As a podcaster, people often ask me what it takes to give good interviews. The truth is, interviewing is a skill, and one that writers need to learn and practice. Sooner or later you will have books to promote and you’ll need to do interviews in order to reach your readers.
So, how do you go about landing interviews and doing a great job (so you get even more opportunities)? It’s all about understanding the interview process before, during, and after. The first few interviews are the hardest, because it’s new for you and also because once you have a couple of interview credits, it becomes easier to get more. Let’s walk through the process step-by-step.
Before: The Pitch
The first thing you need in order to get some great interviews is an excellent pitch. Writing a pitch email is not a whole lot different from writing a query letter. You want to describe your book succinctly and also make it clear what value you bring to the show. Why are you an ideal guest for the show and what are some topics you could discuss that would appeal to the show’s listeners?
It’s incredibly important that you research the shows you pitch, both so you understand who their listeners are and also so you are familiar with their format. For instance, it does you no good to pitch a show that only does solo episodes with an interview idea. In fact, it will make you look a little bit silly because it will be obvious you didn’t do your homework. Take the time to listen to an episode or two and look at their line-up to make sure they’re taking interviews and that you would be a fit.
As an interviewer, I love it when publicists or guests would include a list of talking points in the pitch email. While I rarely used those talking points verbatim, they gave me an idea of what direction to take the conversation and how to frame my questions. Whatever you can do to make the interviewer’s life easier will only work in your favor.
Before: The Assets
In addition to a great pitch, you also need a few other assets. First and foremost, you need a website. Any interviewer worth their salt will Google you, so you want to make sure you have a “home base” online in the form of a website. You also need a great bio and a headshot, because most shows will ask you for both of these things.
In terms of your bio, make sure you read it out loud a few times. If you stumble on any words, rework it, because chances are the show host will stumble too. You want your bio to sound good and not just look good in written form. Remember: the host will likely read your bio out loud when they introduce you on the show.
Any links you share during the show should be “audio friendly” in that they should be easy to say on the air. For example, whenever I’m in an interview and I’m asked where people should go to learn more about my work, I always direct them to DIYMFA.com/join and I spell the word “join” so it’s super-clear. I have this short link created explicitly for the purpose of sharing it in interviews
With respect to your headshot, you want something that looks professional and that looks like you. Don’t crop your friends out of a group shot you took at your high school reunion. Have a photo taken for the explicit purpose of being used as your headshot. If you’re on a tight budget, it doesn’t have to be super-fancy. These days, smart phones have excellent cameras and “portrait mode” can make the photo look almost as though it were taken by a pro. In a pinch, just have a friend take a photo with a good camera. Just avoid harsh lighting and a super-busy background, and you’ll be good to go.
Before: The Tech
So you pitched a podcast and got a “yes.” Take a moment to do a happy dance, then get back down to business. Before you hop on that interview call, you need to have your tech figured out. First and foremost, you need an excellent microphone. If it’s a video interview, you’ll also need to make sure you have a good camera and lighting setup.
Perhaps the most important piece of equipment you need is the microphone. People will forgive so-so lighting or a mediocre camera, but if they can’t hear you, your interview will flop. These days, a good microphone doesn’t have to cost a lot. I use the Audiotechnica ATR 2100 and it is a fantastic little microphone. It’s a carotid dynamic mic which means it zeroes in on your voice but doesn’t pick up tons of extraneous noise. It’s also super-portable, so when I had to record podcasts on the go, I could just slip it in my bag and I’d be off and running.
For my camera setup, I use a ring light with a phone holder. Then I hook up my smartphone to my computer and make them talk to each other using an app called “Camo.” This allows me to use my smartphone camera, which is a thousand times better than the webcam on my computer. I don’t use this “fancy” setup for regular zoom calls, but I do when I have to teach a workshop or give a webinar as well as giving interviews.
Before: The Prep
First off, make sure to ask whether the interview is recording audio only or also video. If it’s video, make sure you show up camera-ready. The last thing you want is to show up in your jammies only to find out they’re recording video as well as audio.
Also, not all interviews share questions or talking points in advance, but if they do, take a little time to think of your answers. If they don’t give you questions or talking points, don’t panic. Lots of interviewers (myself included) don’t like to give questions in advance because they want to keep things fresh. But there are a couple of questions that many interviewers will ask, so make sure you have answers.
- What inspired you to write this specific book?
- In a nutshell, what is your book about?
- How did you become a writer?
- Where can listeners go to learn more about you?
While not all interviewers will ask any (or all) of these questions, these tend to be pretty common, so make sure you have answers ready. Also, if there are current events or timely “ripped from the headlines” topics that tie to your book, make sure you can speak intelligently about them.
During: The Interview
Now you’re at the interview. Woohoo! You’ve made it! At this stage in the game, all you really need to do is relax and have fun. Listen to the questions and focus on having a great conversation. Remember: what the host wants most of all is to create a great listening experience for their audience, so just relax and have fun. Your attitude will have a ripple effect and the audience will feel it.
One trick that I learned from all these years of podcasting is to smile while I speak into the mic. When you smile, your face relaxes and your tone of voice changes and feels more positive. The audience may not see you smiling, but they’ll feel your warmth through the audio.
If the interviewer is good, they’ll probably let you do most of the talking. A good interview is usually the guest talking at least two thirds of the time and less than one third of the time with the host talking. So don’t be surprised if the host asks a question and then gives you lots of space to answer. At the same time, you don’t want your answers to ramble on forever, so find that middle ground. The best way to do this is to do a practice interview or two with a friend, so you can get used to answering questions in a way that feels thorough but also to the point.
What if you stumble? Don’t panic. Most podcasts will edit out the blips and blops. Remember: their goal is for you to sound great in the finished version. That said, you can make it easier for their editor to clean up the audio. If you stumble just pause, take a beat, then say the thing again and keep going. It’s that simple.
After: The Air Date
When your episode airs, the host or producer will likely let you know so you can share the interview with your audience. Make sure you share! Not only is this great social proof showing that you’ve given this awesome interview, but it will also help drive listeners to the interview which will make the host and producer happy.
One of the best ways to share the episode is to list it on your media page. Once you have 2-3 media appearances (guest posts, podcast interviews, magazine articles, video interviews, etc.) put together a media page on your website where you list all these things. A media page is great because when potential interviewers Google you, they can easily see where else you’ve been featured. Here’s DIY MFA’s media page: DIYMFA.com/media. (Keep in mind, there’s a lot on it because I’ve been doing this for a while, but when I first started, it only had 2-3 things listed.) Also, notice that when you scroll to the bottom, I list my bio along with links to headshots. This is designed to make interviewers’ lives easier by making it super-streamlined for them to get the assets they might need for our interview.
Also, it doesn’t hurt to send a “thank you” email after you do the interview or after it airs, especially if the producer or interviewer went out of their way to help you set the interview up. I’ve given hundreds of interviews in the lifetime of DIY MFA Radio and I can probably count the number of “thank yous” I’ve gotten on my fingers and toes. A lot of folks forget this step, but if you do it, it will make you stand out in a good way.
So, there you have it, a step-by-step guide for how to get and deliver great podcast and radio interviews. As you can see, there’s a lot of prep up front, but once you get your pitch, your assets, and your tech in place, the process becomes a lot simpler. By the time you get to the interview phase, all you really have to do is show up as your best self and then relax and have fun. Finally, don’t forget to follow up after the fact. If they give you a link or images you can share, do so. And once you have a couple of media appearances, start putting together a media page.
Remember: the first few interviews are always the hardest, so don’t be afraid to take the leap. If you’re thinking about podcasts to pitch, check out the DIY MFA media page for ideas and inspiration. I’ve been featured on many podcasts and maybe one of them will be a fit for you.
If you want to catch up on our latest episodes, hop on over to DIYMFA.com/listen or check out DIY MFA Radio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any of the usual places where you might listen to a podcast.
Until next time, keep writing and keep being awesome!
P.S. For more info on Gabriela Pereira, the founder and instigator of DIY MFA, check out her profile page.
