|
|
Author interviews are a staple of many talk-format radio stations. Radio interviews are easier to book than TV interviews, because you don’t have to travel anywhere; you can do an hour-long remote interview—speaking to a listening audience of tens of thousands—from the privacy of your own home.
Radio interviews last anywhere from 5-120 minutes, can be lived or taped, and often, the host takes listener calls.
Sound Bites
You must be thoroughly prepared to articulately communicate your message, with short sound bite responses for short interviews and more detailed answers for longer interviews.
Call-in Shows
If listeners call in during your interview, take notes as they speak. Write down the caller’s name and address the caller by name when you respond. The host will often help you out, repeating the caller’s name and summarizing their question (some hosts even share their two cents worth before you have a chance to chime in).
During live call-in shows, your time to answer questions will be severely limited, since callers tend to take a long time formulating their questions, and commercial breaks come frequently. Succinctly answer the caller’s question and offer them an encouraging word.
Rabbit Trails
Don’t be afraid to get the interview back on topic if the host asks you a question that is irrelevant or veers off on a rabbit trail. If the host asks you a question that you don’t know the answer to, say, “I don’t know about that, but what I do know is…” and move the interview back to your topic.
The Host’s Job
If you have a toll-free number or personal Web site from which listeners can order your book, tell the producer and/or host before you go on the air. Chances are, the host will promote your Web site address several times during the segment, so you don’t have to.
Don’t get aggressive about promoting your book or the host may cut the interview short. An interview is not intended to be an advertisement for your book, but rather, an informational segment to encourage and equip the listeners. Allow the host to promote your book. Before and after every commercial break, the host will announce, “We’re talking with so-and-so, author of such-and-such.”
Teasers
Give the listeners lots of good information, but don’t give ‘em everything. Leave enough out so they have a reason to buy your book. It’s fine to say, “I go into much more detail about this issue in such-and-such book” (don’t say “my book,” – say the actual title of your book).
Articulate
During your interview, speak slowly, clearly, and project your voice more than you feel necessary. Your voice needs to carry over the airwaves and must include enough inflection to keep the audience listening… a monotone voice loses listeners.
Smile as you speak; listeners can hear the smile in your voice.
Follow Up
Always, always send a handwritten thank-you card to the host. You never know when they might want to call you again for another interview!
Related articles:
(By the way: are you looking for even more free tools, tips, and resources? Follow us on Twitter to stay up-to-date on the latest)
The editorial team for WinePress of Words includes Carla Williams (Executive Editor), Laura Christianson (Editor and Coordinator), Josiah Williams (Marketing Specialist), and Thomas McGee (Designer and Developer).
| Advertisement | Advertise with Us! |
Your feedback is important to us. Feel free to let us know what you found useful from this resource, what you would like to see more of, or any ways we can improve. We’re always looking for ways we can make WinePress of Words a more useful online resource for everyone. We would love to hear from you! Fields marked with a (*) are required and as always, we respect your privacy.
