March Guest Author Pam Jenoff: Authors as Speakers
Sunday, February 28th, 2010
For all of the years I dreamed of becoming a novelist, one of the things I never considered was the aspect of public speaking. Shortly before my first novel, The Kommandant’s Girl, was published, I was surprised to begin receiving invitations to speak at various events. Most groups were interested in hearing about my experiences working on Holocaust issues in Eastern Europe that had inspired the book.
I went to my first event with some notes and stood up before the group – and froze. When I did manage to start talking, I read from the notes in a halting, stilted tone. I walked away from the event realizing that I had a lot of work to do. The experience also made me wonder – why do so many groups invite authors as speakers? The very nature of what we do – sitting in front of a computer alone all day with our imaginary friends – lends itself more to introverts – not always the most entertaining people.
Over the next several months, I developed a love-hate relationship with public speaking. (Note that I am talking about addressing large groups, not book clubs. There is nothing I like better than curling up with a dozen or so women in one of their living rooms and munching on yummy snacks while discussing one of my books.) I became better at it, but I learned to stay on my toes, as no two occasions were the same. Some crowds were huge, but one event erroneously scheduled on a college campus during spring break, drew only three people. Some audiences asked tons of questions while others asked none. Some want to talk about my background, others about the writing and publishing process, and still others about the book itself. Some groups were friendly, but one, as an observer later remarked, seemed determined to make me cry.
Three years later with the publication of Almost Home and I am still learning as a speaker. I’ve learned some things – open with a joke, express gratitude and humility, share the inside stories people seem to want to hear and try to bond with the group on some level. I try to know the audience (age, geography, interests) and tailor my remarks to them, while still remaining faithful to the core message I want to give. But there are still challenges: How do I keep it fresh and find new things to say, now that I am on my third book and encountering some of the same audiences over again? How do I discuss my books in a way that is comprehensive enough for those who have read them but doesn’t give away the ending for those who haven’t? And the question that has always vexed me, do listeners really like when authors do a reading or are they yawning as I drone on?
Despite my lingering misgivings as to the merits of myself as a speaker, I press on, because its good for my books and great to meet readers and bond with them in a way that keeps them coming back to my work, and humbling to be invited . If you have any thoughts on the writers you have heard speak, I’d love to hear from you (www.pamjenoff.com).