How To Shine In Author Interviews: Strategies For Captivating Your Audience

Are you taking advantage of author interviews to build your platform?

If you’re not, you should! Many show hosts are looking for guests just like you. Whenever you take part in an interview, you increase your odds of attracting new readers to your platform. Plus, you can use the links to those shows for as long as you want in your marketing efforts.

It is important, however, to make sure you properly prepare for your interviews. I see authors making two key mistakes again and again that ruin their chances of gaining new fans.

Those mistakes are:

• Being unprofessional
• Lacking energy

Here’s why it’s so important that you do the opposite!

Author Interviews: Be Professional

On the day I’m writing this, I just finished recording a podcast interview with a very nice lady who regularly interviews writers. Before we started recording, she told me that the writer she had interviewed last had been a no-show twice before that.

Twice!

On the third try, he managed to show up. So she was happy that I was there and that I was on time!

Imagine that being a point of difference in the writing world! But it is. If you simply show good matters, arrive at your appointments on time, and have a positive attitude, it’s amazing how far that will get you.

Like they say, half the battle is simply showing up. So if you’re nervous about putting yourself out there, whether that be for interviews, events, or anything else you may do to build your platform, remember that you can set yourself apart by simply being professional.

Author Interviews: Be Upbeat

At end of the podcast I just mentioned, my host had one key comment for me: “You’re fun!”

I loved that comment because it reflects what I try to do when doing interviews or any other sort of author events. I try to show up with my most positive and energetic self because I think that’s what readers (and hosts) deserve.

Maybe you think the same way. But you would be surprised how many authors fail to pay attention to this key detail.

Many Authors Bring Less Than Their Best to an Author Interview

In preparation for this interview, I did my research. (Always a good idea before speaking on a podcast.) I checked out a few of the other interviews on the channel. All of them were with other authors.

What I discovered is that with most of them, I lost interest within the first 30 seconds to one minute.

Of course, that’s not a good sign for the author. We want our listeners to stay with us at least for a few minutes so they can get to know us and perhaps, check out our work.

There are a lot of reasons why a listener might lose interest. Sometimes, they just aren’t vibing with the conversation, and we can’t do much about that.

But in these interviews, I was losing interest because of the authors’ attitudes. They appeared tired, uninterested, or bored. On the video version of the podcast, they were slumped in their chairs and didn’t appear to be very tuned in to what the host was saying.

Watching and listening to them, I found that I quickly felt tired, uninterested, and bored as well.

Review Your Author Interviews and Make Notes for Improvement

I don’t know why these authors would expect that readers and other listeners would want to pay attention if they weren’t bringing their very best to the interview. Perhaps they weren’t aware of how they were coming across. (It’s always good to review your interviews and make notes on how you can improve in the future.)

Whatever the reason, the authors didn’t look like they were presenting their best selves. This happens more often than you might think!

I invite you to watch or listen to some author interviews or author events. It’s often very enjoyable when the author is upbeat, present, and engaging. But if they are not, the audience is quickly turned off.

Am I Upbeat and Engaging?

You may ask, how do I know if I am being upbeat and engaging?

I think it all comes down to focus. I am highly introverted. That means my default mode is reserved and quiet.

But reserved and quiet doesn’t work well on podcasts and video interviews. No one turns in for reserved and quiet. Most of us may not admit it, but when listen to these interviews, we want to be entertained.

Entertaining does not mean being fake. Many writers are concerned with being authentic these days and may counter my suggestions by saying, “Well, that’s not me. I am usually quiet and reserved so that’s how I show up on a podcast.” Or, “I usually dress in my sweats so that’s how I show up on a podcast.”

And I would say there’s authentic, and then there’s disrespectful.

Being Authentic vs. Being Respectful During Author Interviews

When we are showing up at a venue that we hope will attract readers to our work, we are asking those readers to take time out of their precious days to listen to us. We owe them something in return!

Because I know that I need to come out of myself during author interviews and other events, I will talk myself up before getting started. I’ll say things like, “I’m feeling excited about this interview. I have lots of energy today. I’m interested in getting to know the host and I’m eager to share about my work.”

It helps because it reminds me that I am there not just for me, but for the people who are coming to listen or watch. And I find that attitude helps me to bring my best self to the event. I can be engaging, positive, and focused—at least for the duration of the interview. It also makes the event more enjoyable for me and everyone involved.

I don’t always do as well as I’d like. But when a podcast host says something like, “You’re fun!,”  I know that I reached my goal.

Bring Your Energy to Your Author Interviews

So why do I say, be upbeat?

Because there is nothing so attractive as energy.

I have found over and over again when conducting workshops, speaking at conferences, and giving interviews that the more energy I bring to the occasion, the more energy I get back.

It’s amazing how boosting your energy can help you get a much more positive response from your event. This one simple act can skyrocket your results. If you don’t believe me, just try it.

The next time you do an author interview, talk on a podcast, film a video, do a reading, or lead a workshop, do it with twice as much energy as you think you need. Pump yourself up before you start. Then move around more, put energy into your voice, and interact more with your host or the attendees. Feel the energy inside of you and use it throughout until you’re done.

If you’re tired afterward, that is a sign that you’re doing it right.

Get Better Results from Your Author Interviews!

Marketing is difficult enough for authors without shooting ourselves in the foot because we’re not presenting ourselves as well as we could.

Try engaging in your author events with higher energy, and always maintain a high level of professionalism, and you will likely get better results.

_{Photo by George Milton via Pexels.}