Tips for Doing Radio Interviews

Tips For Doing Radio Interviews

Doing radio interviews are a great way to get publicity if you are prepared. Here are ten great tips on doing radio interviews.

10 Tips for Doing Radio Interviews

By Kristie Tamsevicius

Are you an author looking for ways to promote your book? Radio publicity can get the word out to thousands of potential buyers. But doing a good interview can take some practice. Here are some tips to help you be a wow radio guest during your next interview!

1. Give the announcer a review copy of your book before the interview. If the announcer is familiar with your e-Book, he can refer to specific areas of the book during the interview. If your e-Book is lengthy, then point out specific chapters you would like for him to read. If the announcer really enjoys your e-Book, ask him for an endorsement you can use on your web site.

2. Get to know the interview style and personality of the radio host. Listen to previously recorded interviews by that announcer to get a feel for his style and the types of questions he will ask you. This will also give you a feel for their show as a whole.

3. Know your announcer. To personalize the interview, try to call the announcer by name. So you don’t forget, write the announcer’s name and radio program name and call letters on an index card. In the heat of the interview, nothing could be worse than having your mind go blank!

4. Warm up. Take time to talk to the announcer ahead of time. Start with the easy stuff. Warm up, by telling the host about yourself, your background, and your current projects. By knowing more about you, the announcer can ask more in depth questions that showcase your knowledge and abilities.

5. Relax, smile, and be yourself! Don’t try to put on some “cool-hip author facade”. Be honest and sincere. If you have the jitters, you might want to consider doing a practice interview with your friend or spouse. You might feel silly role-playing at first, but you’ll be surprised at how helpful it is. Standing up, walking around, and gesturing during a phone radio interview can add to the liveliness of your connection with the interviewer and audience. You may even want to do the interview in front of a mirror. Look to make sure you are smiling. The smile will come through in your voice.

6. Focus. Call from a quiet, comfortable place where you can focus. If you have children, take them to a babysitter. Call from a high quality telephone to improve the quality of the radio recording. A cordless phone or headset can cause static. Having a rich clear tone to your voice will paint a better visual image of you in the listener’s mind.

7. Be prepared. Get a set of the questions ahead of time. Write out your key points out on index cards and tape them to your desk. If the host asks you about something and your mind goes blank, you can refer to your notes without shuffling to find them. Keep your answers short and to the point. Longwinded answers will bore your audience. People LOVE stories. So try to tell stories related to your book – that will draw the audience into your conversation. Remember, if the radio host asks a question that you don’t want to answer or don’t know the answer to, then answer the question that they should have asked.

8. Tell them your story. Stories capture the emotions of the audience, are easy to relate to, and are very persuasive. Tell the story of what inspired you to write your book, how your book has helped people, what you did before you wrote your book, and how writing the book has brought you success.

9. Mention the title of your book and contact information. Never say, “In my book…” Always call your book by name. For instance, “In I Love My Life, there are ten keys to ….” Mention your name, the title of your book, your web site URL, and your newsletter during the interview. Ideal time to mention this is at the beginning and end of the interview.

10. Showcase your knowledge: It’s your time to shine! If you have specific questions for the announcer to ask, give them to him ahead of time. Try to stress the uniqueness of your book. The real power of a radio interview is that you can position yourself as an authority on your area of expertise. If he asks key questions on the subjects you know best, you’ll come off sounding like a star! Likewise, if there are questions you don’t want to talk about, let the announcer know that too.

If you have a radio interview coming up use these tips and you’ll be ready for great publicity.

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