Free Book Marketing Tip #8 – Prepare a Set of Interview Questions

Remember reading What Color Is Your Parachute, the job search bible, in the time before we had access to the internet? I have several dog-eared editions from my early 20s. This book was important. The teachings of Richard Bolles helped to launch careers for millions of faithful readers. It also showed me the value of research and being prepared.

What Does Searching For A Job And Talking Your Book Have In Common?

They both require research.

Researching Your Audience

Finding your audience and building a strong community is very much like the research involved in a successful job search. Today it is relatively easy to research a company, person, or group by “googling” them. If you are not comfortable with doing research, you have allies in the guise of research librarians. Make friends with the research librarian at your local public library or university library. Librarians are experts at organizing and finding information. They can assist you in finding what you are after and being efficient in your search.

When you have an interview lined up, your mission is to find out about your interviewer and who follows them (their audience). The more you know about them, the easier it is for you to create questions to tell a story that will be a match to their interests.

It is very likely that you will be asking for interviews when you are just starting out. Until you become a recognized expert, you will be reaching out to the media. Do it enough, and they will come looking for you as the expert in your niche.

Get Ready For Your Interviewed

Do your homework

Don’t expect that they have read your book. They may only know your name and the title of the book. When you come in like a professional, you make them look good. Be the best guest ever. You want them to want to invite you back again.

Find out about the person who is going to interview you:

What do you have in common?
Education
Places you have lived
What are they famous for?
Have they written a book?

What To Bring With You To Your Interview

Arrive early
Always bring printed copies of your biography (short and long versions)
Print out your introduction (large type to make it easy to read)
Bring printed copies of your questions and answers to them
Bring your book
Bring any related products
Bring a good story to share
Remember, this is not a commercial, be interesting and engaged
Come prepared to have fun
Be prepared for the unexpected
If you don’t know the answer to something asked, deflect and get back to talking about what you want to share
Have a positive belief that you will do a fantastic job

Practice

Doing local media can lead to regional opportunities, regional to national, and national to international. You may appear on radio, television, a podcast, or in an article, always come with your own set of questions can give you the confidence to enjoy the show, because you know all the answers.