Ready, Set, Talk: Prepping for a Book Interview

Every day offers new windows of opportunity for you to promote your Dorrance-published book. If you have a chance to be interviewed about your book, don’t let uncertainty keep you from jumping at it. Building on our previous post about preparing your elevator pitch, we offer some of “dos” and “don’ts” when it comes to a book interview.

Let’s start with the “dos”

• Do prepare for the interview. Don’t go into it with an “I know my book, I’ll just wing it” mentality. Rather, develop five or six solid talking points to build on during your interview.

• Do show respect. It doesn’t matter if it’s the local news or radio station, or a small newspaper in town; always treat your interviewer with respect and courtesy.

• Do use social media to spread the word about your upcoming interview. Include information such as when and where the interview will take place, and how viewers can watch or listen. 

• Do pay attention to what is going on in current events that are related to your book’s genre or topic, and think about how you might tie them into the discussion of your book. 

Now on to the “don’ts”

• Don’t just give facts. Instead, add anecdotes to help articulate your thoughts. This will help make the interview more interesting and “humanize” your message.

• Don’t hard sell your book. Adding constant plugs about selling your book into your interview can easily turn people off. Rather, be genuine with your message and people will want to buy your book.

• Don’t be afraid of rejection. Even John Grisham endured rejections before he found success. It’s how you handle those situations that will prepare you for the future.

• Don’t make big demands. As a newly published author, any sort of media spot is a great way to share your story. So don’t make crazy demands that could turn off your media connection. Be grateful for the spot you’ve been offered and treat it like a headlining spot on the national news.

In short, a book interview is a great way to spread the word about your book. Take note of these tips and remember to stay calm, cool and collected. Good luck!

Copyright Dorrance Publishing 2014