#5. Turn your Book Cover into a Speaker One Sheet
By Susan Kendrick
Here it is, the fifth and final post in our 5-part series. Enjoy!
Books and speaking have always helped each other: Being an author improves your ability to get speaking engagements, and speaking increases your ability to sell and pre-sell your books. Here's how to take that relationship one step further and use your book cover copy and design to create your speaker one sheet.
Start with your Book Title and Subtitle
If you are currently a speaker or want to start speaking on the same topic as your book, you can use your book’s title and subtitle as the topic title and subtitle for your one sheet. Doing so helps you build a consistent brand for your message and your expertise—as both as an author and speaker.
If you will be speaking to a more tightly targeted group or situation, you can add that identifier to the title. You can even create a series of presentations targeted to different audience needs or circumstances. For example, a book titled “Top 10 Leadership Secrets” can become more tightly niched speaking topics:
- “Top 10 Leadership Secrets--for a Down Economy”
- “Top 10 Leadership Secrets--for IT Managers”
- “Top 10 Leadership Secrets--for Keeping Your Most Talented Employees”
- Etc.
Now, Borrow Your Book’s Back Cover Copy
For non-fiction books, the copy components you should have on your back cover are similar to those that belong on your speaker one sheet. One thing to keep in mind is that your back cover copy is usually written as a one-on-one conversation with your potential reader. Your one sheet copy, on the other hand, is directed to meeting planners and other decision-makers that will hire you based on what you can do for their audiences and how that will ultimately help those companies and organizations.
See how the following copy elements from your back cover translate onto your one sheet:
- A headline that immediately speaks to some hot-spot need, dilemma, question, statistic, or desire for improvement
- Stand-out-from-the-crowd positioning copy that shows why you and your message are the solution your potential clients are looking for
- Powerhouse bullet points that tell what the audience will take away from your presentation
- Killer endorsements. If you are just starting out and don’t yet have endorsements specifically about your speaking, you can usually get permission from your sources to tweak their book quotes so that they speak not just to your book, but to your overall expertise on your topic
- A high-profile bio that reinforces your credibility, expert status, and related services
To complete your one sheet, now add these elements to your copy:
- “Short List” of High–Profile Clients
Like testimonials, this list speaks to your credibility by showing who else has already made use of your expertise and services. Again, if you are just getting started in speaking, this list can represent companies and organizations for whom you have provided consulting or training. Many new speakers will even offer to speak at well-known, big-name organizations or companies for free to be able to include them on their list of clients and to fine-tune their presentation delivery.
- Media Appearances (Not necessary if none are available yet)
Keeping your target audience in mind, list where you have been featured in major media outlets—radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, industry publications, and websites.
- Additional Topics List
This is a list of the topic titles of other presentations you deliver as either keynotes or seminars. It demonstrates the range of your expertise and your ability to deliver on a variety of related and sought-after topics. It is a great way to generate repeat bookings right from the start.
- “Educational Materials” List
This is the place to list your book and one or two other relevant products, workbooks, etc. Most companies and organizations have an “Educational Materials Budget” that may be used to order books, etc. for their audience participants.
Graphics—Look to Your Book
Again, borrow from your book cover to create the layout and design for your one sheet. This will give you a cohesive "visual brand" across all your marketing materials. Your speaker one sheet can be designed with the same color, fonts, and overall look of your book cover. You should also have a photo of you on each side of your one sheet. And, include the name and contact information of the speaker’s bureau that is promoting you, or your own name and contact information if you are promoting yourself to meeting planners.
The point is, you don’t have to wait for your book to arrive from the printer before you can start benefiting from the credibility and expert status that book gives you. You are already an expert; your book is just the culmination of that expertise. Get out there and enjoy the rewards of your hard-won knowledge and wisdom, even if you are still working on your book. And, let your book cover work as hard as you do to make that happen.
For more help on how to create your speaker one sheet or your complete speaker’s kit, email us at info@WriteToYourMarket.com or call us at 1-888-634-4120.
Happy Publishing … and Speaking!
Susan
© Copyright 2008, Susan Kendrick, Write to Your Market, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.WriteToYourMarket.com/ 1-715-634-4120.
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