From Page to Platform: How to Succeed as an Author Speaker

by Matty Dalrymple, M.L. Ronn

Are you ready to elevate your writing career by stepping onto the stage? Establishing yourself as a successful speaker is both an art and a science. Where do you start?

From Page to Platform is your essential blueprint to making that leap. This comprehensive guide will help you land your first speaking engagements, deliver captivating presentations, and build a respected brand as a speaker. You’ll learn how to ...

Define your speaking goals and craft your unique message.Connect deeply with your audience, in-person or virtually.Land your first paid speaking engagement.Discover the secrets to creating impactful slides.Impress organizers and ensure you’re always in demand.Learn from Matty Dalrymple and M.L. Ronn (Michael La Ronn), two acclaimed speakers who have successfully transformed their words into income on the speaking circuit.

Whether you're an experienced author or just starting out, From Page to Platform offers insightful strategies, practical steps, and the inspiration you need to share your voice with the world from the stage.

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 2, 2024

About the author

Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers ROCK PAPER SCISSORS, SNAKES AND LADDERS, and THE IRON RING; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels THE SENSE OF DEATH, THE SENSE OF RECKONING, THE FALCON AND THE OWL, and A FURNACE FOR YOUR FOE; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including CLOSE THESE EYES and WRITE IN WATER. Matty lives with her husband and three dogs in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and enjoys vacationing on Mount Desert Island, Maine, and Sedona, Arizona, and these locations provide the settings for her work. Matty is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Brandywine Valley Writers Group.

Reviews

[Charles Shipps · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Page to Platform: How to Succeed as an Author Speaker by Matty Dalrymple and M.L. Ronn – A Comprehensive Review by Charles Shipps
From Page to Platform is a practical guide for authors transitioning into public speaking. Written by Matty Dalrymple and M.L. Ronn, both successful authors and seasoned speakers, the book provides a thorough roadmap for building a profitable and fulfilling speaking career. It covers everything from setting goals and managing logistics to negotiating fees and mastering audience engagement, with best practices for both in-person and virtual talks.
Dalrymple and Ronn address the complexities of adapting to presentations, with key chapters on defining your goals, creating a strategy, types of speaking engagements, preparing your talk, and handling different phases of an event.
One of the book’s notable strengths is its emphasis on actionable advice, including practical steps for building a “speaker toolkit” with essential items like media kits, speaker bios, and demo reels—vital resources for establishing credibility and securing opportunities. Additionally, the book offers downloadable templates and checklists, further enhancing its usability.
The authors highlight the importance of integrating speaking engagements with broader career goals, ensuring talks are not only impactful but also aligned with long-term success.
Strengths
• Comprehensive Coverage
• Experienced Authors
• Emphasis on Professionalism
• Practical Tools and Resources
• Goal Setting and Long-Term Focus
Despite its strengths, From Page to Platform has a few limitations:
• Niche Focus: Some advice is highly specific to authors, which may narrow its appeal for speakers from other industries.
• Lack of Diverse Examples: While helpful personal stories are shared, more examples from different industries or non-authors would make the book more broadly applicable.
• Prescriptive Tone: The advice can be quite structured, which may not suit readers who prefer a more flexible or creative approach, especially those seeking innovative methods.
Conclusion
Overall, From Page to Platform provides a well-rounded, practical guide for mastering public speaking. While its focus on authors may limit its appeal to a broader audience, it remains an essential resource for its target demographic. The clear writing, combined with real-world advice, makes it both informative and inspiring, with valuable insights for novice and seasoned authors alike.
I give it a strong recommendation for anyone looking to enhance their public speaking career.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Public speaking… if it’s not one of Dante’s rings of Hell, then, in my long-held opinion, it certainly should be. But the reality is that in the competitive and ever-changing publishing landscape, an author (especially an indie author) needs to take advantage of every opportunity to get their name and their work in front of as many eyes as possible. Public speaking is one of those opportunities.

Fortunately, I am far from alone in my abject fear of standing up in front of a room full of people and talking about my writing, or worse, myself, and hence Matty Dalrymple and Mark Le Ronn have written From Page To Platform. In this book they do an extremely thorough job of explaining the whats, whys, wheres and hows of speaking as an author. They literally go through the process from the point you decide you might want/need to do some public speaking about your book right up to the point where you’re in your hotel room with your feet up enjoying the afterglow of a great talk. Soup to nuts. If you need a detailed summary of what’s inside, just skim the ToC—it’s all right there.

Things that stood out to me about the book:

- Well written and well edited
- Very granular in its level of detail
- Understandable and actionable
- Each section is followed by a Speaker’s Notes section with questions for you to engage with that will help you get the most out of the information provided
- How to seek, evaluate, and secure speaking opportunities—including the sticky topic of pricing and payment for your speaking services are all laid out
- The section on speaking on a panel was something I’d never read anywhere else

After reading this book, and as I’m starting to go back and work through each set of questions, I’m starting to see a purpose and a path to putting me on a stage…and it doesn’t involve going through Hell to get there.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Hannah Jacobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive guide to booking successful author speaking events

Many authors choose to accelerate their careers by pursuing speaking engagements. This is, by far, the most comprehensive and helpful guide I have read on the topic. If you are familiar with the authors (Matty Dalrymple and M.L. Ronn), you will be delighted to know this book matches the high quality of their other nonfiction works for authors.

I especially enjoyed the level of thoughtful details shared: everything from setting goals for your talk, pursuing various types of outlets, evaluating the overall value of a speaking engagement, and more. There is even a special chapter dedicated to the topic of selling your books at speaking events, a common goal (and challenge!) for most authors who pursue a speaking circuit.

A highly recommended resource for any author who wants to polish their speaking engagements. This would be a great resource to read in preparation for successful book signings, conferences, and other events.

I received a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Cait's Reading Nook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great resource for authors building speaking engagement opportunities, learning about the types of speaking engagements, identifying the opportunities that meet authors’ goals and mission statements, and growing community at speaking engagements. There’s great tips for authors looking to speak in-person and virtually and for identifying direct and indirect income streams.

As seen in other books I’ve read by Matty Dalrymple, there are thorough logistics recommendations, which are great reminders about preparing for events, day-of tips, and follow-up. I would recommend this book as well to authors and creatives looking to build a career in public speaking and expanding speaking engagement opportunities.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Deborah Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matty Dalrymple and M.L. Ronn provide step-by-step instructions on how to grow your author platform and establish yourself as an expert in your topic through speaking engagements.

This helpful guide shows what to do before, during, and after an event. It covers finding speaking engagements, negotiating your fee, preparing your slides, practicing your presentation, and even dressing the part.

The book also explores ideas for promoting yourself to event organizers and securing invitations for future speaking engagements.

"From Page to Platform" is a well-thought-out roadmap for any writer looking to elevate their author platform through public speaking.

[David Macpherson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice overview of how a writer can become a speaker. I thought the two voices blended very nicely. The only thing was that it was thorough like crazy. There was a lot of repetition. Still, a nice resource.