Ten tips on media skills for writers who want to sell more books, by author, Rachel Green.

Many of the authors I know, (and I am one!) want to be in the media to increase their book sales. However, writers don't always know how to gain the best media interviews or they lack the media skills to do them really well. If you are a writer here are ten tips on media skills for you.

1. Prepare 3 key points in advance.
   As the writer of a comprehensive piece of fiction or non-fiction you will know a lot of detail about it. Therefore, it is easy to fail to say what you most need to in an interview. To prevent this ask yourself, in advance, "Above all else what MUST I say? What do I most want to get across in this interview? What would the most fascinating aspects of writing this book be for this particular audience or journalist?" Then use your answers to help you choose 3 to 4 key points. Know these off by heart before you have the interview, or write reminders of them, in large print, on a piece of paper and take them in with you.

2. Write a top notch media release.
   Most press releases end up in the trash can and are put there by the media. People can end up spending hours writing their press releases only to have all their time and effort wasted, Don't let this happen to you. Make sure you send a press release in the format that the media want and with a story that the media will want to broadcast or publish.
   

3. Say your key points no matter what.
   No matter what happens, or what the journalist or presenter asks you, it is your job to say your key points. Say them. And say them early so you don't run out of time. And be willing to repeat them in different ways. In my experience of being interviewed on my book, "Midlife and Happiness", I found that interviewers would want to discuss all sorts of minor aspects of the book and that it was easy to get taken away from the key points. For example, the book includes one very minor chapter on affairs at 50, and in one interview the interviewer focused almost exclusively on that! It was not a key point. Sex often grabs people's attention. So, if you only have one love scene in your whole book don't be surprised if they want to talk about it rather than your key points. Don't let this happen to you, stick to your key points.

4. Mention the book title.
   It is your role to make sure that the audience knows what book or article you are talking about. You may find that as the interviewer talks to you they refer to "your book" or "your poetry" but fail to mention the book title. If it is a radio or television interview, the audience won't know what the book is. Therefore, if your book is called, "Between the two bridges", say things such as, "When we were writing "Between the two bridges".

5. Think of the audience.
   In order to increase your sales you need to sell your book well to whomever is listening, watching or reading the article about you. This means that what you choose to say needs to be based on what you think each particular audience will be most interested in hearing about, it doesn't mean that you talk about what interests you the most, the two may be quite different.
   

6. Sound lively and enthusiastic.
   Authors are writers. This doesn't mean they are automatically brilliant and entertaining speakers. and some authors I've heard have sounded quite dull when being interviewed, even though their writing was superb. If you want to sell your book, realise that if you are on the radio or television some people will decide to buy or not buy your book by how you sound and look. Therefore, speak enthusiastically and look good! Remember the enthusiasm that first got you interested in your subject area, recall the successes you have had, remember some of the most intriguing parts of your topic or plot. It is your job to convince the audience that your book is a good buy.

7. Prepare to overcome interviewer bias.
   Every journalist and presenter will have inherent biases towards your subject matter. Usually they will be quite interested in it otherwise you probably wouldn't have got an interview. However, their interest may take on a different slant from yours and you need to be prepared to swing their biases towards your own perspective, if this is the case. For example, in "Midlife and Happiness", which is about happiness and not midlife crisis, I found many print journalists, in particular, wanted to write from the angle of midlife crises. My job was to divert them away from their preconceived ideas on to the notion that happiness happens after 40, 50 and 60, and that it can be the greatest time in people's lives. I found that I did this with varying degrees of success because initially I wasn't fully prepared for it. I thought the title spoke for itself. I soon learnt it didn't!

8. Give your contact details (as the subject and station allow).
   Before you finish any interview mention how you can be contacted for more information, where your book is for sale, and how they can buy it if it is available on a website, for instance. Don't wait for the interviewers. Time and time again I have found that they don't automatically ask or give the details out.

9. The length of the print media article doesn't relate to success.
   So far, the most successful print article I've had on one of my products, was a very short one. It was only 6 lines in length. I sold 82 products directly from the article. It was so successful because it was printed along with a superb photograph to attract the reader's attention. In complete contrast, I once got a full two page spread with colour photographs, in the same leading daily newspaper, and I only sold three books. The slant of the article just didn't capture the audience's attention. This was because in the longer article I hadn't taken sufficient control over the content whereas the short one was exactly on target. Don't judge your success by the length of the article written about your book but by the number of book sales.

10. Keep a log of your success.
    If you get a number of media interviews for your book or articles then log the outcomes from each one. How many books do you know you sold as a consequence. How many phone calls or e-mails did you get afterwards? How many invitations to speak at book clubs or other organisations did you receive as a consequence of the interview? This will help you know which interviews worked best; and which media to contact again when you publish your next book or work.

Further information

Want to know more? Got an interview coming up? Is this your first book and you've not been on the media before? Take hope - there are dozens more media tips you can learn in our E-book Media publicity and interviews. Read it before you have an interview. It could save you a lot of hassles and increase your sales dramatically.

Click here to go to "Media publicity and interviews".

I have been interviewed over 160 times, and run several successful media campaigns to advertise my books and CDs. I have used examples from these in the book. Have "Media publicity and interviews" delivered immediately to your e-mail box so you can be confident with the media. Click here to order now.

It is packed full of practical information to help you write and submit a brilliant press release. Read it before you start to create any press release.

Click here to get your copy of "Press releases made easy".

And once you have read the book you are welcome to send any questions you have about being on the media to me, so I can personally answer them for you.

Enjoy your interviews and may your book sales increase.
Best wishes,
Rachel Green
PO Box 344, Kelmscott, Western Australia 6991.
Phone: +61 8 9390 1188. Fax +61 8 9390 1199
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