this is just to say

Even though I bumbled and stumbled my way through my first live interview, it ended up sounding, well, not horrible. For any of you who are considering, or hoping to land, a radio interview let me tell you—you’re going to experience brain-freeze. Read on to see what to do about it.

 First, here is some outstanding advice from Ruta Sepetys, author of the AWESOME Between Shades of Gray, which I followed to the letter. Thank you, Ruta!

•  Have water to drink and tissues nearby.
• Take off earrings—the clicking will be picked up on air.
• Have your book handy, in case they ask you to do a reading (I should add, I wanted my book in my lap because I was afraid I would forget everything I had written).
• Be sure to get your URL and/or website name on the air.

 Also, Steve Benett has excellent advice at mediamentor.com, which I highly recommend you seek out. He has a list of “Ten Essential Tips for Successful Interviews.” Thank you, Steve!

 My own advice is this:  Prepare. Prepare beyond belief. This does not mean jot down a few notes and read them over half a dozen times. It means getting in touch with your inner overachiever and then really ramping it up.

Anticipate EVERY question possible and get inside it. Know yourself.  Know your material.  Know it in your bones because your brain will betray you.  Practice answering aloud over and over.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions of the interviewer. At least THREE times I had forgotten the question my interviewer had asked– I rambled on, instead of stopping to ask him to repeat the question or in some other way help me get back on track.

 Luckily for me, I had a second interview the following week. I was able to correct some of my errors the second time around. It wasn’t a live radio interview this time, but a telephone interview with Kirkus. We’ll see in April when it is posted as a Q & A to their website how it went. I know I felt much more comfortable that time around . . . .