From the Podium to the Press to the People.

Motivational speakers generate "back of the room" book sales

The words from the song "Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves" perfectly describe the sisters who are making their marks in the motivational world. With their inspirational writings and stirring words, these women are being heard in a field dominated by men. And they're doing it without the assistance or backing of mainstream publishers, contract advances and speaking bureaus. And they're also doing while singing the praises of self-publishing.

"There are so few of us in this genre," Jewel Diamond Taylor, the author of Success Gems, and Sisterfriends, says. "There's so much room and so much opportunity for African American women in this field." Quiet Time Publishing published Taylor's first two motivational titles, which are about taking responsibility for your own life by eliminating procrastination, fear and building self-esteem. But, though Taylor had had a publishing contract since 1995, she decided to move in the opposite direction of most authors. Instead of taking her third book to her publisher, she decided to self-publish her latest motivational book You Are Too Blessed to be Stressed. "It didn't take me any time to think about it," Taylor says. "I'm an active speaker. I was selling so many books that one day I asked myself what would happen if I were to publish a book that I could sell myself?" There was a reason she asked herself that question. If you ask Taylor to describe herself, without hesitation, she says, "I'm a speaker." And to Taylor, that's why self-publishing was the way to go; there is great opportunity to make money in the `back of the room'. "I speak, and then I sell." Taylor promotes herself as a speaker who happens to write books. Over the years, Taylor has sold thousands of books, but you may not find them in bookstores. "I don't care if my books are not in the stores," Taylor says strongly. "That's all ego and people need to get their ego out of the way in business. If you're a speaker, the best way to sell books is through your engagements. And if a person goes into a store and my book isn't there, the store will order it. They want to make money too."

Self-publishing made the most sense when Taylor looked at the cents. "No matter what people say, self-publishing a book is actually the easy part once you've done all the research. The question becomes what is the best way to capitalize on your talent? How can you get your product out there and make a living at the same time? And, if you can promote yourself as a speaker, self-publishing is the answer."

Veraunda I. Jackson agrees with Taylor. "I wasn't even interested in writing a book," Jackson, the author of Everything Has A Price, says. "I was speaking at various organizations and everyone kept telling me that I should write a book." So, after continuous coaxing, Jackson did just that. The former attorney wrote her book, which tells readers that if they have the strength to survive, they have the power to succeed. It is Jackson's own story about her struggle. Once she finished her motivational testament, she prepared to shop it to publishers. But after she sent thirty query letters and got thirty rejections back, she decided to self-publish.

"Once I thought about it, I wondered why I was even looking for a publisher" Jackson adds. "I had a built-in market. I was already speaking to thousands of people" The more Jackson researched self-publishing, the more it made sense to her. She looked into nontraditional methods, such as digital printing where she could order any number of copies, making it a much more cost-effective option than traditional printing. After she looked at the complete picture, she discovered that the pros of self-publishing far outweighed any cons. Within weeks, she had her finished product and only a few months after that, Jackson took the ultimate leap of faith and left her position as a prosecuting attorney. She became a full-time speaker, who happens to write books. "Speaking is the key in this business," Jackson says. "If you're a speaker, self-publishing is the only way to go because you will make a lot more than the royalties offered by mainstream publishers."

There are many others who agree with Taylor and Jackson, including Sara Freeman-Smith, a motivational speaker and the author of Turning Stones into Gems. This book helps readers find purpose and direction in their careers and lives. However, Freeman-Smith is also the author of How to Self-Publish and Market Your Own Book, a testimony to her belief in self-publishing and the success that it can bring.

These sisters have gone beyond just doing it for themselves by providing a blueprint for how aspiring speakers and writers can mesh the two talents to build lucrative careers.

Speaker/Author Internet Connection

Jewel Diamond Taylor can be reached at www.jeweldiamondtaylor.com and jeweldiamondtaylor.net

Veraunda I. Jackson can be reached at [e-mail]

Sara Freeman-Smith can be reached at www.sarafreemansmith.com