interview
Give A Great Interview
June 1, 2010
Add new comment
by Shennandoah Diaz
You’ve probably seen them: those interviews where there is no energy and the guest is as placid as the polar ice cap. Or worse: the guest is talkative—too talkative—and runs over the host with wanton disregard. Guests like these are rarely invited back. The key to becoming a media darling and keeping the publicity coming is to be a great interviewee. Here are a few tips to help you do just that:
- Keep it short and sweet: Whether your appearance is in print, radio, television, or otherwise, the publication or broadcast program will have a limited amount of space and airtime allotted for each item. Be respectful and keep your answers brief.
- Develop your talking points: Though questions may vary from interview to interview, there will be some basic questions asked over and over again (e.g., what is your book about, why did you start writing, what advice do you have for writers, etc.). So, develop a few key talking points that you can easily integrate into every interview. Also, customize a few for each venue. This means doing your research before you show up to the interview.
- Mention your book often!: The point of publicity is to get your name and the name of your book out there. Mention your book, website, and contact information often. Here is a short video demonstrating how to easily work that information in to the conversation.
- Dress and act professionally: The majority of a person's impression of you is formulated before you even open your mouth. To make the best first impression, dress like you care about the interview. If it’s an online or phone interview, make sure your website and social media are professional and clean; be on time and courteous; and don’t tie up the long-distance line any longer than necessary.
- Tempo: Speak quickly enough to finish your talking point, but don't speak so fast that no one can understand you. Take deep breaths, wait for the host to complete his or her question before answering, and actively listen to yourself so you can catch any acceleration in pace.
- Be gracious: Especially if you are a first-time author, don't continually correct the host or editor, don't constantly nag, and by all means say thank you!
Being polite, brief, and professional will take you far with the media. And remember to prepare beforehand so you can work in all of your talking points and sell more books!
Tags:
Developing Your Talking Points
May 27, 2010
by Shennandoah Diaz
So, your book has hit the shelves and your marketing strategy is paying off in terms of interviews and appearances. You want to keep that media attention coming, but reporters and hosts have limited print space and airtime along with a vast array of topics to touch on. Remember that media professionals think and speak in terms of sound bites. To keep on their good side while still conveying the important aspects of you and your books, you need to develop your own sound bites and talking points, and have them ready long before the book hits the shelves so you can use them in your interviews.
Luckily, the questions asked by interviewers don’t vary much from media outlet to media outlet. This means you can walk into any interview prepared, but you will also have to be ready to shoot from the hip if necessary. Keep your answers short, to the point, and free of technical jargon so a broad audience can understand them.
For the most part, basic media questions include:
- What is the title of your book?
- What is your book about?
- Why did you decide to write this book?
- Who should read this book?
- Why should they read this book?
- What authority do you have to write on this topic?
- Where can people find out more about you / your book?
Even if these questions are not asked, they are points you want to work into the conversation. Most important is the title and where to buy the book. In fact, you will want to mention the title and its accompanying website several times throughout the interview or appearance. Repetition is key! An appearance in which none of this information is shared is a wasted opportunity. Don’t waste any chance to mention the book, because you might not get it again.
Once your book is ready for market, sit down with your publicist and/or your marketing team and hash out your talking points and sound bites. Learn them so well that you can easily integrate them into any conversation. Revisit them frequently to make sure they are still relevant and timely and remember: always, always, always mention the book and where to find it.
Tags:
