5 easy steps to a successful media appearance

By A.G. Billig

If your goal in 2021 is to serve more readers by inspiring or entertaining them with books, consider doing more audio and video interviews. Emerging authors with small audiences can especially benefit from the large followings of established platforms – if they do it right.

A high-impact appearance on a podcast, a radio or TV show, or even on an online summit, will grow your fan base and book sales. It also gets people talking about you in a positive way, and all of us here know that word-of-mouth is still king.

You need to take the right steps to ensure your media appearance is a success. What you do before the show is equally important as what you do during the show, while being interviewed.

Here are your five easy steps.

1. Sharpen your core messages and talking points.

Think about your writing objectives, your book, your target audience, and your author brand and identify the top three messages your readers need to know (these are your core messages). One of your core messages should be your book pitch.

Also come up with five short phrases that describe the topics you can address and are passionate about. These are your media talking points.

As a publicist, an author client’s media talking points help me pick the right media channels for the author. They can also serve as a discussion guide for interviews. You can do the same for yourself, without a publicist.

Having clear core messages and media talking points will help you be sharp and to the point during the interview. It will also put you at ease since you will sit in the front of the microphone or camera with the confidence of someone who knows what they are talking about.

I always remind my clients before an interview to write on a small piece of paper the ideas/information they absolutely must convey, including their social media handles.

(Editor’s note: Build Book Buzz Publicity Forms & Templates has a message development template plus samples to help you with this. Learn more here.)

2. Become familiar with the show and the host.

As a former radio and TV host, I promise you that the host of the show has your best interests at heart and wants to put you in the best light. But she also has an audience to please.

So get familiar with the show by listening to or watching at least one episode.

Pay attention to the type of questions being asked. Identify the common ground between your books and the show’s theme and build your answers around that.

In doing so, you will get your message across in an interesting and engaging way for the audience – and benefit from a successful media appearance.

3. Test your equipment and setting.

Some interviews are live and others, recorded. Either way, you need to be ready to roll as soon as you are “on air.”

Make sure that your microphone and camera are working properly. If you have a new generation laptop, its camera and microphone should work fine.

However, if you’re serious about doing interviews and even starting your own podcast, it’s worth investing some money into a microphone you can plug into your computer.

For video interviews, check your background and make sure it looks nice, but not distracting. Avoid a blank wall, though—it will come across as cold and impersonal.

Also ensure that your face and body are properly lit so you don’t appear too dark or, the opposite, washed out.

4. Show up as the best version of yourself.

The camera and microphone easily give away how you feel in that moment. So, when you do a radio or TV interview, whether live or recorded, you need to show up as the best version of yourself.

Here’s how you can do that:

• Make sure you build inner excitement about it before the interview starts because that will show on your face and in your voice.
• Speaking of voice, warm it up before the show by singing a song you like, reciting a poem, or reading out loud the book excerpt you will share with the audience.
• Shake your body, dance, or walk briskly in the room to get the blood circulating in your veins and build up your energy levels.
• If it’s a video interview, women need to apply a minimum of makeup—foundation, powder, eye shadow, mascara, and lip-gloss.
• And, even though nowadays authors are being interviewed from the comfort of our own homes, you need to look professional and not as if you just got out of bed. Wear nice clothes that are consistent with your author brand.

5. Be yourself.

As with other aspects of our lives, preparation is key. However, leave room for spontaneity.

In order to have a successful media appearance, you want to be present in the moment, listen carefully to the host, and let your creativity fill your mind with brilliant answers. Don’t be afraid to use humor. It is much needed, especially in times like these.

Remember to stay authentic and shine your true colors, and you will captivate the audience.

Do you have a question about interview prep for A.G.? Please leave it in a comment.

Tip of the Month

I like to share a “Tip of the Month,” a free resource or tool for authors, on the last Wednesday of the month.

This month it’s StoryOrigin, a site that helps you:

• Distribute review copies
• Create country-specific purchase links
• Build your email list
• Offer audiobook promo codes
• Organize newsletter swaps

It’s free while in beta mode, so create your account and give it a try.

Using surprises to get media attention

By Avril O’Reilly

I am kind of old-fashioned when it comes to press packs. I like when a product or book lands on the desk accompanied by a goodie bag. I’m not greedy. When I worked on newspapers a nice biro or a bag of sweets was more than enough to earn my good will.

The BIG idea

When I was sending out copies of my book, Kathleen and the Communion Copter, I wanted the book to have that “feel good” factor. My original idea was to bake cookies in the shape of little girls making their communions. I would decorate the cookies and place each in a pretty paper box that I would buy from Etsy. These would be delivered by, I dunno, courier/winged messenger/mum, to the relevant newspapers and magazines. Journalists on a sugar high would write warmly about my book.

Bad idea

I’ll stop there and explain why that didn’t happen. The idea was time-consuming, expensive, and possibly a threat to the journalists’ health. It might have been a magnet for desk mice. And this approach was insensitive to the different lead-in times of mags, papers, and radio stations.

Better idea

The idea I ran with in the end was to make necklaces. My book is about Holy Communions and helicopters so I felt it might lend itself to jewelry. I decided on a silver chain with a cross and a helicopter. Crosses on chains are a well-known aspect of communions and are quite ageless. I was lucky to find a little helicopter that looked not unlike the drawing on my front cover.

Here’s my advice for doing something similar for your book:

• Determine your audience. Mine is little kids and their mums, aunts, and grannies. And initially it is female journalists. Jewelry has feminine appeal. Chains and bracelets might also work for tween, teens, or romance books.
• Set a budget. Decide how much you are willing to invest in this stage of your book. Books, stamps, and envelopes all cost.
• Keep it cheap. I originally thought that charm bracelets would be nice but a bracelet needs at least six charms while a necklace needs only one or two.
• Keep it light. A small gift that fits in an envelope will keep your shipping costs down.
• Keep it simple. I knew I would be sending about 50 of these so my design used just two charms on a chain. There was minimal skill involved. I learned on YouTube how to use jump rings or split rings to attach the crosses and copters to the chain.
• Head for Etsy. Look for what you want and then get Etsy to show the items ranked by price. Go for the cheapest. I used Bohemian Findings.
• Head for China. A surprising number of usable things are available from from Asia. I got my very pretty chains from a polite and skilled chap called Cheng. (His Etsy name is Predestination.) Allow time for your package to arrive. Allow 6-8 weeks or pay for quicker delivery.
• Give yourself searching time. It can take a while to find exactly what you want. Enjoy seeing what is out there that might complement your book. Etsy and eBay are creative places and clever ideas are plentiful. Use them.

A few extras to consider include:

• Add chocolate. Female journalists love opening a package and seeing chocolate inside. I paid a professional company, Lily O’Briens, to make up small boxes of two chocolates with the name of my book embossed on the cover. They do this service for couples getting married.
• Add stickers. I got large and small stickers made by Moo.com. I was going to stick them on the envelopes but instead I put them inside. That way the recipient can put them onto their iPad, notebook, or phone.
• Make it look pretty. Keep the feminine appeal going right through your press package.
• Check eBay. Paper bags and fabric bags can be had cheaply. Again, allow time for international deliveries.

The end result

Very few people ignored my press packs. One website used my book and necklace as a competition prize. I have been getting a lot of press coverage and even one TV appearance. The Holy Communion season peaks at the end of May so I have yet to see all the returns from my efforts.

And because little girls like the necklaces, I have a few mini-ambassadors for the book going around.

I am told that people wait until the last minute to buy Holy Communion gifts so I will let you know if all my efforts lead to sales.

What appealing goodies could you send to the media to entice them to open and read your book’s press kit?