As an author, book promotion is everything. Marketing your book to readers can be a challenge to any author’s career. With so many ways to get in front of readers, a book podcast can be a great way for readers to get to know you and your book.
Once you get accepted on a book podcast as a guest. What happens next?
In this blog post, I will share with you the top 10 tips to be an exceptional guest on a book podcast.
Research the podcast
Research the podcast to see if they are a good fit for you. Check what genres they cover, what they like to talk about, what is their interview style. You want to make sure that podcast you want to be interviewed by meets the aesthetic of your book. If your book is a dark fantasy, you don’t want to be interviewed by a book podcast who does a lot of Romantasy.
Do I need fancy podcast equipment to be on a podcast?
No! All you really need is a device such as a laptop, desktop, or your phone to record and a good pair of headphones to prevent feedback. Oh, don’t forget your smile!
Don’t hesitate asking for interview questions in advance
Knowing the interview questions in advance will help you prepare what you are going to say. Also helps you relax a little knowing what will be asked. But I will say on a professional note, prepare for the host to stray away from the questions from time to time. As they get to know you, they may want to ask other questions in line to what you were talking about.
Come on time!
Don’t come late to your scheduled recording of your episode! If there is a technical difficulty or you are late for any reason. As soon as you know, email or message the host and make a point to reschedule.
Come prepared to sell your book
The host is there to ask questions but it is up to you to sell to the audience. So come excited, don’t be afraid to talk about your book. Share about your book and why readers need to go and pick it up today.
Make sure to be in a quiet place away from distractions and multitasking
This is probably the hardest aspect when interviewing someone for a podcast. Noises that are unavoidable and ones that could be avoided all together. You would be surprised how much audio was lost due to the fact of distractions. To avoid that, here are some quick tips.
I know that being on a book podcast, talking about yourself and your book can be nerve wracking. But it is best practice to avoid keyboard clicking, pen tapping, and banging your desk. You will be surprised what audio can pick up. And all of it is extremely hard to edit out. Trust me, I would know. So to avoid that, make sure you are in an area free of distractions.
Ignore answering that email and social media notifications. Yes, I had someone multitask while they were talking to me. I had to delete several minutes of audio because of excessive keyboard clicking. It is not only disrespectful of your listeners but also to the host as well. You run the risk of the host pulling your episode and not being invited again. Show the listeners that they have your 100% focus on the host and your book that you are promoting.
Sally, your dog barking in the background. Do your best to put your dog in an area where you can’t hear them. I get it if not everything is unavoidable. So if you can’t avoid Sally barking, stop, give them a moment to calm down and resume talking.
It is okay to make mistakes
Yes, a lot of times, it is okay to make mistakes while recording. We can edit most of the mistakes out. Most, not all, but most. You can even request if there is something you want taken out. I haven’t had anyone request it before but I offer it before recording just in case something was said that the guest didn’t feel comfortable about. It is just important to take your time. If there is a mistake made, take a breath, start the sentence over again.
The biggest advance given to me is to talk slower and take time to think about your answers before you give them.
Respect Time Limits
Be mindful of time constraints. Avoid going too long on your answers, and if you feel the need to elaborate further, ask the host if it’s alright.
Share your episode on social media
Share the episode across all your social media. And several times throughout the week. Make sure to engage with the listeners and in the comments of the post. The more the episode is shared and engaged in, the more exposure it will be to you as an author and your book.
Most Importantly, Have Fun!
Remember to have fun! It will overall be a better experience for you!.
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