Ok, so I’ve been on few dozens or so in panels at the last 40 years. I’ve been the new panelist nobody’s heard of and the cool panelist and quite a few variations that fall between those extremes. None of this makes me an expert, but I have certainly noticed a couple of trends.
First: Don’t feel pressured to promote. Your best, you’re the most valuable, and your most effective promotion lies in simply being panelist. If there’s a suitable opening to discuss your work without tremendous the conversation, then by all means make use of it, but don’t feel that you have to slide an announcement in to make the panel worth your time.
Second: Panelists should to be fun. Try to relax and have an interesting conversation with the unique personalities sitting to listen to you. The more fun you have, the more fun the addressees will have.
Third: Remember that the audience comes to these speeches to be (a) informed and (b) entertained. The more you are able to structure your comments to meet those objectives, the more the audience will like you. And the more the audience likes you, the more likely they are to procure your work.
It’s not unusual for panelists to feel a little nervous, especially if they’ve been placed on a panel alongside authors whose books they admired as a teenager (yes, this has happened to me). Authors worry that they’ll talk too much; that they’ll talk too little; that they’ll say something stupid; that they won’t say anything at all.
Interestingly, new panelists tend to fall into two categories: Those in danger of speaking too much, and those in danger of speaking too little. Most people know instinctively which category they fall into. (If you’re not sure, ask yourself what you’re more likely to do when nervous. In unfamiliar situations, do you tend to jabber uncontrollably, or do you tend to clam up?)
For those looking with trepidation towards their first panel appearance, take heart. If you are able to converse within the bounds of normal social circles, you have the skills required to become a fabulous panelist. Building on those skills is simply a matter of practice and contemplation. Below, I’ve assembled a little food for thought, to help with the contemplation part.
