Unless your name is J.D. Salinger, in order to successfully market a book, you will need to speak in front of an audience. When I watched the great Delia Ephron (bestselling author, screenwriter, playwright) speak in front of a group of 400 people at the Chicago Humanities Festival (2013), it reinforced what I already suspected - that with the publication of my first book, I needed to get good at public speaking. Thus, I turned to a local chapter of Toastmasters.

An Author Speaks

I attended Toastmasters for the first time in June 2014. I was so eager to get started that I asked if I could deliver a speech that very night. That’s not how it works. First, I had to sign up as a member! I wrote the check and was scheduled to do my Ice Breaker speech at the subsequent meeting. I wasn’t a complete novice at public speaking; however, it had been over a decade since I’d addressed groups in my past workplace (the Company Formerly Known as Arthur Andersen). As I practiced that first speech, nervousness crept into my voice. For me, public speaking is a muscle. Either use it, or lose it. I hadn’t lost it, but my speaking muscles were weak, and I definitely needed exercise to get back into shape.

After I delivered my first speech, which was, fittingly, on “The Importance of Public Speaking” (e.g., delivering a eulogy or speaking at a local city council meeting), a guest of that evening’s Toastmasters meeting said he wanted to sign up on the spot. This is what Toastmasters does. It inspires members to try harder, so that someday, they too can use their voice to make a difference.

Marathon Speaking

With my public book launch event only four months away, time was of the essence. I signed up for speeches at every possible meeting. If there wasn’t a slot open as Speaker, I signed up for Wordmaster, Jokemaster, and Topicmaster slots. I attended Improv Training for Toastmasters; an activity that truly pushed me outside my comfort zone. However, each time I stretched my abilities, I grew stronger. And when I received an email that a local speech competition needed a Guest Speaker, I quickly said, “Yes!” The audience was shocked to hear I’d been to just six meetings…because I nailed my speech. Since I talk about women’s rights, supportive words rung out among the applause, such as, “Yeah, girl!” and, “That’s right!”

Launching a Book

A bit like a space shuttle, the event that launches a new book is a huge deal. A multitude of details needs ironing out. Invitations are sent. The press is notified. And the author prepares to “wow” the audience. This was the first launch event I’d ever attended, let alone hosted, and I knew I needed an interviewer – someone to facilitate the discussion. After three and a half years of toil, and more than a few drops of sweat and tears, I wanted to captivate the audience. And I knew that flying solo would not have the desired impact.

Enter stage left, one of my fellow Toastmasters, Barbara Martin Green, who was intrigued by my book. She asked if there was anything she could do, and when I mentioned the launch event, she agreed to be my interviewer. I was floored by her generosity and support. Thanks to Barb, the launch event was very successful, and having a fellow Toastmaster by my side gave me the confidence to speak about a topic that can be both emotional and controversial. I still remember Barb’s words, “If you get nervous, pretend for a moment that the audience isn’t there, and talk directly to me.” I did exactly that on a couple of occasions.

Ms. Holmes Goes to Washington

My book, The Female Assumption, won a 2014 Global Media Award for its message of equality and education for females. With this incredible honor came an invitation to travel from Chicago to Washington, DC to accept the award.

To keep my speaking muscles toned, I delivered a speech about my book at a different chapter of Toastmasters. And although the people were strangers to me, the familiar format of the meeting felt comfortable. Two weeks later, I was in a beautiful hotel one block from the White House, standing at a podium in front of 100 people. There was the president of the Population Institute, an organization that recognizes journalists in various media categories. I was one of eight winners who flew to DC from all over. Two came from Uganda, and there was a Pulitzer Prize winner! After my speech, a woman (I believe she was from the Lebanese Consulate) thrust her business card into my hand; she had tears in her eyes. My speech had evoked tears. What a meaningful moment.

The Silk Road of Speaking

From Washington to Los Angeles, and interviews with podcast hosts in Canada, Sydney, and Beverly Hills, I’ve connected many audiences with my book’s message‑‑that women are whole beings, whether or not they have kids (through choice, chance, or biology). It is an emotionally-charged topic. One that requires storytelling as a way of shifting the lens through which we view females.

My skills as a Toastmaster have been essential as I’ve traversed the path of a published author. Toastmasters taught me the importance of the pause, rather than grasping for filler words. There’s also the importance of eye contact with the audience. I’ve sat in audiences where speakers failed to do that, and it’s really a bit painful to watch. There have been other times when I strained to hear an author who directed attention to the Interviewer; with a soft voice, which left the audience feeling like an interloper. Projecting oneself into the audience, through eye contact and voice amplification, is crucial. s Toastmasters, we understand this, and I’d like other authors to recognize this as well.

Spotting a Toastmaster at 500 Paces

As the wife of a retired Navy Chief Petty Officer, I’m honored to attend an annual event with other Navy Chiefs and spouses. Past guest speakers for this annual event have served in various leadership positions, and their stories are humbling. Their support for our country and the world, inspiring. The challenges they’ve overcome, daunting.

At one such event, Army Medal of Honor recipient Allen Lynch had his audience at, “Hooyah!” This was his opener. One word, that when shouted at a gathering of military folks, elicited echoes of robust voices. Toastmasters recommends: “Start strong…begin your speech with a powerful opening that will grab attention.” The use of the Navy’s service call by this retired Army sergeant was the perfect way to seize the spirit of a room full of Navy Chiefs. As a Toastmaster, I appreciated the speaker’s skills, thus, after he finished, I vowed to tell him so. At break time, I introduced myself, and was pleased when he said, “I was a Toastmaster too.” It was a moment of pride for a fellow Toastmaster, for sure. Also, knowing that I hailed from the same great organization that contributed to this man’s leadership was a point of pride as well. A man who devoted the rest of his life to serving veterans through his career with the U.S. Veterans Administration.

Onward!

It took 18 months to earn my Competent Communicator certificate – a title with which other Toastmasters are familiar. Alas, with the writing and publication of three more books, I had to discontinue regular attendance at meetings. But the lessons of Toastmasters live on in what I do, and enables me to speak to audiences and engage them in the passion with which I write.

NOTE: This essay was first submitted to the magazine for Toastmasters International in 2017. They turned it down. Just one more rejection in a pile of rejections, but one I realize now, almost five years later, that is worth sharing.

Melanie Holmes