Author's Guide to Events & Speaking Engagements
Speaking is the highest-conversion in-person marketing activity available to most authors. An audience that just heard you speak for thirty minutes knows your voice, your values, and your perspective. They've already decided whether they like you before they ever see your book. The ones who do will buy on the spot at a rate that makes book signing numbers look modest.
Speaking also scales differently from signing. A signing reaches whoever happens to walk past your table. A speaking engagement puts you in front of a pre-assembled audience that chose to be there for something related to your topic. Events also build things that can't be bought: local credibility, relationships with librarians and community leaders who become long-term advocates, and the kind of word-of-mouth that travels through tight-knit communities at a speed no algorithm can replicate.
Types of Speaking Opportunities
Church firesides and devotionals are one of the most accessible and highest-converting speaking venues available to Cedar Fort authors. Ward and stake firesides draw assembled audiences of your precise reader. A fireside connected to your book's themes — faith, history, family, personal development — gives the audience immediate context for why your book matters to them. Contact your own bishop or stake presidency first to establish a local track record, then expand outward.
Relief Society events and women's conferences are a natural speaking venue for authors whose books address women's spirituality, family, personal growth, or faith. For many of our authors, these events are one of the highest-fit opportunities available.
BYU Education Week is one of the largest annual events in the LDS world, drawing tens of thousands of attendees to BYU's Provo campus each August. Presenting here puts you in front of an enormous, perfectly matched audience. Applications typically open in the fall for the following August. If your book addresses gospel topics, Church history, family, or personal development, this is worth applying for.
Time Out for Women is a national LDS women's conference tour reaching tens of thousands of Latter-day Saint women across dozens of cities. Being selected as a speaker is competitive but transformative for a Cedar Fort author's reach. Contact Deseret Book, which produces the event, about speaking opportunities.
Know Your Religion is a lecture series bringing LDS speakers to communities throughout the Church. A speaking slot here provides exposure to concentrated LDS audiences in markets you might not otherwise reach.
Schools and libraries are particularly valuable for children's book and YA authors. School visits reach students, but more importantly they reach teachers and parents who will buy the book. Many schools have author visit budgets. Contact school librarians directly — they are typically the booking contact for author visits and are almost always receptive.
Homeschool conventions and co-ops are hungry for author visits, curriculum-connected content, and books that align with their educational values. Cedar Fort authors writing children's, history, or middle-grade books are a natural fit. Search for homeschool conventions in your region — most have vendor halls and speaker programs.
Writing conferences position you as an expert among aspiring authors and build your reputation in the publishing community. LDStorymakers, Whitney Award events, and regional writing conferences regularly feature published authors as speakers and workshop leaders.
Libraries (beyond signings) run author lecture series, reading programs, and community education events. Many pay modest speaker fees. A library system with twenty branches in your metro area is twenty potential speaking opportunities with your ideal audience.
Corporate and organizational speaking is worth knowing about if your nonfiction book addresses workplace-relevant topics — leadership, productivity, mental health, communication. Corporate speaking can be highly lucrative and builds your author brand with a professional audience. This is a longer-term development path but a significant one.
Developing Your Speaker Presentation
A strong author presentation is not a reading and not an extended book pitch. It is a self-contained talk on a topic your audience cares about — one that happens to be deeply informed by your book — and that leaves the audience wanting to know more.
- Build one or two signature talks you can deliver to different audiences with minimal adjustment. A signature talk is a 30–45 minute presentation on a topic your book covers deeply, structured to deliver genuine value to a general audience who hasn't read it
- Open with a story, not an introduction. Don't begin by explaining who you are and what your book is about. Begin with a story or question that pulls the audience in immediately. The introduction comes after you have their attention
- Structure matters. A three-point structure (problem, principles, application) or a narrative arc (here's where I started, here's what I learned, here's what it means for you) gives your talk a shape the audience can follow
- Your book is the natural extension, not the point. At some moment in your talk — organically, not forced — mention that your book goes deeper on this topic. A brief, natural reference is far more effective than treating the talk as a long advertisement
- Leave time for Q&A. The most meaningful connections happen in the Q&A period. Questions tell you exactly what resonated and give you material for future talks and content
- Practice out loud, not just in your head. A talk that sounds good in your mind often sounds awkward spoken aloud. Practice the full talk standing up, out loud, at least three times before delivering it live
Getting Paid to Speak
Many authors begin speaking for free in exchange for book sales and exposure. This is appropriate when you're building your platform and track record. As you accumulate experience and credibility, transitioning to paid speaking is both achievable and appropriate.
- Church events typically don't pay honoraria but usually cover travel and allow on-site book sales
- Libraries some will pay $100–$500 for author events, depending on the library system's policies and budget
- Schools typically pay $300–$1,000 per school visit for established authors, sometimes more for full-day visits
- Conferences and conventions vary widely — some pay full honoraria and travel, others offer only complimentary admission
- Corporate speaking begins at $1,000–$3,000 for new speakers and scales significantly with experience and reputation
When you're ready to charge for speaking, create a dedicated speaking page on your author website that documents your topic, your format, your credentials, and your fee. A speaking page signals to event organizers that you take this seriously and have done it before.
Book Festivals and Fairs
Book festivals bring large numbers of book-buying readers to a single location over one to three days. The right festivals connect you with concentrated audiences of your ideal reader.
Festivals worth knowing for Cedar Fort authors:
- LDS Booksellers Association events — Trade events connecting LDS publishers with retailers, valuable for building distribution relationships
- Utah Valley Book Festival — A community book festival in a heavily LDS market with strong attendance from Cedar Fort's core readership
- Local and regional book festivals — Search "[City Name] book festival" for events in markets where you have community ties or existing readership
- Homeschool conventions — Large conventions like the Utah Homeschool Convention draw thousands of families and have vendor hall space available for authors with relevant titles
- County and state fairs — An unconventional but surprisingly effective venue for local authors. Traffic is high, curiosity is open, and competition from other authors is minimal
Making the Most of a Festival Booth:
- Stand in front of your table rather than sitting behind it — it's more approachable and more energetic
- Display your most visually striking cover prominently — at eye level, large enough to read from several feet away
- Have a simple sign that communicates your genre or topic in plain language: "Pioneer Historical Fiction," "LDS Children's Books," "Faith-Based Self-Help for Women" — so browsers can self-select quickly
- Offer a giveaway entry (email signup) to collect contact information from people who browse but don't buy
- Bring more inventory than you think you'll need — running out of books mid-festival means lost sales you can't recover
- Process credit cards — readers increasingly don't carry cash. A Square or Stripe reader on your phone eliminates this barrier. Venmo is another option.
Virtual Events
Virtual events remove geography as a constraint. A virtual fireside, online launch party, or Zoom author visit can reach readers in dozens of cities simultaneously — particularly valuable for building connections with communities you can't visit in person.
- Virtual launch party — A live event on or around your book's release date, hosted on Zoom, Facebook Live, or Instagram Live. Invite your email list and social following. Read a passage, answer questions, and celebrate with your community. Give attendees an easy link to buy and a reason to act during the event (limited-time signed bookplates, giveaway entry for those who purchase)
- Virtual author visits for schools — Many schools now accommodate virtual author visits via Zoom, making it possible to visit schools anywhere in the country. Virtual visits are typically shorter (30–45 minutes) and easier to schedule than in-person visits
- Virtual book club appearances — Offer to appear via Zoom at book clubs currently reading your book. A 30-minute visit — answering their questions, sharing what went into the book — generates enthusiastic reviews, word-of-mouth, and often bulk purchases of your next book. Promote this offer on your website and social channels
- Facebook Live and Instagram Live — Unscripted live video on your own channels is a low-pressure way to build personal connection with your following. A weekly or monthly live session — reading a passage, answering reader questions, discussing your research — creates the sense of knowing you personally that drives long-term loyalty
Capturing Contacts at Every Event
Every in-person event is an opportunity to add engaged, warm readers to your email list. The conversation ends when the event does — the relationship continues only if you have a way to stay in touch.
- Display a QR code prominently at your table and at any event where you speak. Link it to your reader magnet landing page. Mention it from the stage: "If you'd like a free [reader magnet], scan this code and it'll be in your inbox in minutes"
- Bring a physical sign-up sheet as backup for readers who aren't comfortable with QR codes
- Mention your email list from the stage. A speaker recommendation from the stage converts at a much higher rate than a table sign at the back of the room
- Enter new contacts into your email platform within 24 hours of the event, while the context is fresh
After the Event: Follow-Through
Most of the long-term value from speaking and events comes from what you do afterward.
- Post about the event on social media — photos of the venue, the audience, your setup. Tag the organization or host. These posts serve as social proof and publicly thank whoever invited you
- Send a thank-you note to your host within 24 hours. Note specific things that went well and express genuine interest in returning. It's a habit most speakers skip — and that hosts remember
- Add the event to your media or speaking page. A growing list of past appearances builds the portfolio that books future engagements
- Send a post-event email to your list if something notable happened — a great question from the audience, a milestone, a meaningful moment. These personal dispatches are some of the most engaging emails authors send
- Enter new contacts into your email platform while the context is fresh
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Skipping small events because they seem too small. A fireside with 30 people where you're the featured speaker will outsell a book fair booth where you're one of 200 authors. Intimacy converts
- Not promoting the event beforehand. Your own audience should know about every appearance before it happens
- Treating the talk as a book pitch. Audiences disengage the moment they feel sold to. Deliver genuine value first — the book sells itself
- Failing to capture contacts. Every person who walks away without joining your list is a relationship that ends the moment the event does
- Not practicing out loud. A talk rehearsed only in your head is rarely the talk you want to give on stage
- Accepting every event without evaluating fit. Not all events are worth your time. Evaluate each against your goals before committing
Speaking & Events Checklist
Before Any Event
- ☐ Event logistics confirmed in writing (date, time, format, A/V requirements)
- ☐ Event promoted to email list
- ☐ Event promoted on social media (at least 2 posts: announcement and day-before reminder)
- ☐ Sufficient book inventory confirmed
- ☐ Credit card reader set up and tested (Square or Stripe)
- ☐ QR code sign printed and ready (links to email signup page)
- ☐ Business cards or reader magnet cards packed
For Speaking Events
- ☐ Signature talk developed and practiced out loud (minimum 3 run-throughs)
- ☐ Slides or visual aids prepared (if applicable)
- ☐ Books available for sale at the event (or purchase link ready)
- ☐ QR code for email signup planned to mention from the stage
- ☐ Q&A time built into the schedule
After Every Event
- ☐ Event photos posted on social media
- ☐ Thank-you sent to host within 24 hours
- ☐ New email contacts entered into email platform
- ☐ Event added to website media or speaking page
- ☐ Post-event email sent to list (if notable moment worth sharing)
LDS-Specific Speaking Pipeline
- ☐ Local fireside arranged or requested
- ☐ Stake Relief Society or women's event contact identified
- ☐ BYU Education Week application submitted (applications typically open in fall)
- ☐ Time Out for Women speaking inquiry sent to Deseret Book
- ☐ Know Your Religion contact identified and pitched
- ☐ Deseret Book signing coordinated through Cedar Fort
Next step: Events reach readers one room at a time. Book clubs multiply that reach by putting your book at the center of ongoing community conversation — and a single book club adoption can generate sales, reviews, and word-of-mouth that outlast the event by months.
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