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Congratulations on Securing an Media Appearance…Now What?

An author has followed media booking protocol and has secured an appearance on a radio or TV talk show – congratulations! Just securing a slot on a radio or TV show indicates an author is on the right track. Now what? How does an author prepare for the coveted media appearance? Here are time-tested, proven answers to deliver a dynamite segment:

Radio Talk Show Interviews
Successful radio talk show interviews revolve around rapport with the talk show host and an author who is fully prepared to interact with the host and show callers. Here are seven points to keep in mind:

a) My experience is that talk show hosts will come up with an off-the-wall question or comment while the author and host are “live” on the air. An author needs to be ready with a lighthearted comeback to the host comment to keep forward momentum in the interview segment. Talk show hosts love rapid interaction, controversy and information that listeners can say “ah ha” to (encouraging people to call in). Prepare several “talking points” taken from the author’s book so an author can transition an off-the-wall comment back to focusing on the topic of the author’s book (without mentioning “the book”).

b) An author should bring three to five books to offer call-ins (promoting interactivity) and the radio station producer/talk show host. Books make a great giveaway with a high perceived value to talk show callers. Bring any fun props that are relevant to your book (e.g., I bring flamingo pens for books on The Bahamas because the flamingo is the Bahamian national bird and the pens are catchy.).

c) An author should bring bottled water to keep the throat moist. Every radio station will have water in the break room, but it is far better to bring your own.

d) An author should bring notes on what he or she wants to leave the interview having accomplished. Does an author want listeners to go to their website? Come to an event in the radio station locale? It is an unspoken rule that the talk show host will announce the author’s website and contact information at least twice (usually more) during the segment as a way of thanking the author for taking the time to be on the station.

e) If an author is in the studio for an interview, count on wearing a headset to listen and speaking close to the microphone to be heard (two marks of an interview veteran). Wear comfortable clothing with emphasis on being relaxed and rested.

f) Tip: An author should have two to three juicy tidbits to pass to listeners that require the listener to write something down. During the interview, the author says something like, “I want your listeners to get pen and paper ready because what I am about to say is a point that your listeners need to take action on now.” Then pause. The talk show host will then start talking. Come back into the conversation in 15-30 seconds with that juicy information you promised that will benefit listeners for their time with you. One successful author mentions the top three points from a valuable list of 10 points found in his book, saying that there is not enough time to go through all 10 points, but listeners can find the complete list in (name of book). If an author does this technique only once during the interview, it okay…not twice.

g) If an author is a “phoner” (being interviewed via phone call, not studio visit), go to great lengths to use a landline phone with “call waiting” disabled. There are times when an interview has to be conducted using a cell phone, but try hard to minimize any cell phone use because the audio board person in the studio has difficulty maintaining constant audio levels on your voice.

TV Talk Shows
Successful TV talk shows also revolve around positive rapport between the interviewer and the author…with a BIG emphasis on the “visual” interaction aspects. Most of the points above for a successful radio talk show interview apply to a successful TV talk show interview with these three notable changes focusing on “visual” aspects:

a) Clothing is critical. An author should be able to look at several show episodes prior to their appearance and get an idea what clothing is appropriate. Also, ask the show producer for clothing guidelines when making the appearance arrangements. Men and women should wear conservative clothing without stripes (stripes are hard to get “focus” on visually). Men and women should minimize any jewelry being worn…especially jewelry that makes noise and moves with hand or upper body movements (the microphone will pick up the “clanking” sound of jewelry and drive the control room personnel nuts!

b) TV studios have a person who can apply makeup or a “pancake mix” to on-air personnel just prior to going “live.” I highly recommend every author ask for a thin application of what I call “pancake mix” (this is what it reminds me of and TV personnel know exactly what I’m talking about) on their face and neck to prevent “shining skin.” Studio lights are bright and hot and light bounces off shiny skin.

c) Arrive at the TV studio at least 15 minutes before the show starts to relax, interact with personnel, get direction on what time your segment will be, etc. It’s so important to take time to relax and move into the mood of being upbeat, fun and informative for your segment. Try to introduce yourself to the show producer and talk show host between segments (while advertisements are running). Most TV segments are three to eight minutes.

Above all, an author should be fun, relaxed, prepared, prepared, and prepared. Four suggestions for a successful author interview common to both radio and TV talk shows prior to and after the author interview include:

a) When booking an appearance, be SURE to get a “back-office” phone number from the show producer or talk show host (these are the numbers that only station employees use) in case something unexpected occurs and you are running late, can’t leave because you’re snowed in, etc. This is common practice.

b) If the talk show segment went well for an author (And, why wouldn’t it?), ask the show producer(s) to put in a good word for you, as an author guest, on their industry bulletin boards. Talk show producers and hosts talk, talk and talk amongst themselves about guests that are great (and those who are duds).

c) Always, always send a “thank you” note immediately after the show. An author who sends a “thank you” to the station receptionist, talk show producer and talk show host within one day of an interview makes a BIG, positive impression. Ask the show producer and host to put in a good word for you, as an author guest, to fellow show producers and hosts on the Internet bulletin boards.

These points will help an author get far in the talk show interview universe. Through personal experiences, an author can tailor their appearances over time for the best results. Best of luck in becoming a successful author…

Mike McCann
Mike-at-GlobalBusinessCafe.com

From Lists to Introductions

Gaining appearances on radio and TV talk shows follow an unspoken protocol between the author, show producer and talk show host (plus all supporting staff to these three individuals). Writing a book and making media appearances still follows the same step-by-step procedures created in the 90s when I began working within the media system…just the technology has changed. I will attempt to capsule steps to go from beginning to media interview here.

Every Show Has a Beginning
To pursue appearances on radio and TV talk shows matching the genre of the book an author is “promoting,” an author needs to peruse professionally-produced talk show lists (duplicated from previous article in “sources” below). When creating three separate lists for each of radio and TV: “local” (i.e., stations that broadcast to a specific community/city), “regional” (i.e., stations that reach an audience in multiple cities, partial state or up to five states) and “national” (i.e., broadcasts that reach at least 48 states, plus).

Until an author gets their “feet wet” with media interviews, focus on local shows in the beginning. The “ramp up” time for working out an author’s interview hits and misses is different for every author, so there is no timeline that fits everyone…every author can sense when they have the interview foundations down and ready to go to the next geographic level.

For each of the matching local talk shows an author has noted on the professional media lists, develop a simple database in order to keep contact information history for each station. Fields that are critical to this database are: talk show host name, producer(s) name, time of show (with time zone noted), address, phone, city, state, zip of station and section to keep notes of EVERY time the author (or a station representative) converses. The reason the “notes” section is so important is because some show producers want an author for an immediate appearance and other show producers may not invite an author for more than two years…keeping accurate contact notes shows an author is a professional.

Once an author has a database template ready, phone each station of interest:

a) Update the station name, address, host name, producer(s) name – yes, these personnel fields change often and an author doesn’t want to ask to speak with a person on a list that has not been at the station for six months.

b) Within two weeks after you have update the contact information, call and ask to speak with the show producer. Important: time your call for 15 minutes after the end of that particular radio or TV show…producers are very busy before and during the show, so calling before or during the show will mark an author as a novice. Keep in mind that show producers are grading everything about an author from the moment of first contact to see who passes (gets an invitation) and who fails (no invitation to the show) their subjective, protocol tests.

c) When connected to the producer’s phone, do leave a voicemail that is no longer than 20 seconds. Yes, 20 seconds is very short…producers recognize succinct and brief messages above all other laborious messages. An author needs to have a “voice mail message” scripted (but, sound natural) so the message flows quick and to the point. Many producers and talk show hosts deliberately let all calls go to voice mail so they can “listen” to the author on the phone and decide if this person “sounds” like they have the right personality for their show.

d) When connected to a producer personally, briefly introduce yourself, mention you are a resource on a subject that matches the show audience interest (cooking show, business show…), you are an author and willing to e-mail a link to your online media kit immediately, if requested. Producers are usually receptive to authors who are prepared ahead of the call with these talking points and able to quickly get the message out. Follow the lead of the producer from the “introduction” and acknowledge the producer is very busy and you will be very brief.

Gaining an audience on a show an author has an interest in is a lesson in patience. If an author has material that matches a “hot story,” booking a show can be the same day. If an author has “evergreen” material that can be used 365 days a year, it may be up to 730 days (two years+) before a producer extends an invitation…that’s okay.

Hint: talk show hosts and producers are particularly susceptible to author solicitations one week before a national American holiday. Why? Many public relations personnel and authors slack off their contact of media outlets around national holidays and a guest may cancel, get sick, get stuck at an airport, etc….creating an opportunity for a creative author to make a last-minute appearance the week before or week after a national holiday. Seize this opportunity and call your “A-list” ten to two days before a national holiday.

In my next “how to write a book” article, I will cover protocol for an author once a producer extends an invitation for appearing on a talk show. Stay tuned for what schools don’t teach you about the media…

Mike McCann
Mike-at-GlobalBusinessCafe.com

Sources:
Talkers Magazine

Gordon’s Radio (and TV) List

List of Talk Show Hosts on Wikipedia (good place to go to other websites)

Alex Carroll’s Radio Publicity Resources

Introduction

First comes the book, and then comes the show. Learning how to write a book alone is a step-by-step process. You can successfully publish a quality, desirable book following a project timeline, but when it comes to publicity…whoa! The world of publicity is like the “Wild West” of publishing (and this is how an author feels sometimes…longing to get back to writing). In the previous “How to Write a Book” article, I described how to create an online media kit. Creating this online media kit is work, no doubt! Now, let’s get that online media kit onto “the street” in search of media interviews.

Every day, more than 10,000 guests appear on radio and TV talk shows across America. More than 90 percent of the author guests DON’T have household names. Many people love to be on radio or TV…in fact, I’m convinced many authors write a book just so they can be on radio or TV.

Talk show hosts and their show producers recognize that authors are, for the most part, interesting people with a message to share with listeners or viewers. An author’s book is often the entre onto a show. Hosts and producers are cautious about including authors in their show because many authors are not well-prepared to appeal to the show audience.

A producer or show host will invite an author on a show to impart knowledge, illustrate something or share an interesting story. Nowhere in the “guest description” does it say “sell books.” Before you are a guest on your first show, listen/watch interviews on as many talk shows as possible to see how “coached” authors handle interviews. Media coaching is big business and well worth some level of involvement for each author.

Guests who “commercialize” about their book are quickly phased off the show segment and never invited back. Guests who are interactive, fun, informative (translation: makes the host look great and gets the audience involved) can’t leave the show set or get off the phone without the producer booking a return appearance. Show producers have private bulletin boards where they exchange information (very candidly, I might add) about guests…”this person was great,” “this person was a dud…”you get the idea.

For example: Rarely, if ever, say “In my book…,” “In chapter nine of my book…” Instead, say something like, “Earlier this year, my research found that 22 percent of drivers in the United States drive in some level of sleep mode…” Or, “Before I started cooking with saffoil, I thought it was okay to use. However, after reading many studies on saffoil, I have found saffoil is dangerously flammable and…” For great drama, if you are in the studio, you can have a mock kitchen on set (TV) or hot plate (radio) and demonstrate how saffoil catches on fire…producers love this kind of excitement and controlled drama. Viewers sit up in their chairs and listeners turn up the radio when you involve some controlled drama. Be creative and “fun” with your material.

Some authors are “booked” on shows by publicists working for publishers (very few authors in this category). Some authors hire a publicist to “book” shows for them and pay based on the national ranking of the show (the more listeners/viewers a show has, the more it costs to be booked on the show). My favorite approach is to develop a database over time while increasing level of experience on my part, handling details myself or seeking the help of my spouse, intern or individual in the office with free time.

Unless an author is struck by lightning and lands on a national show the day his or her first book comes from the printer, I recommend starting small and gradually building to the national shows. Two reasons for this:

a) Experience in front of a microphone or TV camera definitely helps. When conducting media interviews, an author HAS to feel comfortable and relaxed…emotions come through the airwaves. No substitute for experience.

b) Make mistakes on the local shows where it’s perfectly okay to “pick yourself up,” dust off your awkwardness in front of the microphones and learn for the next interview.

As an author progresses from the local to the regional to the national shows, the level of expectations for professionalism of the author grows, too. This is not taking anything away from local radio or TV shows because there are some high quality, interesting local shows…everyone in media knows ambitious authors are working their way up the media ladder and accept this “local to regional to national” model.

On every interview, an author should learn what worked, what went great and what bombed during their segment. On one of my first TV interviews, the interviewer was wearing the usual earpiece (to listen to the producer/control room for instructions) and a lapel microphone. The interviewer started to talk while the camera was on me and I was speaking. I paused briefly because I didn’t know what was happening. She was talking to the producer about the next question to ask, not talking to me at all…but the camera was on me and my microphone was “on.” Thankfully, my “pause” was not overly conspicuous, but I sure learned to separate myself from all the commotion going on around me in the studio while “on camera.”

In my next “how to write a book” article, I will cover more nuances about being a radio and TV guest. In the meantime, check out the sources below to get a “feel” for the “personality” of the talk industry. I have met with individuals from Talkers Magazine, William Gordon and Alex Carroll…all have something valuable to offer an aspiring author.

Mike McCann
Mike-at-GlobalBusinessCafe.com

Create an Online Media Kit the Media Will Love

Creating appealing material on an author website makes book publicity easier because an author can direct everyone to a URL from anywhere in the world. An online media kit is similar to a print media kit, with the difference being that an online media kit is in a .pdf format. Individual files from an online media kit can be sent to individuals in the media when on the phone or exchanging e-mail discussing a potential (or scheduled) appearance…speed of communication does matter.

Be consistent on the “look” of every page of your online media kit. The purpose of an online media kit is to illustrate your ability to help the audience of the media taking an interest in an author making an appearance, interview, etc. At the top of every page, include:

a) Name of author

b) Title of author’s book and,

c) Contact information.

Create an Appealing Media Kit
What is an appealing media kit? An author media kit should be designed to set an author apart from the others and showcase an author’s professionalism, credentials, areas of expertise and the author’s platform. An author’s online media kit should be designed to make the author the best choice for an upcoming media opportunity. An author’s online media kit should give the media an idea of the author’s vast knowledge and create certainty that this author is the best choice.

Instilling Confidence in the Producer
The knowledge that a producer has when he or she knows that an author will be an excellent expert—an author knows what they are talking about and they proved it in the pages of their media kit by providing media producers with the evidence they need to feel confident in booking you, the author.

Compare Two Potential Media Guests…
A competitor of yours sends their information via email to the media producer as just a normal, everyday email with a signature line. Your information arrives completely packaged with everything the media needs to know to book you. A producer has to jump through hoops to work with the first expert – you are “low maintenance.” An added bonus is that you can tailor your media kit to fit the needs of a specific media contact at any time.

An author with a professional online media kit can guide a media producer through their online media kit and point out certain areas that the author especially wants the producer to notice. Many times an author can set the media appearance right on the phone. With the help of an author’s online media kit, the author has provided the media contact with the certainly they must have in order to book the author.

Pages for an Online Media Kit:

1. Cover picture of the author’s book

2. A color picture of the author

3. Author bio written especially for the media

4. Interview topic ideas – fully developed with talking & message point along with pertinent questions

5. Suggested interview questions that are relevant to the topic

6. Facts that support an author’s segment (example: a recent study that shows holiday travel is up by 44 percent over last year)

7. Sample quiz – if an author’s material can be made into a quiz format then prepare a fun quiz. Print media loves this format. A quiz works well for lifestyle, love, relationship, losing weight, workplace presented in a light-hearted way.

8. Testimonials from any other producers etc. that said you, as an author, were a great guest.

9. Media Page: Illustrate the media you, as an author, has participated in…listing the most important first.

10. Link back to the author’s site if the author has a demo or audio demo on their website.

11. Scanned in pictures of the author’s book cover, the author in both a business look and upscale casual.

I am in the process of getting my online media kit ready for primetime. This preparation is a lot of work. I have had previous experiences with online media kits and this online media kit program definitely works. Pace yourself and get it done (this applies to the whole “how to write a book” series).

Mike McCann
Mike-at-GlobalBusinessCafe.com

How to write a book article series to this point has been about bringing a book to life – quality writing, quality visuals on the back cover and front cover, and professional editing. Now comes the big day: An author holding their own book for the first time.

The first time I ripped open the box with my first book inside and held the finished book in my hands, I was elated. At the same time, I thought “now I have to get to work and sell volumes of books. This was such a nervous moment that I decided to catch my breath and go for a long lunch.

After lunch, reality sinks in…how to promote and ‘move’ boxes and boxes of books. All authors will understand. Enter targeted promotion, well-planned marketing and lots of work. Writing a book is the easiest part of the birth of a successful book, moving your books off the shelves and out of boxes takes more planning, tenacity and time.

Recognizing that there are many authors who have approached promotion and marketing of their books in many unique ways, I want to provide proven techniques here that should spur your creative juices to customize what I say in the next few articles for your own personality and set of conditions. Whether self-published or an author associated with a publisher, you will have to do much of the promotion yourself. Here are several promotional “legs” to establish before customizing your marketing program:

a) Website – When an author wishes to be interviewed by the media, speak before a group or otherwise “be out there,” people will judge a website by its cover. Approach creating an author website with the same care and professionalism used to create the book. Think of visuals (book covers) and content (inside pages).

b) Blog – A website sets the foundation for an online presence. A blog tells the world an author is “building” on the foundation of the website and interested in interaction with readers through comments on a blog.

c) Social Media – I like LinkedIn and Facebook, one is for professional interaction and the other is for more relaxed, fun topics. I recognize there are many social media networks worldwide and an author can consider social websites in other countries (if your book is relevant to these international markets). For example, Orkut is the big social media gorilla, owned by Google and especially popular in Brazil and India.

Set up a professional profile and join relevant “groups” on LinkedIn. Search for relevant demographics on Facebook for your book (e.g., a cookbook author searching for “cooking” aficionados). For individuals who seem to be a match with my book material on these two social media sites, I direct message a short and professional note introducing myself, asking if there is a mutual interest in a social media connection. So far, these messages have been well-received (probably because most people just send an “invitation” without personal note attached).

d) Press Releases – Set up a schedule to distribute newsworthy press releases. I hear authors say all the time, “Yes, sure. I don’t know what to say in a press release beyond the first one announcing my new book.”

Tie material in your book to current events. For example, if your book is on “bringing up a smart child,” all news stories about education for children in the age group you cover in your book is a tie-in for writing about your findings and mentioning your book…along with contact information.

PRWeb.com has great resources for crafting quality press releases. Search “free press releases” and “press release distribution services” for getting the word out. There IS a learning curve to writing a professional press release. Stick with the ramp up learning process for crafting a relevant and meaningful (to the media and their public) press release because the effort will soon become easy and quick.

These four promotional marketing “legs” will create a foundation for an author to begin selling their book. In part six of how to write a book, I will start with time-proven techniques authors have used to add to the foundation above, have fun interacting with people and start selling books. Stay tuned…

Mike McCann
Mike-at-GlobalBusinessCafe.com