Getting Over Glossophobia (the fear of public speaking)
“The only way out is through.”—Robert Frost
This week’s blog post is about how I am starting (maybe, hopefully) to get over my fear of public speaking and speaking in public—and by “public” I mean online (as in podcasts) or in-person (as in book signings or festivals). This has been a challenge for me, and I wanted to share my experiences to help some of you who perhaps have the same problem—I know a lot of you do!
An estimated 75 percent of the population suffers from the fear of speaking in public, or glossophobia—and I am one of them. I never knew what it was called until I googled it just now.
I’ve always become tongue-tied at the thought of speaking in front of people. I came into the world a very quiet child. I was so quiet that when I was a toddler my mother took me to the doctor because she was worried something was wrong with my ears or my vocal chords or mouth or maybe even my brain. “She never says too much,” she told him.
To my mother’s relief, I did learn to talk. But I still didn’t talk a lot. I was naturally quiet. I remember going to a birthday party for a friend when I was about seven years old, and when we sat down for cake, one of them said to the group, “Kim is so quiet.” My answer for her was, “That’s because I’m listening.” Everyone laughed.
In school, I rarely raised my hand to speak. When I was called on, I sometimes broke out in a sweat for several minutes after providing an answer. When I actually wanted to say something but was too afraid to do so, my heart raced. Forget about oral reports! I made myself sick in the days leading up to them. I’m sure I feigned having the flu to get out of school a few times.
In college, I was forced to do many spoken reports, and eventually I realized that I was becoming pretty good at it. I didn’t freak out about them anymore. I may have been nervous beforehand, but I didn’t obsess so much. And that was due to becoming desensitized to the experience. When you’re in writing workshop after writing workshop, reading your bad poetry to groups of bored undergrads, the act of standing in the front of the classroom to speak about classical literature isn’t the mountain it once was.
I’m convinced that making yourself do these things is the only cure for being afraid to do them.
This is one of the reasons I always accept an invitation to participate in a podcast, panel talk, book signing, or book festival. Even though I know I will struggle behind the scenes, I also know that I will be OK in the long run. I love to talk about writing craft, editing, and self-publishing (as you all know). And, more than that, I usually feel good about myself when the event is over. On the other hand, if I were to turn the opportunity down, I would undoubtedly feel bad about myself.
I do it for my books and my reputation as an author. Because that’s how much I love them and want them to do well. And I do it for other writers because I have information they may find helpful in their own writing journeys, and I truly enjoy sharing that information. I just have to remind myself of these facts at the appropriate times!
Here are some tips to keep in mind before you next “big” event, whether it’s reading your children’s book to a group of first graders or being interviewed on a popular podcast:
Have some idea of the topics you’ll speak about, and practice what your answers to possible questions will be. If you’re prepared, that’s one less thing to worry about.
Ask yourself what’s the worst thing that can happen? Even if you bomb as a speaker, doing so won’t ruin your life or anyone else’s. There’s no need to be perfect, and you most likely won’t bomb. You’ll be OK!
Remember, the audience wants you to do well. Think about the conferences, lectures, or podcasts you’ve watched/listened to. Did you care what the person speaking looked like or wore or how they spoke? Most likely you did not. What you cared about was the information they were presenting. You cared about what you could glean from the time and focus you were spending to be there. That’s why, as the speaker, you must focus on giving your audience information they can use. If you provide good content, they will love you for it.
Visualize success. What will success look like? How great will it be if you answer questions to the audience’s satisfaction and maybe even receive a round of applause at the end? Better yet, maybe you’ll sell some books and gain a few new readers and reviews. These are just some of the reasons we put ourselves out there, why we go through the discomfort and make the appearances.
When it comes down to it, you love to write, you want your books to do well, and you want to become known as an author. Getting in front of people and sharing your knowledge may not come naturally at first, but give it time. Remember that the actual event is going to be a lot less of a challenge than the agony you put yourself through beforehand. It’s never that bad. And often it’s really good. Either way, you’ll make it through and come out the other side stronger for it.
Two book recommendations to help you along:
+ How to Be Yourself by Elle Hendriksen, Ph.D.
+ Public Speaking: For Authors, Creatives, and Other Introverts by Joanna Penn
Kim Catanzarite is the author of the award-winning Jovian Universe sci-fi series. She is a freelance writer and editor for publishers and independent authors, and she teaches copyediting for Writer’s Digest University. Her Self-Publishing 101 blog discusses the ins and outs of indie life as well as all things writing craft. Kim lives on the east coast USA with her husband and daughter.
