In a post today ( in BBC News ), discusses the government of India’s strong interest in returning to the expansion levels of yesteryear. With a former growth rate of around nine percent annually, India’s latest growth rate has been around 6.5%+ recently. Actually, 6.5% looks great compared to many countries around the world for [...]
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