All Things Book Marketing Building a Speaking Career: Positioning, Platforms, and Speaker Assets with Mirjana Novkovic
Jul 29, 2026
36:03
How do authors and thought leaders go from writing a book to getting booked on stages? Mirjana Novkovic shares what it actually takes to build a speaking career from the ground up. In Smith Publicity's latest All Things Book Marketing episode, Sandy Smith talks with speaking-industry consultant and founder of Speaker Story Bank, Mirjana Novkovic, about how authors and experts can start — or level up — as professional speakers. In this episode, you'll learn:
03:25 Speaker Foundations and Credibility
09:21 Branding, Website, and LinkedIn
18:17 Keynote Video Assets and Reels
25:22 Three Paths to Gigs
26:14 How Speaker Bureaus Work
28:10 Stay Top of Mind
29:27 Ripped From the Headlines
31:37 Booking Timing Trends
34:18 Where to Find Mirjana
Smith Publicity is an international book publicity firm specializing in non-fiction, business, lifestyle and thought-leadership projects. Since 1997, they have helped authors and experts amplify their voices, reach the right audiences, and make a meaningful impact through media placements, strategic campaigns, and expert guidance. For more information visit Smith Publicity.
Follow us on socials:
Sandy Smith on LinkedIn
Mirjana Novkovic on LinkedIn
Smith Publicity on LinkedIn
Smith Publicity on Instagram
- How to define a speaking topic that solves a real problem and establishes instant credibility
- Why articulating your audience's transformation matters more than listing your credentials
- How to keep your branding simple and focused, with your website and especially LinkedIn doing the heavy lifting around one clear signature keynote
- The three essential speaker assets every author needs: a highlights/sizzle reel, a 10-minute content sample, and a polished full 45-minute keynote
- The three paths to landing speaking gigs — self-marketing, speaker bureaus, and management — and how relationship-building and timely, "ripped from the headlines" outreach factor in
- How booking timelines have shifted post-COVID, from just weeks to as long as a year
03:25 Speaker Foundations and Credibility
09:21 Branding, Website, and LinkedIn
18:17 Keynote Video Assets and Reels
25:22 Three Paths to Gigs
26:14 How Speaker Bureaus Work
28:10 Stay Top of Mind
29:27 Ripped From the Headlines
31:37 Booking Timing Trends
34:18 Where to Find Mirjana
Smith Publicity is an international book publicity firm specializing in non-fiction, business, lifestyle and thought-leadership projects. Since 1997, they have helped authors and experts amplify their voices, reach the right audiences, and make a meaningful impact through media placements, strategic campaigns, and expert guidance. For more information visit Smith Publicity.
Follow us on socials:
Sandy Smith on LinkedIn
Mirjana Novkovic on LinkedIn
Smith Publicity on LinkedIn
Smith Publicity on Instagram