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RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif., April 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- On Wednesday, Ryan Avery, the 2012 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking, will try to sign 5,000 copies of his new book in less than 10 hours in an attempt to break the current world record for the largest book signing.

The book signing will be held Wednesday, April 16, 2014, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins, Colorado, at the campus bookstore. The event will also be held online at www.CSUworldrecord.com. College radio station KCSU-FM will provide live coverage of the event starting at 8:30 a.m., and all proceeds from the book sales will support scholarship funds through the CSU Alumni Association.

The book Speaker, Leader, Champion: Succeed at Work Through the Power of Public Speaking, co-authored by public speaker Jeremey Donovan, is based on the authors' experiences as members of Toastmasters International, and offers more than 80 strategies to become a stronger leader and communicator. A professional author and speaker, based in Portland, Oregon, Avery is the co-founder of AveryToday, Inc., and is a managing partner at How To Be a Speaker, LLC, where he helps professionals improve their communication skills in the workplace. Donovan is the Group Vice President for Research Marketing at Gartner Inc., who credits his professional growth in large part to his Toastmasters training. Donovan also penned the Amazon best-selling book How to Deliver a TED Talk, which was published in September 2013.

Avery is no stranger to setting world records. At age 25, he became the youngest winner of the World Championship of Public Speaking, a global competition hosted annually by Toastmasters International, where he competed against more than 30,000 people from 116 countries to claim the title.

"Toastmasters has been a major part of my professional success and the skills, lessons and people I have met in the organization have changed my life," says Avery. "I wanted to write this book to share with others what Toastmasters can do for your career. The better speaker you are, the stronger leader you will be. Toastmasters is one of the best investments you can make in yourself."

To be counted toward the world record, books must be purchased on April 16, 2014, at either the CSU Bookstore or at www.CSUworldrecord.com. Cost of the book is $15.95 at the bookstore, or $19.95 online (plus shipping; $32 for international orders). The CSU bookstore is located at Colorado State University, Lory Student Center, Fort Collins, CO, 80523.

About Toastmasters International
Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of meeting locations. Headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, the organization's membership exceeds 292,000 in more than 14,350 clubs in 122 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people of all backgrounds become more confident in front of an audience. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, visit www.toastmasters.org. Follow @Toastmasters on Twitter.

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SOURCE Toastmasters International