Successful Interviewing

Successful Interviewing for Successful Book Promotion

Brought to you from the BookSurge monthly "Surge Newsletter" for self-published authors

The opportunity to give a personal interview about your book is the gold standard of book marketing opportunities. Not only do you have the chance to create urgency for potential readers to buy your book, you have the ability to give the interviewing audience a look at the story behind the book and your creative process. While the execution of radio, TV and print interviews varies widely, here are just a few tips to help you deliver effective content and promote your book.

Practice makes the perfect interview. Recruit a friend or family member to ask questions about your work, and practice crafting your answers in ways that are direct and meaningful, yet brief.

Speak to your customer. The point of the interview is to create excitement for your work and an urgency to purchase your book. Don't just tell your audience about your book; tell them how the book will ultimately benefit their lives. Make sure you convey key messages at the beginning and end of the interview, leaving time in the middle to discuss the details.

Remember to K.I.S. (Keep It Simple!) During your interview, avoid using jargon or terminology that your audience may not understand. The audience for the interview may be unfamiliar with the subject matter of your title, so try to answer questions without using technical language.

Nothing is off the record. In today's media, anything you say is fair game to be printed, quoted or reported, so choose your words carefully. A good rule of thumb to follow is to avoid saying anything you wouldn’t want printed on the front page of the paper.