YouTube video by Julie Broad (Book Launchers) giving five practical tips for authors preparing for podcast interviews to promote their nonfiction books: 1) listen to one or two episodes beforehand to learn format and signature questions; 2) confirm whether interview will include video and secure reliable internet, lighting, and a good microphone; 3) use note cards with host/podcast details to avoid embarrassing mistakes; 4) prepare talking points, high-value content, and sound bites (don’t script answers but seed questions that let you showcase your book); 5) give a single, simple call-to-action at the end (one link or offer). Also adds an unofficial sixth tip: share the released episode and thank the host. Emphasis: deliver massive value, build rapport, and present professionally.
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Podcast interviews are a great way to expand your reach and sell a few books. But if you're not prepared for that interview, the host may never air it and they certainly won't have you back. Or worse, they air it and it damages your reputation just a little because you didn't sound like a prepared professional. Don't want that to happen to you. Well then, this video and the five tips I have for you to prepare for a podcast interview to promote your book is absolutely for you. Hey there, I'm Julie the book broad from Book Launchers. We're your professional self publishing team helping you write, publish and promote a nonfiction book that will help you have a huge impact on your readers and done right will help you grow your brand, build your business, and make you money. The best part? You keep all rights and royalties. We work with our authors to promote their books and one media that always works into a book promotion plan is podcasts. At the end of a video, I'm going to link to a couple of other videos to help you land podcasts and build them into your marketing plan. But today I want to help you prepare for the those podcast interviews. I've done more than 100 podcast interviews myself, and I'm going to be getting ready to do a whole bunch more when my new book comes out. Straight up, Some interviewers are just not that good, and no amount of preparation is going to help you overcome a bad interviewer. But if you've done a good job of screening your interviewers and showing up prepared, you'll find podcast interviews can be a ton of fun. But you're not just doing this to have fun. You're also doing this to promote your book and expand your reach. Here are my five best tips for making the most of every podcast interview you land. Number one, before you are on any podcast, listen to one or two episodes. When I first started doing podcast interviews, I did this and it made a huge difference because I could comment on past episodes. I knew the format and I was prepared for oddball questions. After I had done about 40 podcast interviews or so, and at the time I was doing four to eight a month, I started to run out of time and energy and a little bit of commitment to being prepared. Most of the time, not being fully prepared worked out okay, but there were a few times where a host was very unhappy I hadn't listened to their show beforehand. Sometimes you get asked and I wasn't gonna lie. So I lost rapport with a few and I could feel it. And in a few cases I was not warned about a curveball question that the host does on every episode. If I'd listened, I would have known that. Because a lot have signature questions that they ask all their guests and sometimes it's out of left field. Like tell your 10 year old self about the biggest mistake you've made and why they should still make that mistake. Or you if you were going to start a business Today with only $100, what would you do? Or my personal nemesis, what's something about you that nobody knows? Here's the thing, nobody knows it because I didn't want them to. So how do you answer that question? You need answers for these curve balls. So if you don't like surprises and you want to set yourself up for smooth success, listen to episodes before you go on the show. Number two, before the interview, find out if it will be video plus audio or just audio. If it's video, is that for recording to be posted, or just for rapport with the host? If it's video for any reason, make sure you can hardwire your computer into the Internet because you do not want your interview not airing just because the sound was off or your Internet cut off. And make sure you've got good lighting for video. Basically everything we talk about in doing virtual events that video. Do that. And it goes without saying you need a decent mic for these interviews, so buy a headset or a low cost mountain microphone to plug into your computer to get the best audio. A good mic goes a long way to improving your sound quality and sounding more like a professional. Number three, Use note cards. Put the host name, the podcast, name the topic of the call, what they call their audience, like Team Flynn bosses, Fire Nation, and basically any other notes you have from your research on that podcast and put it in front of you. There may come a time where you forget those details in the middle of the interview and having them in front of you will save you from making an embarrassing mistake. Number four, have talking points. You are the expert. Be prepared to sound like one. Usually you'll be asked for a few questions that you want to be asked during this interview. That's your opportunity to seed something where you can showcase the hook of your book and get asked a few questions that will help you tease the content in your book. So I like to highlight the fact that whatever they're asking is a big subject and it's a big part of what's in my book. But then I make sure to give something of high value, some really great tips, some great steps or an acronym or something else that will truly help the audience. You're never going to sell books if you aren't delivering massive value in a short period of time. You can also have on hand a handful of high value quotes. Those are what I would call sound bites. And if you're not sure what would be a good sound bite, check out what has been bolded in your book and make a list and put that in front of you. Here's a hint. If an interviewer sends you a list of questions in advance, don't script out your answers. Review them. Think about key points you'll make. But your real goal is to create a connection with your host. And you're only going to do that if you're having a conversation and enjoying yourself in that conversation. Final tip number five when the host asks you at the end where people can buy your book and connect with you, keep it oh so simple. If you're allowed to send folks to something that will be of value to do that. So you might say, hey, if you want my seven tips to sell thousands of books without spending more than $100 on marketing, you can go get my book selling game plan@book launchers.com gameplan when you're over at booklaunchers. You can also buy my book and connect with me directly right there. Do not give a zillion ways to connect. Nobody's ever going to remember that. Keep it simple. And if you're allowed to give them something of high value to encourage people to sign up for your newsletter list, I didn't state what I hope is obvious, but when you do podcast interviews, podcast interviewers want you to deliver value to their audience and exchange for that value. You get the opportunity to share a link at the end. This episode is not dedicated to your book promotion. You don't want to mention your book over and over and over again. Tease the content once or twice and and most importantly, have fun while you're delivering massive value to their audience. Oh, and I guess this is an unofficial sixth tip. But when the podcast comes out, share it. It gives you content for your social media and your newsletter, and it supports the podcast as well. You can even go an extra mile and send a thank you because it can go a long way with staying top of mind and getting invited back. All right, like this video Smash that thumbs up button. Go ahead, try it. It feels so good. And subscribe to the channel and turn those notifications on so you know when new videos are released. Every Tuesday and Friday. Then in the comments below, let us know what other tips you have for preparing for a podcast interview. If you're a podcaster, let us know how you like your podcast guests to be prepared. And when you comment the day a video is released, you'll be entered to win some sweet book launcher swag like this mug, noboringbooks, or this oh so soft journal. And when you comment, you'll be one step closer to being one of my beloved YouTube besties like Gene Hobbs, Kelly Bonanno, Sandra Rodriguez, Andy W. And of course, the one, the only Kevin McGuire. Thank you for your likes, comments and shares. You guys make my day. You may now be wondering how to get podcast interviews in the first place. Meet our client Robert Bell, who did a great job of getting himself booked on podcasts and gave you some great advice on that so you can check that video out right here. And if you get podcast interviews or any other media, you must leverage it over and over to maximize the value of that appearance. To learn how that video is right here. Either way, it's guaranteed awesomeness or your money back. It's free to watch. Get it? Go ahead, click on one of those videos and I'll be right in waiting right there for you.
