The Interviewer
Interviews are so much fun. The opportunity to chat with an expert or an author and to share what they know with your audience is exhilarating and can be great fun. A few tricks will polish your interview to keep your listeners coming back for more.
- Be Prepared and Pay Attention. Consider what you would want to learn from this guest as a listener when preparing questions but understand also that the interview can veer in a completely different direction. Many times, that new direction is exactly where the interview was meant to go.
- Prepare A Great Intro. Make sure the information in your prepared intro is up to date by sharing it with your guest before recording.
- Keep YOUR talking to a minimum. The interview is not about you, it’s about imparting the guest’s wisdom to your listeners. Let your guest talk. You brought them in for an interview for a reason. Consider yourself the bumpers in a bowling lane where you nudge the conversation this way and that to keep it on point.
- Finally, most guests are more than happy to talk and your job will be to keep them on track but rarely you may have a guest who simply does not like to talk. Keep them moving by getting them comfortable with your questions… start a statement and then pause… give them a chance to pick up the thread and show their stuff.
The Interviewee
Interviews are a great way for you to promote your book or your business. The trick as the interviewee is to remember to avoid a “hard-sell” of your product or service. Instead, provide valuable expertise/entertainment to the audience. Resist the urge to openly sell. i.e., “buy my book!” Here are a few more tips for a well-rounded, informative and entertaining interview.
- Offer great content to the audience so they take away fun, helpful nuggets that show off your expertise. If you are the author of a fiction book and are asked to describe it, give a quick synopsis that doesn’t give away the ending.
- Answer the interviewer’s questions thoughtfully and succinctly. Many interviewers have a whole list of questions with which to relay valuable information to their audience and if you pontificate on one question, they won’t get the chance to ask any others.
- Some interviewers are more than happy to let you chat away. If you pause and the interviewer is encouraging you to continue with your train of thought, oblige them. Having a list of interesting points that you curate before the interview is a great idea to keep you on point.
- Finally, make sure that you remember to let people know where to find you on social media for more information. One social media channel that is easy to remember is the best bet because people are listening and could be in a car on a walk. Off air, you may ask the interviewer to add your social media links and a link to your book, of course, in their show notes. Most likely, the interviewer will ask where to find your book on air!
- Remember to thank the interviewer and off-air, ask for a copy of the audio so that you can promote it across your social media and website.
Most of all, have fun and consider the interview a conversation for the most enjoyable experience for you, the interviewer and the audience. Good Luck!
Claudine Wolk is the co-author, with Julie Murkette, of Get Your Book Seen and Sold: The Essential Book Marketing and Publishing Guide and a book marketing coach. Find her writing/podcast at claudinewolk.substack.com.
Book Summary
It is easier than ever to publish a book, but many authors find out too late about the actual work-the book marketing-that needs to be done to achieve sizable book sales. Instead of embracing the opportunities to promote their books, authors are intimidated and shut down. Those days are over. This is the book authors MUST HAVE to give their books the best chance to be seen and sold.
In this essential, easy-to-read, and easy-to-understand guide, the author will work through the graphs, examples, and exercises in the book and learn:
- The fundamentals of book marketing: Message, Audience, and Hook
- How the book marketing fundamentals effortlessly feed into every aspect of book marketing
- The breadth of book marketing options and how book marketing works, with examples
- How book distribution IS a crucial part of book marketing
- To develop an elevator pitch and a formal pitch to media contacts
- To develop with a doable book marketing plan
- To develop media kit items for their book publicity efforts: Press Release, Author Bio, etc.
- The types of book reviews and how to get them
- To create a list of media contacts and how to use them
- To organize their new entrepreneurial business as book marketer/author
- Ideas to “shake their tree” to develop unique book marketing opportunities
- To examine the best social media channels to promote their books
- Where to put their book promotion dollars
- Most importantly, authors will learn something priceless…the correct starting point!
Authors, You CAN do right by your book! Go on and reach the book buyers that you had in mind when wrote your treasured manuscript and Get Your Book Seen and Sold today.
Publisher: Lost Valley Press (September 2023)
ISBN-10: 1935874446
ISBN-13: 978-1935874446
Print length: 122 pages
Purchase your copy on Amazon, Bookshop.org, or Barnes and Noble. Make sure you add it to your GoodReads list too.
About the Author
Claudine Wolk and Julie Murkette are experienced in sharing their knowledge of the publishing industry to give books the BEST chance to be sold. Julie is the long-time owner of Satya House Publications, which published and marketed the award-winning I See the Sun series of books, among others. Claudine Wolk is a published author, journalist, podcast host and book marketing consultant. You can find her writing in her weekly newsletter on Substack: Get Your Book Seen and Sold. Her book, It Gets Easier and Other Lies We Tell New Mothers, (Harper Collins) is translated into three languages and was released as an audiobook (Nov. 2022).
Find Claudine online at:
Substack: https://ClaudineWolk.Substack.com
Website: ClaudineWolk.com
Instagram: @ClaudineWolk
Facebook: Facebook.com/ClaudineWolk
Twitter: @help4newmoms
Blog Tour Calendar
September 18th @ The Muffin
Join us on The Muffin as we celebrate the launch of Claudine Wolk and Julie Murkette’s book Get Your Book Seen and Sold. You can also enter to win a copy for yourself!
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com
September 19th @ Karen Brown Tyson’s blog
Join Karen as she reviews Get Your Book Seen and Sold. You can also win a copy for yourself!
https://karenbrowntyson.com/blog/
September 20th @ My Beauty, My Books
Join Nikki for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
September 21st @ Knotty Needle
Join Judy for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
https://knottyneedle.blogspot.com
September 22nd @ Word Magic
Visit Fiona’s blog for a guest post by Claudine about creating a list of media contacts and how to use them.
https://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com
September 23rd @ Chapter Break
Visit Julie’s blog for a guest post by Claudine about how to pick and choose where to focus your book marketing.
September 25th @ My Heart is Booked
Don’t miss Danielle’s book review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold. You can also win a copy for yourself!
September 28th @ Deborah Zenha-Adams’ blog
Deborah shares an excerpt from Get Your Book Seen and Sold. You also have a chance to win a copy of the book, too!
http://www.deborah-adams.com/blog/
September 29th @ Margay Leah Justice
Join Margay as she reviews Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
https://margayleahjustice.blogspot.com/
October 1st @ Balance and Joy
Join Sheri for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
https://www.balanceandjoy.com/
October 4th @ Author Anthony Avina’s blog
Join Anthony for a guest post by Claudine about the trick to a great interview.
https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/category/blog-tours/
October 6th @ Carole Writes
Join Carole for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
October 7th @ A Wonderful World of Books
Visit Joy’s blog for a guest post by Claudine Wolk about a popular book marketing roadmap.
https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/
October 7th @ Of History and Kings
Join Hellen for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
https://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/
October 10th @ What is That Book About
Visit Michelle’s blog for an excerpt from Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
https://www.whatisthatbookabout.com
October 13th @ CK Sorens
Visit Carrie’s page for her insights into Get Your Book Seen and Sold. You can also win a copy for yourself too.
https://www.instagram.com/ck_sorens/
October 15th @ Madeline Sharples’ blog
Join Madeline for a guest post by Claudine about how you can’t do everything. Don’t miss it!
https://www.madelinesharples.com/
October 15th @ The Mommies Review
Visit Glenda’s blog for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
http://www.themommiesreviews.com/
October 17th @ One Writer’s Journey
Join Sue for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
October 17th @ Just Katherine
Visit Katherine’s blog for a guest post by Claudine Wolk about how writing and book marketing are related.
https://justkatherineblog.wordpress.com/
October 18th @ A Storybook World
Visit Deirdra’s blog for a spotlight of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
https://www.astorybookworld.com/
October 19th @ Pick a Good Book
Join Debbie for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
https://instagram.com/pickagoodbook
October 19th @ Book Reviews from an Avid Reader
Visit Joan’s blog for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
http://bookwomanjoan.blogspot.com/
October 20th @ Beverley A. Baird’s Blog
Join Beverley for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold by Claudine Wolk and Julie Murkette.
https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/
October 21st @ Free to be Me
Join Leslie for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
October 21st @ Editor 911
Visit Margo’s blog for a review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
October 22nd @ Beverley A. Baird’s Blog
Visit Beverley’s blog again for a guest post by Claudine Wolk about the top ten insider tips for self-publishing and book promotion.
https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/
October 22nd @ Jill Sheets’ blog
Visit Jill’s blog for her interview with author Claudine Wolk about her book Get Your Book Seen and Sold.