We may each be destined for fifteen minutes of fame, but odds are it won't all come at once. The idea of this article is to give you some tips to make the most of the time you do get, whether it's a few seconds or sixty minutes.
To start with, I'm going to assume you're trying to get television coverage. Most stations have a local news program either in the morning or at noon, and they are DESPERATE for newsworthy people who can handle an interview. So the trick to getting a spot is to present yourself as both newsworthy and not likely to do the deer-in-headlights routine in front of a camera. If you've won an award (or are a finalist -- the drama of an uncertain outcome is also good tv), will be giving a presentation (a talk followed by a booksigning at a bookstore or a library, or a workshop at a conference), or have written a book that can be tied in to some holiday, you're not only newsworthy, you're timely. That moves you from the pile of good-story-someday ideas to good-story-now ideas. If you've had any theatre or speaking experience, it's a good idea to mention that (discreetly) in your letter, with more details (again, discreetly) in your press kit, so they know you can hold your own in an interview. Sending kits about a month before you ideally want an interview seems to work well.
Now, as to the interview itself... first, do your research. If it's a 5am morning program, that's why VCR's were invented. :-) Tape a couple of days worth of interviews, then watch them as an "average viewer." Pay attention to the spots where your interest is captured, and where your interest wanders. See if you can pinpoint why. Then watch them again, paying attention to:
- how long does the interviewer give the interviewee to answer questions?
- what format are the questions -- short requests for information or long essay-like questions?
- how do the interviewer and interviewee sit? how much of them are shown? (if you'll be in a chair and it's a full shot, don't wear a short skirt! if you talk with your hands, will your gestures make it into the frame?)
- are both interviewer and interviewee shown on screen at the same time, is it closeups of one then the other, or are both methods used?
Based on your answers, you'll know how much of you the audience is likely to see, and thus what to wear (a "professional" look in a solid color with minimal jewelry works well -- avoid at all costs any earrings that dangle and/or make noise -- the microphone WILL pick up the sound of them moving). I have a purple cut-velvet pantsuit I wore to all my publicity events last fall, and it came out marvelously on screen as both artistic and professional. It also looked black.
Which brings up the concept of color, and makeup. You should wear some, even if you normally don't, just to add definition to your eyes, cheeks and lips. If you've ever done stage makeup, you can use a slightly darker foundation to define your chin and jawline. If you haven't done stage makeup, don't start experimenting now... you'll give yourself a double chin. Don't wear heavy makeup, but choose dramatic and darker colors over the barely-there colors (unless you're trying to appeal to the homespun girl-next-door image, and even then, at least use eyeliner).
Now, back to the interview itself. The interviewer will prepare questions based on your press kit, so of course, since your key information is in there, they're likely to ask you about it. They're equally likely to ask you about how you research a love scene, if you'd let your kids read your books, etc. Remember, the interviewer's goal is not to showcase you or your book. The interviewer's goal is to create interesting and memorable tv for their audience. The best way to avoid getting asked one of these "shock" questions is to give the interviewer better questions in advance. I've found that rather than using a term like "suggested questions," if you include a page with your press kit called something nonthreatening like "most commonly asked questions," you're more likely to have the interviewer consider using one or more of them. Since they'll probably only have a few minutes to prepare for the interview, make it easy on them by printing the questions in bold print or a different color, and offsetting the answers slightly.
Finally, this is the central point of your interview. Determine what you want your message to be, how to say it in the shortest amount of time, how to make it exciting/informative, and make sure those messages are in your suggested question list. Like any advertising message, you don't want to tell people what they should do (e.g. Buy my book!) but rather, why you can help them do what they want to do (e.g. Romance readers looking for rich characterization mixed with action/adventure will enjoy reading my book). If you have a two-minute interview (the standard on our local news shows -- yours are probably the same), you'll have time for three or four messages (a commercial is 30 seconds long, and you know how much fits in one of those).
One thing will be to show your book, of course (it's nice to bring a signed copy for the interviewer, which they can coincidentally display on camera). You should have included either a cover flat or book info page containing cover art in your press kit, so they may have made up a visual of your cover ahead of time.
Once you have your messages worked out (in my interviews, I focused on "Why someone would want to read the book #1 -- plot elements they'll enjoy", "Why someone would want to read the book #2 -- it's high quality", and "How they can get a copy of the book"), approach them from every spin you can think of. The idea is to be able to spout off the distilled essence of your answer to just about any similar question the interviewer asks. For example, I used my "plot elements" answer to answer "Tell us about your book," "What is a science fiction romance," and "Are all the books up for this award similar to yours." In each case, I gave a brief statement to address the direct question, then launched into my prepared answer. For example, in answering that last question, I said, "All of the books considered for the award combine elements from the genres of romance and science fiction, but they all choose different elements and combine them in different ways. In my book...." Beware, however, of beating the person over the head with either the title of your book or with the exact same information repeated over and over again.
Finally, during the interview itself, find out from the interviewer if you should look at them or look into the camera. If there are multiple cameras and one is set up to do closeups on you, look at it (when the little red light is blinking on top of it) rather than the interviewer. If there is only one camera, or one of the cameras is set up to show both you and the interviewer, make sure you're looking at them when that camera is on. One trick I found that works well is to sit with your body angled toward the interviewer, but facing the closeup camera. That way, in the long shots, it looks like your attention is on the interviewer, but you're still able to address the camera if you want to by just shifting your eyes, rather than turning toward it and looking "twitchy."
Bonus tips: Get enough sleep! Have a friend drive you to the studio... you'll have enough to think about without worrying about directions. Be prepared to sit quietly (VERY quietly) until your segment.
That's it for the generalities that apply to all interviews... now to answer some common questions.
What about people who wear glasses? Are there any complications with reflections?
There shouldn't be, especially if your glasses are treated with anti-glare. After all, very few glasses are actually made of glass nowadays. They're high-density polymer plastics, which don't have the same problem with reflection as glass. Of course, if you like your appearance without glasses better... go for it. Just realize that you're liable to look vaguely unfocused in your closeups, because your eyes won't quite be able to focus. They'll also be wider than normal. (I'm a veteran of apearing in stage productions with no glasses... but I wore them for my interviews.)
If you wear glasses with real glass lenses, is there something to put on them?
If your vision is good enough to be able to wear glass lenses, you might be able to do without the glasses entirely. If you don't have anti-glare coating on the lenses, you can use the spray-on or wipe-on products for anti-fog treatments. Real anti-glare coatings are put on when the glasses are created.
What about older authors? Should a woman in her 60's -- writing about young, virginal romance heroines -- stay out of the limelight? Will readers be put off by someone who doesn't look like her heroines?
Age is no reason to avoid the limelight if you want it. After all, the overall population is aging. And most romance readers are women at least in their thirties, who have come back to romance after abandoning it in college (due to the embarrassment factor). You can probably expect at least one commment about your age, but just turn it into a general statement about how it's wonderful to be able to do what you really want to do in your retirement, after having "paid your dues" during your working years. (Or something similar that fits your personality, of course)
I see sleek, stylish authors like Danielle Steel or Rebecca Brandewyne, and feel frumpy by comparison. And they say TV adds pounds! Should I stick to radio & print?
Well, first of all, Danielle Steel's image caters to her books -- glitzy jet setter stuff. If she looked frumpy, it wouldn't be believable that she was writing about the glamorous life. But if you're writing historical romances... well...how can having experienced a large slice of history hurt your credibility?
So if my heroines are good cooks who sample their own works (as do I)... I've experienced slices of history, and pie, and...I get your point.
And TV doesn't add pounds, so much as it flattens... if you have an angular face, you're ok. It's if you don't have sharp definition of jaw lines and cheek bones that you tend to look heavier... thus my comments on darker makeup.
What if you've written a historical novel? Should you appear in costume?
There are actually a couple of regency people who do that for live events. Apparently, you can attract a number of men to a booksigning with the thought that those barely-contained breasts could pop right out at any moment. I had a friend whose book cover had the heroine in a cape freeing the (naked) hero from chains. She did a publicity stunt at a signing where readers could get their pictures taken unlocking handcuffs from around the cover model's hands, while dressed in the heroine's cape. It was a huge success. Although, of course, the cover model was somewhat more dressed for his public appearance. These are "events" though, and not the same as simple interviews. Unless your book is actually about historic reinactors, or how easy it is to cut and sew an authentic Elizabethan gown, you should dress as a professional.
What sorts of things can I expect to go wrong in my interview?
My first ever interview took place during a blizzard... I had on dress shoes. My friend (wearing sensible boots) pulled me up the hill to the tv station, as I sort of skated up the sidewalk. The interview appeared on the tv that was playing in the cafeteria where I work...so a whole bunch of coworkers saw it. That was interesting.
How can I keep from rambling in my interview?
First, if you think while you speak, you speak too slowly, with uh's and um's. So either memorize a couple of stock phrases, like "Well, Jane, that's a very interesting question." that you can use while you're thinking up your answer...or memorize a couple of stock answers that you can slant in to answer the question.
How do you keep from leaping from topic to topic and looking ditzy?
Leaping from topic to topic means you let the interviewer steer the interview, and just reacted to the questions (sometimes in entirely unexpected ways). If at all possible, YOU should steer the interview. They can ask you anything, but you control what you answer. Listen to politicians speak. Sometimes their answers have NO bearing on the question. But they get across the point they wanted to get across. And that's why you're getting interviewed in the first place, not just to get your picture on tv.
Also, ALWAYS practice with a friend. A ruthless one, if possible.
How do you get the interviews? Do you need a booking agent?
Send out press kits with nicely worded cover letters. And before you ask, this is what's in my press kit...Two press releases, with slants on a story they could do featuring me and my news. A page for each book, featuring cover art and reviews. A 1-page biography on me, that talks about who I am and gives salient points about my background that they could use to slant a story -- always related to the books. Then a 1-page fact sheet that lists all my publications, awards, and, because I write SF, my education, including the masters degree in artificial intelligence. And finally, a color picture of me.
Are there any bad questions I should be prepared for? How can I handle them?
"Tell me about your book." I *hate* that question. It's like, the interviewer can't be bothered to think of anything to ask. So, I have a 2 or 3 sentence sales pitch on what the book is about (very high concept) and why people would want to read it. Of course, depending on my audience, it sounds like I'm describing quite different books. I was pitching to an AIDS magazine, and said my work featured the disenfranchised and outsiders as observers of a community they were excluded from joining. It sounded like that would appeal more to that audience than saying it was about religious descrimination.
Isn't it the reviewer's job to read your book, so he or she can ask good questions about it?
No. In fact, the idea of giving them a book at the interview assumes they lost or gave away any book they might have gotten prior to that. Many times interviewers get interested in the material during your interview, and then they read the book.
What miracle does it take to get on a national TV show?
Same concept. You just have to be bigger to be newsworthy. If you wrote a book about some major event, you could probably get national coverage. Of course, just being a writer usually isn't enough of a credential. You pretty much have to be an expert something-or-other who has applied that knowledge to write a novel. Or have a meteoric rise to the top of the charts.
Hiring a publicist can help build "buzz" for you... I have one friend with a publicist, who has started routinely appearing on magazine covers. And local news shows build buzz, too. Many people don't realize this, but the local NPR affiliate stations recommend guests for national radio interviews.
How do you know when you need a press agent or publicity person?
I'm fairly decent when it comes to graphic arts -- layout, design, etc. So I can make all my own press material. When your publicity efforts take away from your time to write, or you're making enough money from your writing that you just need a little extra push to put you over the top of some perceived threshold -- cracking lead author or being able to write full time -- that would be when I would look for one.
There are a lot of resources online for inexpensive publicity. Your writers' group should be able to point you to ones they use.
How can we find decent online places for publicity that are on the up-and-up, not scams?
If you have to pay money, they are at the best, questionable. (This is not the same as paying for an upgraded service level, or buying ads in conjunction with free publicity.) Many places are looking for people to write articles, review books, or give talks. One place to start, obviously, is AuthorsDen.
When you do write articles or reviews, be sure to mention your books (like RAVEN'S HEART, a top-25 best seller on Barnes & Noble's romance and science fiction ebook lists for six months, or SHADOW PRINCE, winner of a Dorothy Parker Award honorable mention from the Reviewers International Organization).
