As an author, one of the most effective ways to gain market visibility is with podcast shows and radio interviews. The beauty of interviews is they can be done from the comfort of your home. You don’t need to dress up for over the phone interviews. You simply show up.
With proper planning, you can interview several times a day during a book launch.
Something to keep in mind is this; the more you interview, the more you interview. It’s not uncommon for a show host to reach out when they’ve heard you on another show.
Shows Don’t Necessarily Equate to Sales
Appearing on a show is not necessarily going to equate to book sales. However, it does equate to market reach and credibility.
To get the most from your interview efforts, it’s essential to have all your ducks in a row. Your books should be properly listed on whatever book sites you want them on such as Amazon.
Your website must be visitor ready including a media page. Your response time needs to be stellar when a show host (or someone on their team) reaches out to you.
Again, don’t assume you are going to sell boatloads of books when you are on a show. Do assume listeners may Google your name and book when you’re on a show.  Be prepared for those who visit your website.
What Hosts Look For
Producing a show takes a lot of work. Add to this the fact that audiences want to hear top notch experts and the job of a host can be very difficult when it comes to keeping an audience engaged.
Show hosts look for engaging, entertaining and timely experts to be on a show. Whether it be a podcast or radio show, being an in-demand guest is something any author would be wise to figure out how to gain entry onto this platform.
Opportunity Abounds
Many authors say there is no opportunity to get on shows. Others say there is more than enough opportunity.
I’m here to tell you, there’s ample opportunity. You just need to know how to find the shows looking for someone with your expertise.  Once you find the shows, you need to approach the host in a professional manner by being fully prepared.
Huge Success
“Radio interviews have been one of the cornerstones in the massive success of our Chicken Soup books.” – Mark Victor Hansen – #1 New York Times Bestselling Author and Co-Creator, “Chicken Soup For The Soul” Series.
During the launch of their first Chicken Soup book, Jack and Mark sought out every interview opportunity they could find. As the story goes, they often did several interviews a day. Knowing the power of this medium, both authors left no stone unturned to reach as many people as possible through the power of radio.
Amazingly, at the time of their first Chicken Soup book release, podcast shows were not at all popular. Jack and Mark’s success was directly related to radio.
Today, authors have more opportunity than in years past, but there is also more competition. Thus, the reason to be fully prepared for opportunity.
Plan the Process
To get the most out of your efforts, you need to plan the process. Have all your marketing material ready to go, your website media-ready, and a solid follow up system in place.
Two marketing pieces you need are a media kit and an expert one sheet.
Media Kit
A media kit, also referred to as a press kit, is information that represents you, the author. It also includes information about your book(s).
In days past, it was a physical package that you would mail via snail mail to a show host or producer. Today, it is often a PDF document that contains the necessary information a show host needs.
A few key elements of the media kit are your bio, images of you and the book, information on your book, media releases about the book, FAQ’s, expert one sheet and a list of media appearances.
To make things as easy as possible on those who express interest for you being on a show, create a section on your website where your media kit is easily accessible.
Expert One Sheet
An expert one sheet, also called a speaker one sheet or author one sheet, can be one or two sided. It’s an easy to access document containing similar information as a full-blown media kit, but it’s on one page that is either one sided or two sided.
A few elements are:

• Author bio
• Headshot
• Book image
• Testimonials
• Speech topics
• Contact information including social media platforms

Create Opportunity
Don’t wait for show hosts to contact you. Your job is to create as much opportunity as possible. First, develop your marketing material. Next, seek out shows you would be a great fit for.
One of the best ways to get booked on shows is to sign up for a service that sends you listings.
In this short article, there are great tips on how to do this. http://www.radioguestlist.com/radio-interviews-how-to-get-booked-on-the-radio.html
Of course, you can also look for shows other authors who write in your genre have appeared on. Create a list of ideal shows you want to appear on then contact the person who books guests.
This is more time consuming, but a very targeted way to find opportunities.
Regardless of how you find shows, interviews are one of the best ways to expand your market reach, visibility and credibility.

 
 
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