Amplify Speakers
Bestselling Author Speakers
Booking an author is a different decision than booking a speaker. With most keynotes you are buying an hour. With an author you are buying an hour plus a book that keeps working after the event ends, a framework the audience can return to, and a name that sells registrations because people already recognize it from a shelf or a podcast.
The catch is that writing a good book and holding a large room are genuinely different skills, and plenty of excellent authors are ordinary on stage. A bestseller list tells you someone can think and write. It tells you nothing about whether they can read a room at four in the afternoon on day two of a conference when everyone is tired.
The authors below do both. Between them they hold number one New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestsellers, and titles from Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster and Wiley. Every one of them earns their fee on the platform rather than on the jacket copy. Several also offer book bundles, signings and pre-event copies for attendees, which turns a keynote into something the organization can build a whole program around.
The Roster
How to Get More Out of Booking an Author
Most organizations book an author and then use them exactly like any other keynote, which leaves most of the value on the table. The book is the part that keeps working after everyone flies home, and there are a few straightforward ways to use it.
Send copies out three or four weeks before the event rather than handing them out at the door. Attendees who have read even two chapters ask better questions and take more from the keynote. Build one breakout or a leadership discussion around a single chapter. Ask the author to record a short video for the internal comms channel that runs a week before the event. And if there is a signing, schedule it immediately after the keynote rather than at the end of the day, because that is when the line forms.
Choosing between a big name and the right fit
A recognizable title sells registrations, and that matters when attendance is the metric your committee is judged on. But the book that most matches your theme is not always the one with the biggest platform. The most common regret we hear is not that a speaker was insufficiently famous, it is that a well known author gave a talk about a topic that had nothing to do with what the organization actually needed that year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do author speakers include books with a keynote?
Many do, either bundled into the fee or offered at a bulk rate. Bulk copies for every attendee usually carry a separate cost, but it is frequently far less than people expect and it is one of the highest value add-ons available. Tell us your headcount and we will get you pricing alongside the speaker fee.
Will the author do a book signing?
Most will, and it is worth requesting when you inquire rather than after you contract, so it can be built into the schedule and the travel day. Signings work best immediately following the keynote.
Do you have New York Times bestselling authors?
Yes. Ben Nemtin is a number one New York Times bestselling author, and Amanda Lindhout and Amy Purdy are both New York Times bestselling authors. Ben Newman, Mike Sarraille and René Rodriguez are Wall Street Journal bestsellers, and Amberly Lago is a USA Today bestselling author. If a specific list credential matters for your marketing, tell us and we will confirm it before you commit.
Which authors are with major publishers?
Juan Bendana is published by Penguin Random House, Jon Dorenbos by Simon & Schuster, and Jessica Weiss, René Rodriguez and Mike Evans by Wiley. Jay Kiew is published by Page Two and Rashmi Airan by Amplify Publishing. Henna Pryor and Rachel Mahoney are also Simon & Schuster authors, and Jon Krohn and Jared Lander are published by Pearson.
Can an author customize the keynote to our theme?
The good ones insist on it. Expect a preparation call, and expect to be asked real questions about your audience and what has and has not worked at previous events. An author who does not ask anything before the day is a warning sign.
What does an author keynote cost?
It ranges widely depending on platform size and list credentials. See our keynote speaker fees guide for how pricing works, or tell us your budget and we will send options that fit inside it.
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Leadership Speakers | Motivational Speakers | Peak Performance Speakers | Resilience Speakers | Women Keynote Speakers | Athlete & Sports Speakers | Workplace Culture Speakers | Annual Conference Speakers
Looking for an author for your next event?
Tell us your theme, your audience and whether you want books for attendees. We will send a short list with fees and bulk copy pricing together.