How Authors Ace Media Interviews

 

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 brianfeinblum@gmail.com  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.