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Misunderstand the Media. Too many authors confuse PR opportunities with free advertising. Ouch! No reporter, editor, or host wants their media outlet to be a billboard for your book; their job is to provide interesting and useful information to their readers or audience. Let them talk up the virtues of your book. If you provide compelling evidence that your book is worthwhile and newsworthy, you'll maximize your chances of a good media experience.
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Repeat the Title, Excessively. This is a corollary to the previous point. If you state the name of your book every 10 seconds, you'll annoy the interviewer/host and sound like a canned advertisement, rather than an interesting author. Err on the side of caution and let the host mention your title.
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| 3. |
Lack Message Points. Of course you have message points. And they're uh…. ?? You need to be able to articulate two or three memorable points about your book – in concise, sound bite form. If you don't have those sound bites defined and well rehearsed, you'll leave it up to the audience to determine what was important in the interview (and people won't remember much, given how much information they have to process in a day). Also, if your messages are in order before the media engagement, you can focus on delivery: great messages + great delivery = great interview!
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Over Answer. Most inexperienced authors don't know when to stop talking. By babbling on, they increase their chances of being misquoted or driving the interview off-topic. You don't need to describe every virtue and foible of your novel's protagonist or plough through all the footnotes that support your non-fiction title. Give enough information to satisfy the interviewer's answers and whet people's appetites so they'll want to buy the book. In short, don't snatch defeat from the jaws of victory — keep your answers short and wait for the next question.
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Fail to Listen. A guaranteed way to irritate an interviewer is to interrupt or finish his or her questions. Wait, even if you know the question. You need to establish a rapport and communicate respectfully.
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Speak in Jargon. This is primarily a problem with non-fiction authors. You’re the expert. Don't assume that the host/interviewer and the audience have the same level of expertise. Keep it simple.
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| 7. |
Trash Competitors. If a host or interviewer compares your book to other titles, don't put down the competing books -- even if you don't like or agree with the other works, or you don't respect the authors. More important, talk about the strengths of your book and what makes it an important read.
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| 8. |
Go Into Combat Mode. Some authors believe that they need to come across as "tough," so that they can control the interview through intimidation. Bad idea; you might win a battle or two, but you'll still lose the war. Victory goes to he or she who controls the ink or the airwaves. So be a smart player and check your ego at the door.
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| 9. |
Get Your Dander Up. Even if you don't go into an interview in combat mode, the host or interviewer might ask questions or make comments designed to get a rise out of you – this is the standard MO for "shock radio." Don't take the bait! Just calmly answer questions in a factual way. Aggressive questions are only effective if you go on the defensive.
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| 10. |
Dread the Interview. Most animals can smell fear. Ditto interviewers and audiences. Your misgivings about being interviewed can ruin a media event; they undermine your appearances as a confident and knowledgeable author. The good news is that when you get into the rhythm of doing interviews for your book, you'll find that media engagements can actually be fun! If you're inexperienced, practice interviewing with friends and families. Walk in with good message points (see item 3, above). De-stress before the live interview. Talk "to," not "at," the interviewer and audience. If you're relaxed and engaging, you'll pique more curiosity about your book and just may send some people to the bookstores. |
