By W. Terry Whalin @terrywhalin
As an author, you want to hire a publicist who has connections to radio and podcast hosts and can book you on those programs. As an editor, I’ve encouraged some of my authors to book radio interviews. After the interviews, one author told me he didn’t believe they helped sell books. Then I asked some follow-up questions. Did you get the recording from the interview? Are you storing that interview on your website, so it does not disappear? This author was not taking any of those important follow-up actions. In this article, I want to help you increase the effectiveness and longevity of your interviews.
As an author, your publicist will schedule you on various radio programs. These radio programs are wonderful opportunities to talk about your book. The talk show host normally receives a series of interview questions ahead of time. These radio hosts interview different authors day after day on their program. You can’t assume the host has read your book—and you are better off assuming they have not read your book. Instead, they will use the interview questions to speak with you about your book.
For example, I’ve done about 50 radio interviews about Billy Graham and my biography. I’m asked the same questions over and over. Yet each time, I answer them with enthusiasm as though I’m hearing the question for the first time. Depending on the radio program, often these shows only cover a certain area of the United States. How do you get more mileage from these interviews?
First, ask for a recording of the interview. Sometimes the radio station will put it on their site after the interview. Other times if you ask, they will email the audio file to you. You have to ask for it or search for it and preserve this audio file.
With this audio file in your possession, the next step is to listen to it. Is it a solid recording? Do you need to cut out local commercials or anything to make it universal and just your interview? I use an audio program called SoundForge for this editing process. Just like Microsoft Word edits words, you can use SoundForge to edit audio files.
I create or check to make sure I have a solid recording of my interview. Next I upload the audio file to my own hosting site. If I just link to the interview from someone else’s site, they are in control and I’ve had these links disappear. When I put it on my own site, I know the interview is always going to be available online and never disappear. You have to make sure you preserve the interview on a site that you control.
The final step is to incorporate this interview into your on-going social media efforts (Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn). Here’s an example from one of my radio interviews about my Billy Graham book: http://terrylinks.com/KPOFGrahamIntThe interview was recorded months ago, yet because it was a morning radio show, it sounds like it happened yesterday. The listener doesn’t need to know the real date.
Because I reuse these interviews, people will regularly email me saying they heard my interview and compliment me. I respond with gratitude and never say when it actually happened (not relevant information for that listener). These recordings continue to promote and drive book sales and exposure for my book—long after the interview. Like many of these actions in the marketing area, they do not happen unless the author takes control of the interview (storing it on your website) then continues to promote it.
Promoting your book on the radio or a podcast is important and something every author should actively pursue and continue. In my view, it is equally important what you do with these recordings after the interview. Use these live events for on-going and continued promotion of your book and work. These interviews are essentially timeless and can be used repeatedly if you take action.
W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in California. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. Get Terry’s newest book, 10 Publishing Myths for only $10, free shipping and bonuses worth over $200. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com
The Conversation
I’ve done a handful of radio interviews concerning a few of my blog posts. I wondered whether it was standard to send or ask for interview questions. I wasn’t sent any or asked for any, but it would have been nice to have some idea what would be asked. To prepare, I reread through my blog post a few times to make sure I was familiar with it and noted anything I might want to remember or highlight during the interview. Is it okay to send or ask for possible interview questions when the subject is a blog post rather than a book?
Barbara,
Thank you for this question. Most of my radio or podcast interviews have been tied to one of my books but if your interview is tied to your blog or a magazine article or anything else you have written (your agenda) then you probably have some “talking points” or things you would like to be asked and you are prepared to tell thke stories tied to those questions. When you are making your pitch to the radio station or podcast, offer them a series of questions tied to your talking points. The person interviewing you may ask something completely different.
Because you sent questions to help the interviewer, it is likely they will use some of your questions. Sending these questions is your opportunity to influence the interview. I often create 10-12 questions that I am prepared to answer and tell stories which helps med give an interesting interview for the listeners.
Terry