Hi Reader,

Books and doors work well together.

Some books open a door, and others make great door stops.

Whether you're a coach, consultant, advisor, trainer, practitioner, or some other industry expert who wants to speak on stage, a side quest is often becoming a published author.

Public speakers with books tend to get better traction (and bigger paydays) with event planners.

However, it begs at least one question for non-published aspiring speakers...

"Do I need to publish a book to get paid to speak?"

Countless free speaking opportunities don't require much street cred.

Podcasts, virtual summits, workshops, and your local Rotarian hangouts will gladly welcome you to share with an audience for zero dollars and zero cents.

The key detail is getting paid to speak.

After working with 1,000+ presenters one-on-one, I can verify that you do not need to be published to get paid as a speaker.

Several clients I've worked with command $25,000+ per keynote - with zero books.

I was also paid as a speaker before publishing any of my books.

One of my highest-profile speaker clients gets $50,000 per speaking opportunity. He told me, "The closest I've come to writing a book is a working title, no outline. Maybe someday, but it's not a priority for me right now."

That said, having a short-form book (60-100 pages in standard 5.5"x8.5" print format) that details your proprietary method, process, or framework is an excellent investment.

Event planners want to know you have proof and depth of concept. What's your plan for getting consistent, sustainable results for your clients? How detailed are you in your process?

A method book - detailing your proprietary method - can pair well with the right stage content. It's a natural 'leave behind' for all attendees and usually costs between $2.40-$3.70 a copy. (Another tactic for another time)

However, instead of asking, "How can I get booked as a paid speaker without having a book?" it's worth asking, "What are event planners looking for their audience that doesn't require a book?"

Event planners want speakers who:

• Expertly challenge and even shift deeply held fallible beliefs.
• Give practical, you-proof insight to get immediate results for their audience.
• Share stories that ignite conversation that quickly tie back to their event.

None of those require having a book. All of those require solid Signature Talk content.

If you're a successful speaker who wants to write a book someday, use your stage experiences as field research:

• What content inside your talk is sparking the greatest reaction?
• Where are you seeing the most severe pushback, even though you know your stance is right?
• What are the shared characteristics and perspectives inside your audience where you want to focus your expertise?

Don't let publishing a book be this invisible, unnecessary obstacle to getting paid as a speaker.

If you're not booked as a paid speaker, it won't be because you're unpublished.

Share your expertise, prove your process works, bring a truckload of testimonials, and ask for what you're worth as a speaker.

That's why I'm hosting our five-day live online workshop called The Speaker Kit Buildout Bootcamp.

You can build everything you need to get booked as a speaker in less than an hour - and it starts this Monday, March 3rd.

​Save your spot for only $27.

See you Monday.

- Jon

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