I'm  off to the WV Book Festival this weekend, or at least I will be during the day, then I'll be hurrying home to catch football games in the evening. 

Needless to say, I'm feeling a bit exhausted thinking about it. Two hours from my house to Charleston, WV for the festival...two hours to Tyler County for a game. Wake up Saturday and head back to Charleston...then three hours to Beallesville for a game. 

So, when Randi Lee offered to guest post today, I was ready to give her a big hug!! Sooo, here's Randi on her first radio interview and the benefits of interacting with and not fearing the media. 

Welcome, Randi Lee!  

I recently conducted my first radio interview to promote my book, Affected. This was quite the experience, given the screaming infant and two barking dogs in the house, let me tell you! However, I found the interview to be exceedingly rewarding in that a spike in my book sales occurred as a result of the interview, I received requests from new clients in search of freelance services—and it was a lot of fun.

People who knew about the interview beforehand asked, “Are you nervous?” Admittedly, my answer was, “Well, yes I am.” The interview was going to be live, it was going to be an hour long, and it was going to be broadcast to over 100,000 listeners worldwide. I’d be concerned with myself if I wasn’t just the slightest bit nervous. I spent several years in the acting field, building up a tolerance for media engagement, however—performing in live theater and commercials—so when Artist First called me to begin the interview, I eagerly answered my phone and all worries melted away.

And I had a blast.

Tony Kay, the radio show host, was very engaging and enthused about my book and my story. He made it easy to open up and talk about the writing process. I discussed the book, how it came to be, the many ups and downs that went into writing it and what it felt like to finally accomplish its publication. From start to finish, Affected’s tale was told, providing a worldwide audience a look into all of the ins and outs of writing a book. This was beneficial for many reasons. I’ll touch upon the main two:

First, it gave the audience a look into what really goes into writing a novel. There’s a myth out there that, in order to write a book, one must simply sit down and type. This isn’t so, and I was able to debunk this myth over the hour I was interviewed by going into detail about all of the hard work and effort that went into Affected. 

Second, going into detail about the book gave potential readers many chances to emotionally connect with Affected and its characters, exposing them to parts of the story they may not have gathered from a jacket cover or Amazon excerpt. It effectively increased readership by allowing me to provide an in-depth breakdown of Affected’s many elements and intimacies. In short, it was an excellent platform to describe my book in the highest possible detail.

This was my first radio interview, but it wasn’t my first interaction with the media and certainly will not be my last, because I have learned something: the media is my friend—and your friend, too. Radio hosts, newscasters, podcasters and the like are there to not only spread the word of your story, but provide a platform for you to do so yourself, to a much larger audience than you could have previously reached without them. Yes, the thought of speaking to a live audience can feel rather scary and overwhelming. Here’s the thing, though: when you’re talking about something you love and are wildly enthused about, it becomes quite easy to open up. Yes, you may fret your upcoming interview and perhaps grow a few grey hairs in anticipation of it. When it comes, though—when that first question is asked to you and your mind lights up with all of the things you want to say about your book and all of the views and opinions you want to express about writing—you’ll shed the anxiety and your message will flow naturally.

Engaging in the media is important, as well, because it prepares you for that thing so many of us dread: public speaking. As a writer, you’ll undoubtedly engage in public speaking events, and things such as radio and news interviews can help prepare you for these events quite well. By interacting with radio shows, newspapers and trade journals and news interviews, you’ll be well prepared for author events, book signings and conference panels. Consider your radio interview practice for your next big author event!

In summary, my first radio interview was a success because it granted me exposure, gave my readers insight into the often underappreciated world of writing, provided me with experience for my next speaking engagement, and afforded me a little bit of fun on a Tuesday night. I encourage my fellow writers to actively seek out public engagements such as radio interviews and television interviews because the results are infinitely beneficial and there’s nothing so rewarding as enlightening and educating your audience about something you love.

If you would like to listen to my recent radio interview in its entirety, you may do so by clicking here.

Thank you so much, Elizabeth, for hosting me on your blog today. I hope this information proves useful to you, Elizabeth’s readers, and I hope you all continue to pursue your goals in new and inventive ways!