Giving a Webinar--Should You, Could You, Would You? (Part One)

by Linore Burkard

I recently gave my first webinar.

In the past, I'd wondered if it was something I could do, should do, or would do. I am a big proponent of continuously strengthening one's platform, and right off the bat, giving webinars in an area of expertise qualifies as a way to do that. I enjoy teaching, and I have a heart for helping other writers. So what was my hesitation?

The idea of being on camera intimidated me.
Way back when I gave my very first presentation to a writers' group in Dayton, Ohio, upon arrival I discovered they had cameras in place and were going to record it! That was my FIRST public speaking engagement. This was before the wonderful Nick Harrison, then an editor with Harvest House Publishers, had even picked up my self-published first novel. So I'm reaching back, here.

I am still friends with the sweet Christian writer-leaders of that group, and they were kind to give me that opportunity; but would you want your FIRST public speaking experience to be recorded?

Neither did I. So, the thought of doing a webinar evoked whiffs of that experience.

However, thanks to an invitation from Gina Burgess to partner with Authors Community, (a division of Common Sense Marketing Strategies, LLC) I agreed to do one. It was to be recorded (shudder).

Before the event, I had moments of remorse. What if it didn't go well? What if no one showed up? What if my presentation wasn't helpful? (And what if I looked terrible? Yes, we women think about that!)

I realized these were the same questions I grappled with before doing a live event for writers--and all my live events had gone well, had great attendance, and received excellent feedback from audience members. So I gave up worrying (mostly), trusted God to use me, and got to the business of preparing a well-rounded presentation (which was, in fact, on platform building for writers).

We opened with a minute or two of chatting as everyone got online. Since I am now gregarious by nature (meaning I wasn't always), chatting sets me at ease, and this helped. Then, as soon as I got into my material, I began having fun. The truth is I love to do this stuff! I stopped worrying about all that might go wrong and just enjoyed sharing what I had.

And I learned a few things about doing webinars. Like most other endeavors, there are pros and cons, and pitfalls to avoid.

Next month I'll share what those pros and cons are, and help you decide whether or not doing webinars is for you.

In the meantime, I'll be preparing for my second live webinar with Authors Community. (That's a hint! There are more pros than cons for today's author.)

Until next time,

To Your Success,

Linore

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Giving a Webinar--Should You, Could You, Would You? by Linore Burkard (Click to Tweet)

The idea of being on camera intimidated me.~ Linore Burkard (Click to Tweet)

In a webinar, there are more pros than cons for today's author.~ Linore Burkard (Click to Tweet)

Linore Rose Burkard is best known for historical regency novels with Harvest House Publishers, including Before the Season Ends, the award-winning The House in Grosvenor Square, and The Country House Courtship. As a writer known for meticulous research as well as bringing people marvelously to life on the page, Linore's books earn her devoted fans who report reading her novels over and over. Linore is a homeschooling mom who enjoys cooking from scratch, family movie nights, gardening and decorating. Along with writing novels, her literary pursuits include teaching workshops for writers, editing, and now--giving webinars!

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