Filling out the forms reminded me of the benefits of giving conference presentations. Travel expenses and last-minute glitches do not negate these benefits. In fact, I leave with a sense of renewal. If you are a book author and looking for marketing opportunities, you may wish to submit some conference proposals. These are the benefits I gained.
1. Completing the form makes you consider themes. Each conference has a theme and your book or books may have themes as well. Ever since I lost four family members in 2007 I have been writing about grief reconciliation and recovery. I have two main themes, one, that grief recovery is possible, and two, that mourners can be happy again. I write about these themes because I lived them.
2. Conference talks are thinking exercises. Usually the form asks you to cite the purpose of your talk and main points. To do this, you must think of your talk as a whole, its title, its purpose, main points, and sub-points. This mental exercise may be beneficial later. I submitted an electronic proposal to one organization and as soon as I hit send I thought to myself, ?Wow, that could be a book.?
3. Attending a conference is an inspiring experience. Last summer I participated in a conference for people who have lost a child. Though attendees were in various stages of grief, grief is the experience that united us. I was inspired by the stories I heard and the courage of the people I met. You may be similarly inspired.
4. Each conference is a learning experience. Just being at a conference can get your creative juices flowing. You also have a chance to pick up on trends. At the conference for bereaved parents I discovered that many bereaved people write, or want to write, books about their experiences. In short, I had lots of competition. But I also learned my work is unique because I write about multiple losses and as someone who is raising grandchildren
5. Speaking is a book marketing opportunity. However, you can?t over-do it. One proposal form said I could mention my book or books at the beginning of my talk, and leave it at that. The conference organizers don?t want presenters to turn their talks into television commercials and I agree with this view. There is a big difference between offering help and a hard sell.
Conference organizers may ask if they can film you while you are speaking. You may also be asked to autograph books in the conference book store, another opportunity to get to know existing and future readers. Yes, giving conference talks is lots of work, but I think the benefits are worth it.
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