Media Training for Authors
As an author, you’ll be laser focused on the writing process. Once your book is ready, then you’ll be absorbed in all the steps it takes to get it published. Of course, those are essential steps on the road to becoming a published author. But there’s another step—media and showcasing your expertise. The truth is, you need to start thinking about doing media as early as possible—even before you’ve written a book!
Media is how readers find out about books and authors. To get that media attention that will connect you with your audience, it’s essential to establish yourself as an expert—because you are one!
Some authors think the media plan will all come from the publisher. But as an author, you play an essential role in garnering media attention for your work. Your job is to get yourself out there as much as possible. That means training yourself: understanding the media landscape, pitching, preparing for interviews, and creating an infrastructure to keep the momentum going once you start getting featured in the media.
My free resource 10 Questions Every Author Needs to Answer is a great way to get started. You can download it at PaulaRizzo.com/10QWD.
I was a senior TV producer for nearly 20 years before I became a media trainer. I worked in local and national news in New York City and even received an Emmy Award for my work. I’ve gotten thousands of pitches and booked hundreds of authors. I know which pitches work and which ones don’t get responses. As the author of two books, Listful Thinking and Listful Living, I’ve put my knowledge into practice when it comes to doing media myself.
Here is how to create a sustainable media strategy, from before your book comes out to after the initial phase of promotion concludes.
Before Your Book Comes Out
Yes, the media strategy starts before your book even has a publication date. Maybe even before your book exists at all!
Establishing yourself as an expert can happen at any stage, and the earlier, the better. For instance, I started my blog, ListProducer.com, in 2011 and began creating videos and trainings on productivity before my books came out.
By the time my first book, Listful Thinking, was published in 2015, I had already created a catalog of evidence to share with producers and editors showing that I could speak about my work. That way I could point to my blog while pitching and say, “Look at all this content I’ve created about list-making and productivity.” It backed up my expertise. Plus, when it came time to get a traditional book deal, it was easier to sell myself as an expert because the media already gave me their seal of approval.
You can begin creating media on your social media platforms, through a blog, or by launching a podcast or live-stream show. When producers look you up, having an active online presence with high-quality material will show them that you’re professional, knowledgeable, and reliably able to share your message with an audience.
Remember, media begets media. The more media you do, the more that you’ll get. You can always use one media segment to pitch another.
Pitching the Media
Pitching the media can seem intimidating at first. But crafting the perfect pitch requires some prior planning. Over the years I’ve developed a pitching formula—I use it to pitch media, so I know it works. As a producer, I always gave a careful look at stories that had these elements.
Remember, the media won’t just find you. It’s important to tell them that you’re there, that you’re available, and that you want to be featured. That’s where the three elements of a perfect media pitch work their magic.
The perfect pitch has three elements: the hook, the twist, and the takeaway.
The hook answers the question Why now? Why is this story idea interesting and relevant right now?
The twist answers the question How is this different? When I was a producer, I appreciated a pitch that wasn’t the same narrative over and over.
The takeaway answers the question What does the audience leave with? What action do you want the audience to take after they watch your segment? This is what makes your pitch meaningful.
Using these questions to guide your pitch is key to making it stand out above the rest. And don’t be a snob! You can’t hold out for “Good Morning America” and turn down smaller or local channels. It all matters. And guess what, you likely won’t get those big opportunities at first. Start small, practice, get better and more confident. Then, the bigger media outlets are more likely to book you if you have a good track record of previous media appearances.
Preparing for Media Appearances
Your pitch worked. Now what? I developed an approach I call the Accordion Method for preparing for interviews that I use with all my media-training clients. The Accordion Method is about having a small, medium, and long answer for the questions you think you’ll be asked. It works for all kinds of media opportunities.
First, you need to do some research and watch or listen to previous interviews. That way you’ll have a sense of the kinds of questions common to the show or anchor and the order in which they’re asked. Gather as good of a sense as you can and then jot down the questions you expect.
For each question, come up with a short answer—and think in headlines and soundbites. You want to make the producer’s job easy. Producers are always more likely to ask back experts who speak articulately and concisely. This short answer needs to be attention-grabbing.
Then come up with a medium answer. You still need to get right to the point, but now you can add a little more detail. Always start with a bang and then explain the context.
Finally, create your long answer. Once again, you start with the headline and add specific evidence for your first statement.
Once you have your Accordion Method answers for the questions you think you’ll be asked, you need to practice—then practice some more! Practice on camera, watch it back, and do it again. Some people think they can “wing it”—but even if you know your topic inside and out, you still need to practice. You need to hear yourself saying the words out loud. This is much different than simply writing them down or reciting them in your head.
Record yourself and listen or watch back. Pay attention to how fast you talk (you probably need to slow down!) and try to cut down on filler words such as like and um.
Smiling also makes a big difference in how you come across on camera. If you’re joining from a home studio, I have lots of tips for creating a setup that looks professional. But most of all, always start with a smile. (Unless, of course, it’s a serious topic!)
And remember—always look directly at the camera when shooting at home, not at the little thumbnail of your video!
If you’re in the studio, pick one eye on the reporter or anchor and stare into it the whole time. This takes the guesswork out of whether you should look at their mouth or forehead or switch eyes. Pick one eye and stick with it. This works for any conversation, and I’ve been told it’s one of my most useful tips.
Keeping the Media Momentum Going
Once your book is a few months old, it’s no longer new and notable.
Does that mean you should stop doing media? Of course not! I still do interviews and am identified as the author of my books. I talk about productivity and lists more than anyone else and people remember me for it. Especially members of the media. They remember me when they need an expert in this area. Focus on keeping the media momentum going by finding new ways to pitch the media that revolve around you as an author and expert, not just on your book.
It’s also essential to keep sharing the media you do. No one will know about it if you’re not promoting yourself. I know many people feel uncomfortable about self-promotion. That’s natural—no one wants to be thought of as braggy or self-centered. But as an author, sharing about what you’re working on is a way of being of service to others. Your message is important, and people need to hear it.
Media training is an aspect of becoming an author that many people are unprepared for. But once you learn these skills, you’ll continue to reap the benefits.
Whether your website is one day old or ten years old, you want to make sure the time and energy that you’ve put into your website will pay off with more opportunities for you and your writing. This 2-hour live webinar will address best practices for any author website—whether you’re published or unpublished—with simple tips and tricks you can put to work immediately.