Since I’m a book publicist, I am often asked to help authors land speaking gigs. This requires a very high level of expertise that we do not have. However, authors can make a great deal of money speaking. In fact, some may make more speaking than selling books. Believe it or not, some of my clients earn between $2,500 and $10,000 per speech on a regular basis. The tough part is actually getting the gigs.
If you’d like to secure speaking gigs as an author, this list is sure to help you out. Keep in mind that in many cases, their client is the organization or company in search of a speaker and not you. They are on the lookout for someone who fits in well and has the potential to deliver a memorable speech.
Here’s the list:
SPEAKERHUB – https://speakerhub.com/
SpeakerHub is a community of professional, independent, or amateur public speakers and trainers who would like to get noticed by event organizers, schools, and companies. They invite anyone with expertise in virtually any field.
The Tuesday Agency – https://tuesdayagency.com/about/
A full-service lecture agency in Iowa City, The Tuesday Agency represents authors, historians, artists, and scholars. It’s “dedicated to the literary arts and to thoughtful dialogue.
All American Speakers – https://www.allamericanspeakers.com/category/Authors
All American Speakers supports event producers, meeting professionals, nonprofits, corporate groups, universities and associations in booking speakers and entertainment. It’s a database that “houses booking information on everyone on the speaker circuit, regardless of their agency/bureau affiliation.”
American Program Bureau – https://www.apbspeakers.com/topics/
The American Program Bureau finds speaking engagements for literature speakers like best-selling authors, historians and poets. You’ll find the website to be very intuitive with categories and sub-topics that contain speakers for any conference. I used this firm to book speakers back when I was in college at UNLV. Highly recommend it!
Charli Jane Speaker Club – https://charlijane.com/charli-jane-speakers-club/
Charli Jane actively looks for speaking opportunities and displays them on their members-only website. Charli Jane’s service is unique because YOU reach out to the people looking for a speaker. While they do charge a monthly fee, they put together a list of 200+ speaking opportunities a month. If you reach out to a prospect and they determine you’re a good fit, you’ll get booked.
Endless Speaker Leads – https://www.endlessspeakerleads.com/learn-more
Jess Todtfeld, author of Media Secrets: A Media Training Crash Course, has compiled the leading resources for speakers in one place. Through online videos, Todtfeld explains how to find conferences as well as the right contacts. She recommends authors and experts add speaking as a profit center to help boost book sales and business. Says Todtfeld, “If you can get more leads, you can make more connections and get more offers to have you as a speaker.” Check out an interview Jess conducted with Christa Haberstock of the SeeAgency about getting a speaker’s agent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO_V5vUpI4Y
Christian Speakers Services – https://www.christianspeakersservices.com/
The organization serves event planners and ministry leaders. The speaker roster has been vetted and you must apply if you’d like to become one of it’s speakers.
ExpertClick – https://www.expertclick.com/
Expert Click allows speakers and authors to send news releases and expand their online platform. Its proprietary news release distribution service pushes out ten ways including via Google News. Authors can get found based on 30+ key words that meeting planners are searching for. CEO Mitch Davis explains, “We have 150+ speakers and authors who use us including Patricia Fripp, Alan Weiss and Jeffrey Gitomer. We were featured in Tim Ferris’s book Four Hour Work Week, and PRWeek called us ‘a dating service of PR,’ The New York Times called us ‘dial-an-expert.’ I use it and recommend it. When you use this discount link to join you can save $100:
https://www.ExpertClick.com/Discount/Scott_Lorenz
GigSalad – https://www.gigsalad.com/
GigSaladt books entertainment and speakers for parties, productions and all types of books. It schedules 10,000+ performers and presenters across the U.S. and Canada. With the search tool, potential clients can view authors, categorized by genre and location.
Espeakers – https://www.espeakers.com/
The eSpeakers Marketplace connects the world’s greatest speakers together in one place and allows buyers to filter by topic, price range, and availability. It makes it a breeze to book and schedule meeting planners and speakers. You can think of it as Airbnb for speakers.
Harry Walker Agency – https://www.harrywalker.com/
The Harry Walker Agency works with thousands of meeting planners in search of speakers. It belongs to the International Association of Speakers Bureaus (IASB) and has the largest selection of speakers in the world.
International Association of Speakers Bureaus (IASB) – https://www.iasbweb.org/default.aspx
IASB is the only trade association that exclusively represents speakers bureaus and agencies. Those that request assistance in finding a speaker are referred to the Bureau Directory on the IASB website.
Lyceum Agency – https://www.lyceumagency.com/
The Lyceum Agency represents authors and academics for speeches, lectures and readings on a variety of subjects. You’ll notice a comprehensive list of speakers on the website.
Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) – https://www.pcma.org/
Professional Convention Management Association or PCMA is known as “the definitive authority in education, business networking and community engagement for leaders in the global meetings, convention and business events industry.” It has more than 6,500 members and 50,000 customers.
Nancy Vogl Speakers Bureau – http://www.nancyvoglspeakers.com/
Based in Traverse City, MI Nancy Vogl Speakers Bureau is a“boutique bureau” that books professional speakers in leadership, diversity and sales, futurists, health and wellness professionals and those sending a message of hope and inspiration.
National Speakers Association (NSA) – https://nsaspeaker.org/
NSA offers a network of 3,400+ speakers as well as the tools, techniques and professional connections to help you share your message effectively. No matter if you speak at their annual conference, chapter meetings or other events, NSA is dedicated to helping you grow your business.
National Speakers Bureau – https://nationalspeakers.com/
The National Speakers Bureau has achieved over 40 years of success! In most cases, clients are corporations and business associations. You can search for speakers based on topics and fees. **Only a small fraction of received speaker inquiries result in a correct fit.
HarperCollins Speakers Bureau – https://www.harpercollinsspeakersbureau.com/
The HarperCollins Speakers Bureau is only available to authors published by HarperCollins, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. It partners with corporations, universities, schools, associations, libraries, clubs, hospitals, foundations, and other professional groups and societies in the U.S. and around the world.
redBrick Agency – https://redbrickagency.com/applause/
The redBrick Agency works with corporations, conventions, arts and lecture venues, libraries, performing arts centers, schools, colleges and universities. It represents all types of authors and speakers.
Speakers’ Spotlight – https://www.speakers.ca/
Speakers’ Spotlight has organized more than 20,000 speaking engagements in over 30 countries. It locates speakers for the top corporations, associations, government agencies, colleges and universities, school boards, health care organizations and charities.
Steven Barclay Agency – https://www.barclayagency.com/
The Steven Barclay Agency serves colleges, universities, schools, performing arts centers, corporations, associations, and for private events.
TED – https://www.ted.com/
Collectively, TED speakers have won every major prize, including the Nobel, Pritzker, Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy, Emmy, Tony and MacArthur “genius” grant. It also looks for emerging artists, scientists and thinkers who are good fits for the TED community.
To speak at TED – https://www.ted.com/about/conferences/speaking-at-ted
TEDx – https://www.ted.com/about/programs-initiatives/tedx-program
A TEDx event is a local gathering where live TED-like talks and videos previously recorded at TED conferences are shared with the community. TEDx events are fully planned and coordinated independently, on a community-by-community basis.
Thumbtack – https://www.thumbtack.com/
Thumbtack’s motto is “From house painting to personal training, we bring you the right pros for every project on your list.” Despite the fact presentations are more obscure than other professional services offered, this platform does book motivational speakers.
“If authors want to get speaking gigs they need to figure out where the leads are and have an easy system for following up on them,” says Jess Todtfeld, creator of EndlessSpeakerLeads.com, a guide to finding and connecting with events and those who book them.
Want to succeed as a speaker? It’s time to get to work and use this list to help you book some engagements. Best of luck!