Get on the Air!

Dear Authors,

This issue of BOOK BUZZ! will share tips for getting interviewed on the air from three different interview experts. See if you can identify the common thread:

A TIP FROM JOAN STEWART, THE PUBLICITY HOUND

In an interview with Joan Stewart, Alex Carroll shared that if you want to get onto radio talk shows, the host or producer probably won't book you for an interview unless you can do one of these 6 things:

• Tell listeners how to save time or money
• Give them information that will make them rich
• Tell an amazing story
• Make them laugh
• Share little-known tips or secrets to teach them something new
• Make them angry

Alex should know. His topic? How to talk your way out of unfair speeding tickets. He has done more than 1,200 radio interviews that have generated more than $1 million in direct sales for his book. He's the master at knowing how to catch the attention of producers, shine when you're in the spotlight, and get invited back over and over again. He also says there are four ways to convince hosts to book you:

1. Hire a PR firm. "If you can afford it and you hire the right firm, this can be very effective," Alex says. But it can cost you a minimum $2,000 a month retainer fee.  

2. Pay for a listing in a guest resource publication that radio show producers use to find guests. But these cost money, don't guarantee response, and most calls come from little stations. The main problem is that you end up wasting a lot of time doing interviews on tiny stations with no listeners. [This refers to RTIR—Radio & TV Interview Report.]

3. Mass mail, fax or e-mail your show idea to producers. This, too, costs money. Most producers trash junk mail, faxes and SPAM, and what little response you do get will come from little stations that actually have time to read junk mail.

4. Call the producers yourself and pitch your show idea directly. If you want to get on the big shows, that is how it's done.  

To subscribe to Joan's free publicity tips e-letter send a blank email to:
join-publicitytips@lists.publicityhound.com

TWO TIPS FROM JOE SABAH, THE RADIO INTERVIEW GURU

Tip #1. I sat with a politician who is running for office; he asked me for my help with gaining more exposure. My answer to him is the same answer that I will give you. If you want to be voted into office, you have got to get in front of your audience EVERYDAY. That means booking yourself to speak to clubs, luncheons, book signings and radio interviews. If you're sitting around at home or in your office doing "busy work," then you're headed in the wrong direction. Remember, activity is not the same as accomplishment. Get in front of people!

Tip #2. I love talking with passionate people! The people I am talking about are the people who write books, tell stories and create the music we all love to sing. I think you are one of those people. The sad fact is that many people like yourself often times struggle with getting in front of the right person or crowd with what it is they have to offer to the world.

You can of course pay someone who can put you in front of an audience: for instance, radio talk shows, but you will also pay a premium for this.

You can do it all yourself, very efficiently and absolutely free. I constantly see ads from people offering to book interviews for you. 99% of the people seeking publicity for their product or service don't need these high-priced bookers. Save your money and learn to do it yourself. It's a breeze! Here is what I can do to help you:

Did you know there are over 900 radio stations in the U.S. with talk show formats that are constantly looking for good guests? Incredible isn't it? I've been interviewed 659 times (so far) and have sold 23,250 of my books, that's $357,000.00 at FULL RETAIL. An average of $541.00 per show. Not bad for a business that is mostly done in my bathrobe.

Let me show you just how easy it is to repeat my success! If you are passionate about what it is you do (I know you are) and you are ready to share it with the world, then I am here to help you succeed.

http://www.JoeSabah.com
Joe Sabah can also be reached at 303-722-7200.

RADIO INTERVIEW 101 by Bryan Farrish

This was forwarded by one of our authors, Dr. Freddy davis:

Different Types of Station Contact:

Reaching radio hosts (for the purpose of trying to get booked for an interview) can take on various forms, depending on the type of station the show is done at. What's best? All of them at the same time, of course. But since that's cost prohibitive for almost any guest, you have to pinpoint what will do an acceptable job for an acceptable price.

Personal contact with prospective hosts is always the best, done either by the guest or the booking person. These personal visits are usually only possible in the hometown of the guest or booking person, since radio PR campaigns just don't charge enough to pay someone to visit stations nationally. (Interestingly, high-level music airplay promotion campaigns DO charge enough for personal visits.) Regardless, if there is ever a chance to meet face to face with a host, do it...they will never forget you.

The telephone is the big equalizer in booking interviews. Most radio interviews are booked on the phone, since you can reach every host in the country, and, since hosts are big phone-people. Plus, radio people are used to being hit with calls from music promoters, syndication promoters, equipment salespeople, audience calls, etc. Two things about the phone, however... you have to hit the hosts at the right time (especially music-station morning crew hosts/producers), and you have to sound good doing it.

Printed ads in radio publications are used by a lot of people who are trying to book interviews, and while these ads do generate "some" calls from smaller stations, I'll go ahead and say that an ad's purpose is not so much to generate calls as it is to build awareness (much like a billboard on the side of the road just builds awareness.) These printed "trade" ads certainly do have a use, but I just would not rely on them to make your phone ring.

Ads on radio websites are even a bit less useful than printed ads, as far as awareness-building is concerned (and certainly as far as generating calls is concerned.) It has something to do with radio's fight over the internet for streaming, artists, banner sales, etc. Regardless, radio does not take things seriously that are presented via banner ads ONLY. However, if you have a great site, adding a banner (that links to your site) as part of your phone campaign makes good sense.

Email contact is good for college stations and music-directors at community stations, but it is very weak at convincing commercial stations on FIRST contact. Once they know you, however, email is a good tool to get booking-times and dates across. Email has to be pin-point to the person...personalized and all. You cannot send one email to a list of people...they will never respond, and they will block you.

Fax is most certainly just an image builder (like a billboard), and not a booking tool. Getting your guest's point across in a fax (if used by itself) usually never works since it never gets to the right person. And you can't send it multiple times to the same fax machine, since that would not be welcomed.

Postal mail is a bit better than fax, as far as getting to the right person is concerned, but the cost involved, along with the proper-addressing hassle, makes mail prohibitive except for simple postcard-type image builders, or when mailing a book or book-cover is really needed. A nice thing about mailings is that you can target several guests with multiple pieces, mailed in intervals so that you don't fill up the receptionist's desk with your stuff.

Bryan Farrish Radio Promotion is an independent radio interview promotion company at 310-998-8305.

http://www.radio-media.com

Do you see the pattern here? Three different interview experts agree that personal contact is the BEST way to get on the air. Now that you know, get out there and make yourself known!

Warmest Regards,
Brian Banashak, Publisher
© 2004, Brian Banashak