Have you submitted a profile to the GWA speakers bureau? I surprisingly (I was doubtful about its visibility) have snagged several speaking jobs from my posting there (which is in need of update).

The best thing that has worked for me is my resources within my network; sometimes from people who have coordinated previous speaking events and sometimes from people who are just your PR champions. Everyone should have a PR champion and often times they find you or you find each other. I recently secured a guest host position on an Iowa gardening radio show and a speaking engagement for the Men's Garden Clubs of America Midlands Chapter conference from the helpful words of our state horticulturist whom I have become acquainted with only in the last year.

Be patient as it can take time to build this network of contacts especially if you are new to an area. If you have a strong lecture or presentation it should be able to sell itself to others and help secure those speaking engagements.

Good luck!
--Kelly D. Norris

Try contacting the various garden clubs in your state from which you can broaden your contacts. Many clubs have speaker budgets. If you've done a book, it will also be an opportunity to sell some after a talk. Good luck.
Ann

I second the garden clubs suggestion. That is probably the single largest opportunity for garden speakers. Here in Massachusetts, the Garden Club Federation of MA has an annual speakers' day in the spring. Club program chairs come to hear speakers do a five or ten minute presentation so they can choose some for the following year's club programs. We also have a state garden club magazine, as do most states, I assume, in which speakers advertise. Did you know that National Garden Clubs Inc., composed of the various state garden club federations, is the largest gardening organization in the world?

I charge $200 per talk, plus milage. I also sell my books, which I get at 50% case discount from my publisher--which certainly beats the royalties. I use slides in my talks, which I have taken over many years. I am an expert in my field (which I am only brazen enough to say because this is anonymous!). I work very hard to prepare professional, interesting and entertaining presentations. Other speakers charge more or less, depending on their expertise and renown. If a club has someone well known, such as Roger Swain, the fee can be substantial.

The fees would vary according to your location, I'm sure. What part of the country, urban or rural, and so on. Flower arrangers who do demonstrations often get a lot more--$500 and up, plus the cost of flowers, which are then left with the club to raffle.

PS--The website for National Garden Clubs Inc. is www.gardenclub.org Then click on "helpful links" which will display the websites for all the state federations that have them (most do), as well as some individual garden clubs. Pennsylvania has a website and you should find some useful info there. Good luck, Katie!

Ginny and everyone - thank you for the encouragement.
I have contacted the regional director of the PA Garden CLubs of America and they are sending my info to the local and surrounding affiliated clubs. Hopefully something will come of that. I also registered on GWA speakers list.

For the Master Gardener end, I am getting to know the Extension educators who recieved a glowing testimonial about from my previous Ext Educator. I feel I need to prove my worth and knowledge to them personally until they are comfortable that I really do know my stuff.
I probably should have started networking before now (we have been here a yr), but with kids to settle in school, and one needing learning and other support for Aspergers (hi functioning autism), the year seem to disappear on me!

Hopefully by the 2yr mark I will be able to turn down presentations because I have too many. Of course I hope for that to happen with the writing assignments too!

Katy--Sorry I spelled your name wrong before! This is just to let you and others know that the Garden Club of America and National Garden Clubs Inc. are two SEPARATE organizations. Each is national in scope but: The GCA is much smaller and includes elite clubs in mostly high-income areas. National Garden Clubs Inc. is much larger and has clubs in every sort of community in the country.

Many individual clubs here in MA belong to both. That may not be the case everywhere.

The bottom line is that make sure you have contacted each organization, if you want to beef up your speaking engagements. As National Garden Clubs Inc. is larger, with many more clubs, you will get the most exposure thru them. But both are very good, just somewhat different flavors, so to speak. Keep us posted.

Contact the county library--they usually have a speakers/program venue. Your county park dept may have one too. Don't forget to contact your local/regional Adult Community/Continuing Education affiliate and see if they have course listings or can refer you to a list of Course Providers. Make a course/lecture proposal to them and see what flies.

With community groups, many expect you to speak for little or nothing, partly as a community service and partly because they have such a low budget. I spoke at my local library (for free) and to the senior center (for half price). This is an affluent community but when I told the library and senior center employees, who are very well paid, that I had to get at least half my usual fee in the future, they declined, despite the great success of the lectures. So I am not very optimistic about community groups as a source of income. I do a lot of volunteer work as it is. Enough is enough.

This thread inspired me to look to gardeners as an audience for some talks I have on the shelf. So I emailed the California garden clubs prez. No answer. The vice-prez. No answer. They have probably wilted.

President and VP of a state federation of garden clubs are very big jobs. It is not possible for them to respond to individual emails of this nature. Explore the CA website for speaker info or look for program chair/publicity--some other committee chair who might steer you in the right direction. And I am not sure what talks you have "on the shelf" but be aware that garden clubs are an informed audience and require speakers to be experts in their fields.