Free Speech: Should You Charge To Talk About Your Book?

A Literal Literary Loser Speaks Freely

According to Health Central, up to 75% of the population suffers from glossophobia, a fear of public speaking.

I am… not one of those people.

I am afraid of speaking up too often in public and monopolizing the conversation. I am afraid of speaking too freely in public and offending people. I am afraid of not being able to speak as much as I yearn to in public, which is why I have trained myself to dig my nails really hard into my palms so that the pain distracts me and keeps me for babbling on and on (sometimes; sometimes, I work through it). I am not, however, afraid of speaking in public.

As a result, I speak in public. A lot. Especially when it comes to my books. I do podcasts and Zoom chats with book clubs. (My first historical fiction, “The Nesting Dolls,” came out July 2020, at the very height of the pandemic. If anyone ever asks you, “Do you want to release a new book in a new for you genre during a global pandemic?”, I recommend demurring politely. On the other hand, it did introduce me to the concept of Zoom book talks, which I embraced wholeheartedly and continued to do for my November 2022 historical fiction, “My Mother’s Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region.” It’s really great. With Zoom, I get to talk in public in public places I otherwise would have never gotten to.)

I also do workshops in line with my non-fiction titles, “Getting into NYC Kindergarten” and “Getting into NYC High School,” as well as talks outside of the books, but still on the topic of education, such as my workshops on gifted education. (Did you know that 50% of NYC kids test in the top 10th percentile nationwide? NYC is awash in gifted children! Now let me tell you how to educate them…)

I have made no secret of the fact that I write because I love it more than anything (husband, parents, sibling and children don’t count, they are anyones, not anythings), because I couldn’t live without it, because it is the thing that puts me in a state of “flow” above all others. But I also write for money. Writing is my profession. Writing is my job. I write to make money. (How much money do I make? Find out here! As you may have noted, I am not shy about… anything.)

But should I speak to make money, too?

That’s a tougher one. In the beginning, my book talks were free and strictly promotional. I made public appearances as a way to get people to buy the books. For fiction, if I was speaking at a book club, the hope was readers would either buy it in advance to read and be prepared, or that they would be so charmed and/or intrigued by my presentation, that they would make a purchase after the fact.

For non-fiction, the goal was to whet potential buyers’ appetites. Applying to school in NYC is SO complicated, that a one-hour overview was only the tip of the iceberg. The books would offer much more detailed information.

But a funny thing happened. In the twelve years since “Getting into NYC Kindergarten” was first released (eight years since “Getting into NYC High School”), my workshops have become more popular than the books. Parents appreciate the chance to ask questions. And they are willing to pay for the privilege.

I now make more money from my workshops than I do from book sales. The books are an advertising tool for the public speaking, not the other way around. Which is why, these days, I charge. (I do pro bono workshops for underserved communities and child-centered non-profits, but that’s a different issue. I also offer free videos. Which, in turn, are promotions for the books. Which are promotions for the workshops.)

That is not the case for my fiction writing. Every once in a while, I do get invited to meet with a book, synagogue, Hadassah, public library or community group capable of offering an honorarium for their speakers. In that case, I accept it. It’s the polite thing to do, after all.

But that happens maybe 5% of the time. 95% of the time, I speak for free. And I am happy to do so.

First and foremost, as mentioned above, I am not afraid of public speaking. I kind of get off on it, to be honest.

And, secondly, in addition to how much I enjoy talking about myself… er, my books… there is always the possibility that it will lead to sales. And recommendations to friends. And friends who have their own book groups.

But, mostly, I just like talking.

I plan to do a lot of it in support of my May 2025 historical fiction, “Go On Pretending.”

So reach out to me if you’ve got a book club that needs a speaker. It won’t cost you a penny!

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And speaking of my love for talking - it appears to be hereditary. My daughter and I are back with the latest episode of our YouTube series, “Explaining the USSR To My Kid - Through Books!” Check it out below….