Ace your publicity interview
When you’re being interviewed about your book, you want to show up as the terrific person and wonderful writer you are. Preparing for the interview with these ten tips will help you feel comfortable and ready to dazzle!
Develop your elevator pitch
In three sentences, say what your book is about (informative), why you wrote the book (engaging), and how you want your listener to respond (call to action).
Ask your reflection, “May I tell you about the book I’m publishing?” Then, because your reflection is a kind person and gives assent, practice delivering your soundbite and your pitch until they come naturally to you.
When you’re ready, share your soundbite and pitch with loved ones or coworkers to develop an ease in talking about your book with other people.
Explore lighting solutions
Experiment with activating your phone or tablet’s flashlight function and placing the device to the side and slightly behind your laptop to provide front-facing illumination.
Ring lights can be found relatively inexpensively on Amazon and from other sellers of lights and electronics. If possible, angle light so it illuminates your entire face without creating shadows.
If you wear glasses or contact lenses, pay special attention to how the lights reflect from your lenses. Sometimes it can’t be helped, but other times, a nudge to the light source or a shift of your chair can make a significant impact.
Set camera at eye level
Look up or out to the camera, but try to never look down at the camera. Interviewers want to see you, not your chin or your nostrils.
If you need to raise your camera, set the device containing your camera on a stack of books or a shoe box. If using your phone, a bag of rice or beans can act as a makeshift stand to prop your phone upright.
To appear like you’re making eye contact with the interviewer, set your Zoom view to Speaker, then resize the window and move it so the speaker’s image is directly below the camera. That way, as you look at their face, you’re simultaneously looking at the camera.
If faces (including your own!) looking at you make you uncomfortable, arrange your screen so the video feed isn’t visible but you still have access to the mute button.
Design your background
If the room in which you’re filming your interview won’t be tidy in time, activate the blur function or upload a photograph to create a neutral or purposeful backdrop.
An image of your author branding or your book cover can work as a background if you locate the graphic to either side of you. Don’t center the image in the overall photo because your body will cover it up.
A folding screen or a bed sheet can be set up behind your chair to provide privacy.
Set your desk
Place water, cough drops, and tissues so they’re easily accessed during the interview.
Tip: Beauty/scholarship pageant contestants coat the fronts of their top teeth with Vaseline to ensure their upper lips don’t stick to their teeth. That seems overkill for Zoom, but now you know that trick in case you need it.
Practice
Ask a friend or your publicity pro to join you on Zoom to test your setup and get feedback on lighting and camera placement. You can also do a Zoom call and record yourself while talking to an imaginary audience.
Get your stuff together
In a Word document or other text editor, list the following information so you’re prepared to copy and paste the relevant details into the chat at the appropriate time:
First and last name, location, book title
Website URL
Email address
Phone number
Social media accounts
Vendor names (where readers can buy your books) and links
Resources
Plan your points
Make a list of anything important about your book, yourself, or your writing process. Rank the items in order of “must say” and “only if we have time.” These could include the following:
Basic details of anecdotes you might share
Timeline of significant events
Names of people or organizations important to your story or in writing your book
Upcoming events where you’ll be speaking or appearing
Include the event name, date, time, location, and contact info for your audience to learn more
Ready your résumé
Highlight previous publications and volunteer or paid work relevant to your book.
If you are a public speaker, include a list of presentation titles with a short description of each. (Use the elevator pitch strategy here!)
For each presentation, note whether it’s online or in person, time allotted, and audience demographics.
Example: “How Writing Romance Tanked my Marriage…and Then Made it Better,” five romance tips that belong in novels and another five good for real life. Online, 45 minutes plus Q&A, for adults only.
Strike a pose
Professional shots are ideal, but not always necessary if you have a friend who’s a decent amateur photographer. Even a selfie might be OK if it’s done well.
Studio headshots are fine, but add interest by posing with objects or in places referenced in your book
Include your book in at least one of the images. If your book isn’t available, download the cover to an electronic tablet or phone, open the image full screen, and pose so the cover is clearly visible.
If using a digital cover image, hold the device at arm’s length toward the camera so the cover is in focus.
For printed books or any electronic device, slightly tilt the top of the object away from you (toward the camera) to reduce glare.
Wear an outfit that contrasts with your book so it stands out. Don’t blend into your background either. Avoid wearing white for print news.
