The Business of Publishing

Congratulations, you’re published! But what exactly does it mean to be “published”? Besides the fact that your work is finally in print and your college alumni has asked to interview you for their newsletter it also means fame and fortune, right? Well, ok, maybe not on the level of J. K. Rowling, but at the very least you can expect a call from Oprah, right? I hate to be the one to break it to you but you’re probably not even on her radar screen. The truth about publishing is really stranger than fiction and the truth is: getting published is only half the battle. The other half is to keep your reality check in balance so it doesn’t bounce.

While publishing is all about creative expression, it’s also about business and it’s those business savvy authors who will succeed in the end. Now you don’t have to be an MBA to be a keen business person, you simply have to understand that the choices you make relative to your books future should be based on strategies that will enhance sales not just drain your pocketbook. So, how do you do this? First, take a long, hard look at your reader.

At Author Marketing Experts, we always create a reader profile for each book we promote. This reader profile will tell us where to find buyers for the books we represent. Taking this first step helps us sort through our choices when it comes to book promotion and make decisions on behalf of our authors that are sound and will help leverage sales.

There are times when it’s a waste of resources to do a nationwide radio or TV promotion. In fact, some of our programs don’t include any outreach to broadcast media. Why? Because as alluring as it might seem to appear on the Today Show, what’s the point if your audience doesn’t watch morning TV? And, if your audience isn’t watching this show, the chances are slim they’ll even consider you anyway. What? More rejection? Who needs it!

As you embark on or continue your campaign, ask yourself a few tough questions. First, what’s your ultimate goal for this book? If it’s just to give away at family reunions, that’s great! But then you’ll probably want to nix any marketing. If your book is an arm of your business and you have speaking engagements lined up through the end of the year. You probably don’t need to spend a lot on marketing since most of your sales will come from your speaking engagements (i.e. back of the room sales). On the other hand, if you wrote this book to grow your business or to leverage your credibility then you will probably want to dial yourself into your industry through enhanced media exposure.

For fiction authors this area becomes a little tricky. First, you need to determine your long term goals. By long term we mean: do you want to stay in this business or was this book just “something you wanted to do.” If it’s a hobby, then treat it as such but if this is going to be your career, then you need to keep your message out there on a continual basis, through venues such as author events, talks, signings, print and broadcast media.

Make sure the choices you make, make sense for your book and aren’t just made because you’ve always dreamt of being on Oprah. I’ve known authors lured into inappropriate marketing plans by big, flashy names and promises of stardom, wasting thousands of valuable marketing dollars and heading in a direction that wasn’t right for them. If you’re serious about your work, ready to let go of your muse and face the task at hand with some business savvy, then you’re really ready to get published. Below are some guidelines that will help further your success!

1) Reader profile: create one of these at the beginning of your marketing campaign and keep refining it as you move through the process. Refine and redefine who and where your audience is and how to get to them.

2) Time commitment: determine what you can and can’t reasonably do. If you have a full time job it probably doesn’t make a lot of sense to commit yourself to forty hours of marketing a week unless your boss is on vacation.

3) Investment: how much are you willing to invest in your future? Are you willing to invest money without seeing much in return knowing that you are building a foundation or do you want to see immediate monetary results? Most authors don’t see a return on their investment for a year or more. Are you committed enough to yourself or your project to keep this investment going?

4) Reality check: what’s realistic for the industry you’re in? Are you latching onto a fad or something with more longevity? Are you getting into a brand new market that will require lots of reader education? Or are you trying to go mainstream with a non-mainstream topic? While this is an admirable goal, it can be like swimming upstream.

5) Budget: while we encourage authors to invest in their future, we’ve also seen a number of people go into heavy debt, quit their jobs and even sell their homes just to promote their book. While that kind of dedication is certainly admirable, remember that although you have the potential to make a great deal of money it’s not going to be overnight. The lure here is of course that “If I stick with it, this next sale will make me famous.” Well, maybe or maybe not. If you’ve been plugging away for a while without any significant success get a professional to give you some honest, constructive feedback about your plan, your market, and your book. It might be that a poorly designed cover is the reason you’re not making sales, or a topic that’s fallen off of the public’s radar screen. In the meantime as you’re waiting to hit the big time you’ll still need a place to sleep and Uncle Vinnie’s couch will get old real quick.

6) Burnout: we hear this term often, even to the point of being overused. What we’re really talking about here is author burnout. We’ve found that the average author only markets their book for ninety days. That means ninety days of day and night marketing, radio interviews at 3am and a book signing every weekend. On day ninety-one they are so tired, so discouraged and so broke they quit. You can avoid this by giving yourself realistic goals and a realistic timeframe in which to complete them. There’s nothing in the world like seeing your book in print. If approached realistically, objectively and with sound business sense, it can be one of the most exciting times in your life.

May 6, 2009

Filed under: Custom Essay Service — Tags: , , , , , , — Custom Essay @ 8:18 am

Tips To Successfully Promote Your Book On Talk Radio

For nearly two decades, we’ve been telling you about the value of talk radio as a means for promoting your book to the masses. Because we want you to succeed with talk radio, here are some “inside” tips to help you become the kind of guest every host wants to have on his or her show:

1. Be energetic. Make sure that you bring ENERGY to the table. Radio hosts love it when you show enthusiasm on the air. If you’re excited about your message, the listeners will be excited, too—and more inclined to want to learn more about your book.

2. Avoid distractions. Make sure that there are no dogs barking or kids screaming and clutching onto your leg. Turn off your computer and the television and make sure that you switch off your cell phone. Shut yourself into a room where you can have total privacy with no distractions so you can stay focused!

3. Be honest. Always be open and honest with the host. Listeners relate better to people who are an “open book.” Don’t be afraid to be who you really are and say what you really think. Remember that Howard Stern built an empire by being honest with his listeners!

4. Define your message. Before going on the air, know the key points you want to communicate about your book. Make sure you stay “on message” no matter how far off the host’s questions take you. Always bring the answer back to your own key message.

5. Be mindful of your word inflections. Practice saying your main points out loud before your interview. Remember that it is not only what you say, but how you say it. Inflections help keep the listener’s interest.

6. Speak slowly and clearly and make sure that you E-NUN-CI-ATE. You don’t want your words to mush together. If you speak too quickly, the listeners won’t be able to understand you. Make sure to enunciate so that people will stay interested.

7. Have notes handy, but try not to read from them. Know your material cold. Reading your notes or word-for-word answers sounds stiff and rehearsed and you’ll lose your audience. You want to sound as natural as possible so that your message will be more likely to trigger a buying response.

8. If you stumble, stutter, or slip-up during an interview, forget about it and move on. Don’t dwell on your mistakes. Don’t get flustered. Stay on message and you’ll be fine.

9. Don’t get technical or use words that most listeners wouldn’t know. Remember that you are trying to get a large audience to relate to you. Use layman’s terms, if at all possible, and save the four-syllable words for your next game of Scrabble.

10. Smile when you are on the air. If you are physically smiling while you are talking, the listeners will feel it. If you are frowning, they will feel that also. Although the listeners won’t be able to actually see you on the radio, they will be able to “feel” your interest and enthusiasm.

Remember—your intention for every interview is to enlighten the listening audience about your book and interest them in purchasing it.

If you would like to hear more about talk radio and how it can help you successfully promote your book, call me or my husband Steve at 727-443-7115, ext. 208. Nothing beats a real-life conversation!

Call today &ndash we’re looking forward to hearing from you!

Warmest Regards,

Marsha Friedman, President

May 4, 2009

Filed under: Custom Essay Service — Tags: , , , , , , — Custom Essay @ 7:55 pm

Tips To Successfully Promote Your Book On Talk Radio

For nearly two decades, we’ve been telling you about the value of talk radio as a means for promoting your book to the masses. Because we want you to succeed with talk radio, here are some “inside” tips to help you become the kind of guest every host wants to have on his or her show:

1. Be energetic. Make sure that you bring ENERGY to the table. Radio hosts love it when you show enthusiasm on the air. If you’re excited about your message, the listeners will be excited, too—and more inclined to want to learn more about your book.

2. Avoid distractions. Make sure that there are no dogs barking or kids screaming and clutching onto your leg. Turn off your computer and the television and make sure that you switch off your cell phone. Shut yourself into a room where you can have total privacy with no distractions so you can stay focused!

3. Be honest. Always be open and honest with the host. Listeners relate better to people who are an “open book.” Don’t be afraid to be who you really are and say what you really think. Remember that Howard Stern built an empire by being honest with his listeners!

4. Define your message. Before going on the air, know the key points you want to communicate about your book. Make sure you stay “on message” no matter how far off the host’s questions take you. Always bring the answer back to your own key message.

5. Be mindful of your word inflections. Practice saying your main points out loud before your interview. Remember that it is not only what you say, but how you say it. Inflections help keep the listener’s interest.

6. Speak slowly and clearly and make sure that you E-NUN-CI-ATE. You don’t want your words to mush together. If you speak too quickly, the listeners won’t be able to understand you. Make sure to enunciate so that people will stay interested.

7. Have notes handy, but try not to read from them. Know your material cold. Reading your notes or word-for-word answers sounds stiff and rehearsed and you’ll lose your audience. You want to sound as natural as possible so that your message will be more likely to trigger a buying response.

8. If you stumble, stutter, or slip-up during an interview, forget about it and move on. Don’t dwell on your mistakes. Don’t get flustered. Stay on message and you’ll be fine.

9. Don’t get technical or use words that most listeners wouldn’t know. Remember that you are trying to get a large audience to relate to you. Use layman’s terms, if at all possible, and save the four-syllable words for your next game of Scrabble.

10. Smile when you are on the air. If you are physically smiling while you are talking, the listeners will feel it. If you are frowning, they will feel that also. Although the listeners won’t be able to actually see you on the radio, they will be able to “feel” your interest and enthusiasm.

Remember—your intention for every interview is to enlighten the listening audience about your book and interest them in purchasing it.

If you would like to hear more about talk radio and how it can help you successfully promote your book, call me or my husband Steve at 727-443-7115, ext. 208. Nothing beats a real-life conversation!

Call today &ndash we’re looking forward to hearing from you!

Warmest Regards,

Marsha Friedman, President

Filed under: Custom Essay Service — Tags: , , , , , , — Custom Essay @ 10:27 am

Your Need Publicity For Your Book

It’s an absolute must. If you want to sell your book to the masses, you have to get out there and publicize it. You need to be on the radio, in magazines and newspapers and on TV. The more the public hears about you and your book, the more likely your book will stand out from the hundreds of thousands published every year.

As many bestselling authors will tell you, talk radio is one of the best and most cost-efficient vehicles to get your message heard by consumers. But, with different publicity firms out there competing for your business, how do you choose the right one? What factors should you look for and which are the most important?

► Experience. How important is experience? Very. You need to employ a company who has had years of experience promoting books on talk radio. A skilled firm knows how to develop an angle from your book that will get you the broadest national exposure. They will know how to write an effective press release that stands out from all the rest. And most importantly, they know how to get a positive reaction from producers that results in a booking. This is the kind of experience that will ensure you get quality media placements.

► Quality Markets. In what markets will you be heard? If you’re paying a firm to obtain media interviews, you don’t want to be booked in markets smaller than top 100. There’s no question that stations in smaller markets have value, but you don’t need to pay top dollar for someone to arrange it for you.

► Quality Stations. What caliber of stations will your interviews take place on? The criteria we use for booking interviews is nothing less than 5,000 watts or above on the AM dial. In every market you’ll find high-powered and low-powered stations. Obviously, the more power a station has, the morepeople will be listening in. So, if you’re paying for media interviews, your best return on investment will be appearing as a guest on larger stations.

► Guarantee. What sort of guarantee is in place? In the book promotion business, you’ll find some PR firms whose fees are based on performance and others who charge a monthly retainer with no guarantee. Given a choice, your best bet is to work with a performance-based firm as your media placements will be guaranteed.

Hopefully these four factors will help in your search for the right publicity firm.

Having been in the book publicity business for almost two decades, we know a thing or two about generating media attention for books. If you want to hear more about EMSI’s affordable talk radio campaigns, call me or my husband Steve at 727-443-7115, ext. 208. Nothing beats a real-life conversation!

Call today &ndash we’re looking forward to hearing from you!

Warmest Regards,

Marsha Friedman, President

P.S. We also offer a host of other essential publicity and advertising services, including TV and radio commercials and infomercials. Once we understand more about your book, we can discuss the different options available to create the national buzz that’s so crucial to a successful book campaign.

April 25, 2009

Filed under: Custom Essay Service — Tags: , , , , , — Custom Essay @ 8:09 pm

Your Need Publicity For Your Book

It’s an absolute must. If you want to sell your book to the masses, you have to get out there and publicize it. You need to be on the radio, in magazines and newspapers and on TV. The more the public hears about you and your book, the more likely your book will stand out from the hundreds of thousands published every year.

As many bestselling authors will tell you, talk radio is one of the best and most cost-efficient vehicles to get your message heard by consumers. But, with different publicity firms out there competing for your business, how do you choose the right one? What factors should you look for and which are the most important?

► Experience. How important is experience? Very. You need to employ a company who has had years of experience promoting books on talk radio. A skilled firm knows how to develop an angle from your book that will get you the broadest national exposure. They will know how to write an effective press release that stands out from all the rest. And most importantly, they know how to get a positive reaction from producers that results in a booking. This is the kind of experience that will ensure you get quality media placements.

► Quality Markets. In what markets will you be heard? If you’re paying a firm to obtain media interviews, you don’t want to be booked in markets smaller than top 100. There’s no question that stations in smaller markets have value, but you don’t need to pay top dollar for someone to arrange it for you.

► Quality Stations. What caliber of stations will your interviews take place on? The criteria we use for booking interviews is nothing less than 5,000 watts or above on the AM dial. In every market you’ll find high-powered and low-powered stations. Obviously, the more power a station has, the morepeople will be listening in. So, if you’re paying for media interviews, your best return on investment will be appearing as a guest on larger stations.

► Guarantee. What sort of guarantee is in place? In the book promotion business, you’ll find some PR firms whose fees are based on performance and others who charge a monthly retainer with no guarantee. Given a choice, your best bet is to work with a performance-based firm as your media placements will be guaranteed.

Hopefully these four factors will help in your search for the right publicity firm.

Having been in the book publicity business for almost two decades, we know a thing or two about generating media attention for books. If you want to hear more about EMSI’s affordable talk radio campaigns, call me or my husband Steve at 727-443-7115, ext. 208. Nothing beats a real-life conversation!

Call today &ndash we’re looking forward to hearing from you!

Warmest Regards,

Marsha Friedman, President

P.S. We also offer a host of other essential publicity and advertising services, including TV and radio commercials and infomercials. Once we understand more about your book, we can discuss the different options available to create the national buzz that’s so crucial to a successful book campaign.

Filed under: Custom Essay Service — Tags: , , , , , — Custom Essay @ 6:36 pm

Book Promotion Woes?

Too many new authors believe that once their book is written the sales will just come pouring in and they will make a bundle. Sadly, this disillusionment is shattered when they receive a royalty check. The honest to goodness truth of the matter is that the writer’s work is only started when the book is released. Even the huge author names of today began by peddling their books out of the back of their car. Many big-name authors also began by self-publishing because no one recognized their talent. They did not start off their career with a huge bang. They did not have the money to afford publicists and big marketing firms when they started out and yet they are super successful now. Take heart from their examples.

Marketing, promoting and networking must be done every single day, for the life of the book, in balance with your other activities and obligations.

Many new authors feel their only way to success is through book signings and bookstores stocking their book. They are wrong. While in larger centers with good promotion a book signing event or book reading event may result in as much as a couple hundred one-time sales… most smaller venues can only expect less than 10 sales. Is this worth the 2 hours or more that you spend at the event? Not counting all the preperation, marketing the event, promotion materials, time taken from work and any displays that you have designed and possibly paid for ahead of time. These events do not pay authors to host an event so any sales they do have may not even cover the traveling costs, hotel cost, meals, parking or supplies – let alone the time they put into it. Nor do they usually result in long-term sales – sales are often only during the few days around the event.

Bookstores can only realistically stock less than 1% of the 3 million books available on the market. Their discount with the publisher/distributor is large. Authors are paid royalties only on what their publisher has recieved. So is all the time and effort going into attaining spots on bookstore shelves worth it?

While the markets above are valuable and important to any author – what authors need to do is think outside the box. Figure out where your efforts will bring the greatest results. Don’t expect immediate and overwhelming acceptance by the media or your audience. Marketing, networking and promoting are long-term efforts that will reap greater rewards as efforts continue.

Many authors live in tiny towns and hold down jobs or have physical limitations that prevent out-of-town promotions; much like ourselves. This can be overcome. Again, think outside the box, use the Internet and your contacts – and be persistant. Newspapers, libraries, and bookstores are only the most obvious markets and also are the most difficult to gain the attention of without a strong image because everyone is vying for their attention. Work on your image and get strong promotion materials that help you stand out among the hundred thousand or more new books released annually.

So develop a long-term marketing plan and stick with it for the full term of your contract with the publisher. The market plan will grow and change as time goes on. And keep good records so you can determine how you will go about marketing the next book.

I just wanted to mention here that some authors get overwhelmed by the immense amount of effort it takes to market a book. If we take one day, one step at a time we will find it is not so overwhelming. I find it works best to figure out what you will concentrate on this week and then set a goal for today. I do this nearly every day. It helps me keep a steady pace going, without taking on too much or too little.

Remember too, that efforts you are making today may not reap immediate results. You may have to hit a market several times before they pick up your proposal. For instance, some contacts from nearly a year ago are now resulting in promotions in their publications. So be patient and professional in all that you do. Again, keep records so that you can follow up.

Newsletters can be small but effective markets for your work. On average, they can range in size from 1000-17,000 readers or more. E-zines typically reach an audience larger than 5000. Get a few of them in one month and you are reaching a wide audience! You don’t need to be rich or famous or have a publicist if you are determined and able to committ effort every single day. (Do take some time for yourself, though!)

April 24, 2009

Filed under: Custom Essay Service — Tags: , , , — Custom Essay @ 3:08 pm

Book Promotion Woes?

Too many new authors believe that once their book is written the sales will just come pouring in and they will make a bundle. Sadly, this disillusionment is shattered when they receive a royalty check. The honest to goodness truth of the matter is that the writer’s work is only started when the book is released. Even the huge author names of today began by peddling their books out of the back of their car. Many big-name authors also began by self-publishing because no one recognized their talent. They did not start off their career with a huge bang. They did not have the money to afford publicists and big marketing firms when they started out and yet they are super successful now. Take heart from their examples.

Marketing, promoting and networking must be done every single day, for the life of the book, in balance with your other activities and obligations.

Many new authors feel their only way to success is through book signings and bookstores stocking their book. They are wrong. While in larger centers with good promotion a book signing event or book reading event may result in as much as a couple hundred one-time sales… most smaller venues can only expect less than 10 sales. Is this worth the 2 hours or more that you spend at the event? Not counting all the preperation, marketing the event, promotion materials, time taken from work and any displays that you have designed and possibly paid for ahead of time. These events do not pay authors to host an event so any sales they do have may not even cover the traveling costs, hotel cost, meals, parking or supplies – let alone the time they put into it. Nor do they usually result in long-term sales – sales are often only during the few days around the event.

Bookstores can only realistically stock less than 1% of the 3 million books available on the market. Their discount with the publisher/distributor is large. Authors are paid royalties only on what their publisher has recieved. So is all the time and effort going into attaining spots on bookstore shelves worth it?

While the markets above are valuable and important to any author – what authors need to do is think outside the box. Figure out where your efforts will bring the greatest results. Don’t expect immediate and overwhelming acceptance by the media or your audience. Marketing, networking and promoting are long-term efforts that will reap greater rewards as efforts continue.

Many authors live in tiny towns and hold down jobs or have physical limitations that prevent out-of-town promotions; much like ourselves. This can be overcome. Again, think outside the box, use the Internet and your contacts – and be persistant. Newspapers, libraries, and bookstores are only the most obvious markets and also are the most difficult to gain the attention of without a strong image because everyone is vying for their attention. Work on your image and get strong promotion materials that help you stand out among the hundred thousand or more new books released annually.

So develop a long-term marketing plan and stick with it for the full term of your contract with the publisher. The market plan will grow and change as time goes on. And keep good records so you can determine how you will go about marketing the next book.

I just wanted to mention here that some authors get overwhelmed by the immense amount of effort it takes to market a book. If we take one day, one step at a time we will find it is not so overwhelming. I find it works best to figure out what you will concentrate on this week and then set a goal for today. I do this nearly every day. It helps me keep a steady pace going, without taking on too much or too little.

Remember too, that efforts you are making today may not reap immediate results. You may have to hit a market several times before they pick up your proposal. For instance, some contacts from nearly a year ago are now resulting in promotions in their publications. So be patient and professional in all that you do. Again, keep records so that you can follow up.

Newsletters can be small but effective markets for your work. On average, they can range in size from 1000-17,000 readers or more. E-zines typically reach an audience larger than 5000. Get a few of them in one month and you are reaching a wide audience! You don’t need to be rich or famous or have a publicist if you are determined and able to committ effort every single day. (Do take some time for yourself, though!)

Filed under: Custom Essay Service — Tags: , , , — Custom Essay @ 10:58 am

10 New Tips For Successfully Promoting Your Book On Talk Radio

For nearly two decades, we’ve been telling you about the value of talk radio as a means for promoting your book to the masses. As one of the country’s top providers of radio shows around the country, we schedule anywhere from 50 to 100 interviews week in and week out. As a result of our close working relationship with the media, we know what works and what doesn’t. Because we want you to succeed with talk radio, here are ten new “inside” tips to help you become the kind of guest every host wants to have on his or her show:

1. Be real. Present yourself the way that you really are. Don’t put up a false or manufactured front. If an audience perceives you to be fake, your message will fail. Be REAL. Be who you really are.

2. Be sensitive about political views. If you are discussing a controversial political issue, always try to acknowledge that the other side has some good points. Remember that radio audiences are diverse. By “giving and taking,” you will win credibility points with your entire audience.

3. Familiarize yourself with the current news climate. Stay up to date on current events and present yourself as the “expert” on your topic. Don’t be caught unaware about a current or breaking news story that pertains to your book. Projecting yourself as knowledgeable will help to build your credibility with listeners.

4. Tie-in a local angle if at all possible. Whether you are talking to a radio show out of St. Louis, Detroit, or Sacramento, be sure to tie the local area in to what you are saying. For example, if your book is about the economy or real estate, talk about the unemployment rate or real estate values in that particular city. By localizing the message as much as possible, you draw your listening audience in even further, and more importantly, you keep them tuned in and interested in your message.

5. Do NOT use a cell phone. Always make sure to use a secure landline for all of your interviews. Cell phones are unreliable for on-the-air interviews and you stand the chance of getting cut off in the middle of your interview. Obviously, this is a major pet peeve of talk radio hosts as they now have to fill the time originally set aside for your interview. No host likes to have the timing and pace of his show screwed up. If your interview is cut short due to cell phone problems, don’t expect them to put you back on the air or reschedule you.

6. Don’t forget to hit on your key points. Sometimes you can get so wrapped up in the conversation you are having with the host or from call-ins by listeners that you lose sight of your main message. Try to always remember your main focus and don’t get too off-topic.

7. Match your interview pace with that of the radio host. If the host is a “fast-talker,” pick up the pace. If the host’s style is slow and easy, do your best to adapt. By adapting to the host’s rhythm, you’ll develop a better camaraderie with him. The positive rapport between you and the host will keep regular listeners interested in your message.

8. Limit numbers and statistics during your interview. If you have a particular statistic that you think applies very strongly to your message, use it and hammer it home. But be careful…if you throw too many numbers at the audience, you will lose their interest and they will tune out.

9. If you are in the dark about an issue, don’t fake it! If you aren’t familiar with an issue the host brings up or don’t know the answer to a question, don’t be afraid to admit it. You will lose immediate credibility by pretending to know something when you really don’t. On the other hand, your credibility goes through the roof when you are perceived by listeners as being honest.

10. Try to give your interviews an intimate feel. Remember that radio is a one-on-one medium. Talk to the host in a personal and conversational manner, and if there are callers, do the same with them. This will help keep the audience interested and they’ll be more likely to relate to you.

Remember—your intention for every interview is to enlighten the listening audience about your book and interest them in purchasing it.

If you would like to hear more about talk radio and how it can help you successfully promote your book, call me or my husband Steve at 727-443-7115, ext. 208. Nothing beats a real-life conversation!

Call today &ndash we’re looking forward to hearing from you!

Warmest Regards,

Marsha Friedman, President

April 17, 2009

Filed under: Custom Essay Service — Tags: , , , , , , — Custom Essay @ 6:52 pm

10 New Tips For Successfully Promoting Your Book On Talk Radio

For nearly two decades, we’ve been telling you about the value of talk radio as a means for promoting your book to the masses. As one of the country’s top providers of radio shows around the country, we schedule anywhere from 50 to 100 interviews week in and week out. As a result of our close working relationship with the media, we know what works and what doesn’t. Because we want you to succeed with talk radio, here are ten new “inside” tips to help you become the kind of guest every host wants to have on his or her show:

1. Be real. Present yourself the way that you really are. Don’t put up a false or manufactured front. If an audience perceives you to be fake, your message will fail. Be REAL. Be who you really are.

2. Be sensitive about political views. If you are discussing a controversial political issue, always try to acknowledge that the other side has some good points. Remember that radio audiences are diverse. By “giving and taking,” you will win credibility points with your entire audience.

3. Familiarize yourself with the current news climate. Stay up to date on current events and present yourself as the “expert” on your topic. Don’t be caught unaware about a current or breaking news story that pertains to your book. Projecting yourself as knowledgeable will help to build your credibility with listeners.

4. Tie-in a local angle if at all possible. Whether you are talking to a radio show out of St. Louis, Detroit, or Sacramento, be sure to tie the local area in to what you are saying. For example, if your book is about the economy or real estate, talk about the unemployment rate or real estate values in that particular city. By localizing the message as much as possible, you draw your listening audience in even further, and more importantly, you keep them tuned in and interested in your message.

5. Do NOT use a cell phone. Always make sure to use a secure landline for all of your interviews. Cell phones are unreliable for on-the-air interviews and you stand the chance of getting cut off in the middle of your interview. Obviously, this is a major pet peeve of talk radio hosts as they now have to fill the time originally set aside for your interview. No host likes to have the timing and pace of his show screwed up. If your interview is cut short due to cell phone problems, don’t expect them to put you back on the air or reschedule you.

6. Don’t forget to hit on your key points. Sometimes you can get so wrapped up in the conversation you are having with the host or from call-ins by listeners that you lose sight of your main message. Try to always remember your main focus and don’t get too off-topic.

7. Match your interview pace with that of the radio host. If the host is a “fast-talker,” pick up the pace. If the host’s style is slow and easy, do your best to adapt. By adapting to the host’s rhythm, you’ll develop a better camaraderie with him. The positive rapport between you and the host will keep regular listeners interested in your message.

8. Limit numbers and statistics during your interview. If you have a particular statistic that you think applies very strongly to your message, use it and hammer it home. But be careful…if you throw too many numbers at the audience, you will lose their interest and they will tune out.

9. If you are in the dark about an issue, don’t fake it! If you aren’t familiar with an issue the host brings up or don’t know the answer to a question, don’t be afraid to admit it. You will lose immediate credibility by pretending to know something when you really don’t. On the other hand, your credibility goes through the roof when you are perceived by listeners as being honest.

10. Try to give your interviews an intimate feel. Remember that radio is a one-on-one medium. Talk to the host in a personal and conversational manner, and if there are callers, do the same with them. This will help keep the audience interested and they’ll be more likely to relate to you.

Remember—your intention for every interview is to enlighten the listening audience about your book and interest them in purchasing it.

If you would like to hear more about talk radio and how it can help you successfully promote your book, call me or my husband Steve at 727-443-7115, ext. 208. Nothing beats a real-life conversation!

Call today &ndash we’re looking forward to hearing from you!

Warmest Regards,

Marsha Friedman, President

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