers, or fans through those speaking opportunities.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: Now I come from the worlds of church ministry and higher education, so in those jobs, I was regularly speaking in front of groups on a daily or weekly basis as part of those jobs.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: But now as a ghostwriter and author, I haven't spent nearly as much time speaking, and honestly, it's not really part of my business strategy right now.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: However, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't consider speaking to be part of your strategy.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: Since the pandemic, the world has opened up a lot more, and people are hungry for in-person events.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're just getting started with speaking, I recommend doing some local events for free.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: I would try business groups, try the library, or maybe some church events if you're a person of faith.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: Or you could just invite some friends for coffee and do a short presentation.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't really matter how you start, it just matters that you start.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: And honestly, you might be surprised at how much you enjoy speaking once you get into it a bit.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: Even though this might not be your primary strategy right now, it can be a great addition to what you're already offering.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: Here's today's question Do you like the idea of getting into speaking?
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: And do you feel it's something that would give you energy or drain your emotional batteries?
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening, and I'll see you tomorrow.