Bottoms up for self-publishing!

Think of me on Saturday afternoon: I will be standing up in a room full of bloggers and giving a 20-minute presentation on self-publishing. And not just self-publishing, but "How to successfully self-publish". Yikes!

Get on your glam rags!

© Tolga Bayraktar | Dreamstime.com

And, we not talking about any old bloggers, we're talking about BritMums Live bloggers! This weekend Britain's largest collective of social influencers are gathering en masse in London to hone their blogging and writing skills. Now you see why I need a bit of positive thought energy.

So far my Labrador has heard the presentation fives times and he hasn't laughed once at my jokes (note to self: remove attempt at humour). Tonight, I shall try it out on my husband. I suspect he will be less forgiving than the dog, but at least he might be able to keep his eyes open for the duration of the talk.

Top tips

Over the past month I have been collecting tips from friends in order to deal with my pre-presentation nerves. Here are some I wanted to share:

• Use powerpoint slides to engage the audience (but avoid too much detail as it may distract from what you are saying)
• Watch YouTube videos of Steve Jobs for inspiration
• Practise, practise
• Remind yourself that you are well-prepared and have nothing to fear
• Wear your favourite outfit 
• Get to the room early to case the joint
• If you voice starts to shake, breathe deeply and slowly (and don't be afraid to take a long breath mid-sentence)
• Interact with the audience and ask rhetorical questions
• Imbibe a little alcohol for courage

So if you discover me propping up the Lindeman's (wine sponsor) stand, you'll know why! After all, that speech I gave for my 40th went really well. Cocktails and public speaking were a great mix. Just a shame I heckled my husband and forgot half the speech...

So, if you want to learn about how to craft your own book with complete artistic control, then grab a margarita and head on over to conference room 4 this weekend.

And, if anyone else has any more presentation tips, do share them in the comments box below. Cheers!

I will be speaking at the BritMums Live conference (The Brewery, Chiswell Street, London) on Saturday, 21st June, at 14.10 on 'How to successfully self-publish'.