Speaking Opportunities for Book Authors

Here are a few examples of local speaking opportunities for book authors and speakers. Some organizations offer a speaking fee but many invite authors to speak in trade for book promotion. While you might not be able to arrange talks at the following local venues, you can explore similar opportunities in your local area and nearby large cities.

Awesome Alpharetta: Speaking Opportunities in Georgia

Alpharetta, Georgia Cooking Classes

Among other classes and events offered in Alpharetta (events listed at http://www.awesomealpharetta.com) are the following cooking experiences. If you are a cookbook author, you have opportunities to speak at cooking schools, Sur la Table stores, Williams-Sonoma stores, and Whole Foods stores.

Publix Aprons Cooking School, 4305 State Bridge Road, Alpharetta GA 30022; 770-751-8561.

Salud! Cooking School at Whole Foods, 2800 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta GA 30005; 770-664-6300.

Sur la Table, North Point Mall, 1000 North Point Circle, Alpharetta GA 30022; 800-243-0852.

Williams-Sonoma, 180 Avalon Boulevard #8180, Alpharetta GA 30009; 678-448-4105.

If you are a cookbook author, you have opportunities to speak at cooking schools. #cookbooks

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Burlington, Iowa Arts Center

Art Center of Burlington, 301 Jefferson Street, Burlington IA 52601; 319-754-8069. Email: info@artcenterofburlington.com. Web: http://www.artcenterofburlington.com. The art center showcases the work of local and regional artists. They also offer children, teen, and adult art workshops as well as other special events throughtout the year.

California Art Centers

Many art centers feature workshops, lectures, and classes as well as exhibitions, performances, and more.

Gualala Arts Center, 46501 Gualala Road, Gualala CA; 707-884-1138. Web: http://www.gualalaarts.org.

Huntington Beach Art Center, 538 Main Street, Huntington CA; 714-374-1650. Web: http://www.huntingtonbeachartcenter.org.

Petaluma Arts Center, 230 Lakeville Street, Petaluma CA; 707-762-5600. Web: http://www.petalumaartscenter.org.

Sebastopol Center For the Arts, 282 S High Street, Sebastopol CA; 707-829-4947. Web: http://www.sebarts.org.

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, 551 Broadway, Sonoma CA; 707-939-7862. Web: http://www.svma.org. Also has an art studio and art library.

Carefree, Arizona Specialty Store

Many specialty retailers feature authors, storytellers, speakers, performers, artists, and others on a regular basis.

Fearless Art Works, Michelle Micalizzi, Owner, 7211 E. Ho Road #17, Carefree AZ 85377; 480-595-0501. Email: michelle@fearlesslydeliver.com. Web: http://www.fearlessartworks.com. Local Authors are featured on the second and fourth Saturday of the month from Noon to 1:30 p.m.

Many specialty retailers feature authors, storytellers, speakers, performers, artists, and others.

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Hampton, Virginia Museum

Local museums often host speaking events related to their special interests as well as family activities, creative experiences, and more. Many museums also maintain a museum store that offers books, gifts, apparel, and more related to their specialty.

Hampton Lecture Series, Hampton History Museum, Hampton VA; 757-727-1610. Web: http://www.hamptonhistorymuseum.org. Local history topics presented by book authors, historians, and local history buffs.

Local museums often host speaking events related to their special interests. #speakers

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Children’s museums often hosts artists, scientists, and authors for presentations to the children and their parents. These are often hands-on workshops.

Oakland, California Museum

Museum of Children’s Arts, Katie Sammon, Director of Programs, 1625 Clay Street, Oakland CA 94612; 510-465-8770. Web: http://www.mocha.org. They host artists who teach open studio classes on art and architecture.

Northern New Mexico Cooking Classes

Gourmet and kitchen stores often host cooking classes as a way to draw in more customers, create more cooks, and sell more product (equipment, cookbooks, and gadgets used in the cooking classes).

Las Cosas Kitchen Shoppe, DeVargas Center, 181 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe NM 87501; 505-988-3394; 877-229-7184. Email: lascosas@lascosasc.biz. Web: http://www.lascosascooking.com. Features kitchen gadgets, cookware, specialty foods, cookbooks, and a cooking school. The Cooking School Director is John Vollertsen.

Cooking School Taos, Chris Maher, 28 Juan Martinez Road, Arroyo Seco NM 87514; 575-776-2665. Email: cookingschooltaos@mac.com. Web: http://www.cookingstudiotaos.com. Most events are taught by the chef, Chris Maher.

Sioux Falls, South Dakota Cooking Classes

Many local gourmet shops, food shops, and restaurants offer cooking classes. Check out these classes offered by local companies in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Ask them if they ever use guest lecturers (especially verified cookbook authors!).

K Restaurant, Tina Kuehn, Chef, 401 East 8th Street #128, Sioux Falls SD 57103; 605-336-3315. Web: http://www.k-restaurant.com. Classes currently only by the chef.

Plum’s Cooking School, 401 East 8th Street #107, Sioux Falls SD 57103; 605-335-1999. Web: http://www.plumscooking.com. This gourmet shop offers quality cooking tools, equipment, books, and classes. Classes are offered in a state-of-the-art commercial teaching kitchen.

Sioux Falls, South Dakota Craft Classes

Many craft shops offer classes in knitting, sewing, crocheting, etc. Some are taught by the owners and salespeople at the shops. Others are taught by local talent, regional book authors, and other enthusiasts.

Acorn19 Bead Co., Melanie M.E., 319 S Phillips Avenue, Sioux Falls SD 57104; 605-977-2147. Email: thebeadco@hotmail.com. Web: http://www.acorn19.com. They offer beading supplies and tools, millions of beads, and beading classes.

Athena Fibers, 2915 S Hawthorne, Sioux Falls SD 57105; 605-271-0741. Email: athenafibers@gmail.com. Web: http://www.athenafibers.com. Knitting, crocheting, and fiber arts supplies, fabrics, books, and classes. Their classes are offered by five different people.

Museum of Visual Arts

Sioux Falls, South Dakota Museums

Museum of Visual Materials, 500 N Main Avenue, Sioux Falls SD 57104; 605-271-9500; Fax: 605-271-4793. Email: anna@sfmvm.com. Web: http://www.sfmvm.com. Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. This museum features art galleries, art exhibitions, craft nights, children’s activities, and arts and crafts classes.

Museum of Visual Materials is looking for people who are passionate about their hobby, expertise, or interest and would like to share their knowledge with the community. We are looking for articulate and motivated persons who would like to volunteer their time to teach educational classes to others.

For example, classes could be art, exercise, cooking, crafts, or a unique hobby! Have fun sharing your passions with others! If you are interested in applying, please contact the Museum of Visual Materials.

South Carolina Culinary Schools

If you are a cookbook author, you have opportunities to speak at some cooking schools. You’ll have to check out whether or not only one resident chef teaches all the classes or if there’s room for invited guests to teach a class or two.

700 Kitchen Cooking School, 700 Drayton Street, Savannah GA; 912-721-5006. Web: http://www.mansionforsythpark.com/leisure/cooking-school.

Chef Darin’s Kitchen Table, 2514 Abercorn Street #140-150, Savannah GA; 912-662-6882. Web: http://www.chefdarinskitchentable.com.

I’ll list more local speaking opportunities as I uncover them (or you share them below in the comments). Thanks!

About John Kremer

John Kremer is author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, the Relationships Matter Marketing program, and many other books and reports on book marketing, Internet marketing, social media, and book publicity. -- John Kremer on Book Marketing.