How to Become a Professional Storyteller
Although storytelling is an ancient art, it was not until around1970 that it became an official profession in the United States. The first National Storytelling Festival took place in Tennessee in 1973. Professional storytellers can excite, entertain and inspire with the way they use their words. A well told story is magical.
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Instructions
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Approach professional storytelling as a business. Get a business name and business cards.
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Begin your professional storytelling career by volunteering at schools, libraries and community festivals. You'll get real-life practice and real-time audience feedback. This will help you determine if you really want to try making a living at storytelling.
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Market your business. Always have your business cards available, even when working on a volunteer basis. Sell yourself as a good addition to children's birthday parties or as an unusual way of entertaining at an adult party. Storytellers can even be valuable additions to business seminars when the company needs to get a point across to employees. The key is to think outside the box when marketing.
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Network with other professional storytellers. There are websites, organizations and conferences all for storytellers. There might even be a professional storytellers group right in your town. The National Storytelling Network can put you in touch with your state representative.
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Practice your craft constantly, paid or unpaid. Join a group, such as Toastmasters, to get objective feedback. Hire a coach to work with you. Your local storytellers group can give you names of coaches.
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Design a website featuring your business. Let prospective customers hear an example of your storytelling simply by clicking on your site.
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Specialize in a certain type of story. Developing a niche could make you the expert professional storyteller when it comes to Southern humor or cowboy life.
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