Many authors struggle to
secure opportunities from the news media to be interviewed about their book, so
when they finally get a yes from an outlet like a podcast or radio interview,
they then have to figure out how they will come across strong and positive
enough to sell lots of books.
Here are some secrets I have learned over the
past three decades of having my authors do tens of thousands of interviews:
1. Think positive and things will go smoothly.
2. Set yourself up for success — do mock
interviews, come up with suggested interview questions for the media outlet,
and brush up on any current news events, trends, or anniversaries/holidays that
you might mention in an interview.
3. Be in control of the conversation and set the
pace with the timing and style of your answers. Speak with a consistent persona
and stay in character.
4. Know what you are trying to achieve in the
interview, and figure out what to say — and how you will say it — to achieve
that goal. Do you want to lead them to your website or a social media page? Do
you want them to buy a book or take some other action step? Tell them what to
do.
5. Always smile, even if they can’t see you, and
speak as if the person were in the room with you, even if they are not. Be
rested and thirst-quenched so you can speak clearly and energetically.
6. Neither give short, curt answers nor lengthy,
rambling ones. Allow for the reporter or host to converse with you and keep the
interview flowing.
7. Do not repeat yourself, word-for-word, but do
revisit, in a restated way, an important point.
8. Always add in your credentials in a casual
way, not like you are reciting a resume. For instance, without naming everyone
you worked for just say: “Well, in my 20 years of helping thousands of patients
as a psychotherapist, I…”
9. State things that are understandable,
actionable, and interesting. Feel free to challenge conventional wisdom or to
be critical of something or someone.
10. Anticipate answers to all of your suggested
interview questions, and where possible, share a quick story or fact to support
your idea or claim.
11. Speak in memorable sound bites. How? Say
things emphatically. Raise a good question. Use humor, if appropriate. Show how
something seems wrong, dangerous, mean, dumb, or a bad deal. Praise something
that is popular and that people would agree with. Choose the words that people
feel, and that are not just functional. Paint a picture for them.
12. Fear nothing. Have fun and see this as a
chance to say what you think, know, feel, and believe in. Every question is an
opportunity for you to state one or more of your key talking points. You are
not there to please the interviewer, but rather, to pierce the hearts and minds
of potential readers.
Need PR Help?
Brian
Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over 3.9 million page
views, can be reached at [email protected] He is available to help authors promote their story,
sell their book, and grow their brand. He has over 30 years of experience in
successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your
advocate, teacher, and motivator!
About Brian
Feinblum
Brian Feinblum should be
followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is
copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now
resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue
dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The
Writer and IBPA’s The Independent. This
award-winning blog has generated over 3.9 million pageviews. With 4,900+ posts
over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by
BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018
as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by
www.WinningWriters.com as a “best resource.” For the past three decades,
including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book
publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses,
Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres,
right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark
Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay,
Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan
RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He
hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and
has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah
Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association,
Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and
Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have
been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY
Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington
Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, &
Co-Op Association Handbook. It was featured
in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.
