Prepping Authors for Talk Shows: Part 3 - Networking

Hi everyone! Welcome to Part 3 of a week-long series we're doing this week on prepping authors for nationally syndicated talk shows. Today we're talking about networking - and specifically, networking with the people who put together those talk shows.

As most of you know, our author Wendy Kays taped a segment this week on Dr. Phil in relation to her new book, Game Widow. Now after the first initial phone call a publicity firm receives about a talk show opportunity, many things can go wrong: the show can get canceled, the author can flub up a pre-interview, the producers can change their mind, etc. This is why its key for authors to exhibit some networking moxie after that first phone call comes in. Because while a publicist can handle the booking and soundbyte prep, it's really up to the author to make those relationships with a national talk show team awesome.

Here, I want to cover three networking tips - or rather, commandments - for authors when dealing with national talk shows. Why "commandments?" Because out of all the posts in this series, this one deals with how you treat people. And that, friends, is always the most crucial skill (professional or otherwise), non? So with that - let's talk about the pre-interview, the talk show worker crew, and why you should always carry a copy of your book.

1. How to do a pre-interview...The right way

We've blogged before about the art of the pre-interview, and the basic skills hold true: Know your material, practice, have an idea of what angle the show wants you to take, etc. All very key. In addition to those principles, I'd like to add on a few more thoughts:

-Ask them some questions. Just like a first date - no one likes a potential suitor who only talks about themselves. You absolutely want to answer the producer's questions of course, in a way that fully demonstrates your expertise, but turn it into a dialog, too. During their first phone call, Wendy Kays and one of Dr. Phil's producers spoke for two hours! A large chunk of that was talking shop for the show, but in the process, the two bonded and really got to know each other. The result? Wendy was not only much more relaxed about the show, but had a buddy there waiting for her to calm her nerves.

-Make yourself readily available. Example: "Producer, if you need me for anything while putting together this segment, feel free to call my cell." For harried producers who are juggling a million things at once, those words position you as a team-player and a resource.

-Be prompt. If a producer asks you to fax something, hang up the phone and go do it right then. Ditto for emailing information. This one should be obvious and most of you probably don't need to be told, but that kind of professional consideration distinguishes you as a guest who can be relied upon.

2. There are no "little people"

When it comes to national talk shows, authors sometimes think that the only person they need to impress is the host. "Oprah would love me if she just knew me!" I don't blame you authors for this line of thinking at all - after all, from our TV sets, we never get to see the people in the background who actually create these shows.

However, Oprah, Ellen, The View ladies (or in this case, Dr. Phil) are not the ones who will ultimately be shaping your segment. The hard-working camera crew, on the other hand, will be. One of the first things Wendy talked about after her Dr. Phil experience was the great time she had with the producers, the camera guys, etc. I can't stress enough how important it is to exhibit this kind of grace with everyone on the show's crew, from dolly grip to segment editor. (Not only because this is good karma and a basic principle of social decency anyway, but because these people have the power to make you look more or less insane based on the way your words are spliced).

3. Bring copies of your book!

You never know who you could run into - and it helps get the word-of-mouth buzz going. Here's a sweet dispatch from Wendy during her LA trip for the segment shoot:

"I pulled my stuff together and was down in the lobby a half hour before I was told I'd be picked up by the car to go to the studio. Enough time to meet up again with the driver I'd had the day before who drove me from the airport to the hotel (and to whom I gave a copy of my book). He was there to pick up a different guest, but ran over to say hi and tell me he'd had trouble putting my book down when he started reading it the night before because it was so good. Yay!"

And what do you bet that driver told someone else about Game Widow? That bit of kindness Wendy showed, handing out a copy of her book for free, turned a previously casual acquaintance into an overnight fan.

I'm sure there are many more networking tips we could add in as well, and authors and publicists, feel free to chime in with others if you have experience in the national talk show arena (or even if you don't).

Check back in during the first week of October, when we'll have live-blogging during commercial breaks of Wendy's Dr. Phil appearance to talk about segment follow-up.

Prepping Authors for Talk Shows: Part 2 - Soundbyte Prep

Welcome to Part 2 of a week-long series we're doing this week on prepping authors for nationally syndicated talk shows. This series was inspired by Wendy Kays, author of Game Widow, who is taping a segment this week with The Dr. Phil Show.



Today we're talking about soundbyte development for national talk shows: Why they're important for authors, when to start developing them, and how to choose what the author is going to say.

Soundbytes: Why can't I just go off-the-cuff?

When we bring authors down to our Austin offices for media training, most are grateful to have some professional assistance developing soundbytes: Short, sometimes quippy phrases that get across a book's message quickly. For example: When asked about her interior design philosophy, our author Debbie Wiener of Slob Proof! Real-Life Design Solutions likes to say, "Real-life design isn't art - it's smart!" That's a soundbyte.

However, some authors (understandably) resist the soundbyte a little, not wanting to sound canned or cliche. I totally get that - as a publicist, I don't want any of my authors to sound like broken records either. But here is why soundbytes are absolutely crucial for national talk shows:

Your words will be edited.

Talk shows have a lot of ground to cover, usually with multiple guests. They also have many advertisers who paid in advance for airtime. This is why it's key to have several neat chunks of facts and messaging points in your pocket: You won't have all the time in the world to explain your meaning. Believe it or not, you actually exert more control over your message if you give the segment editor what they want - short phrases - and if your message is particularly intriguing, it may also appear in promo spots for the segment.

This isn't to say that you have to be a robot who speaks only in 5-to-10 word statements, mind you. But having several go-to phrases at the ready never hurts - in fact, it usually guarantees you'll be understood more easily by the viewing audience.

So, when do I start working on these "soundbytes?"

The sooner the better! Let me illustrate with a story.

The week after we booked Wendy on Dr. Phil, she flew into Austin for media training. That morning, we asked her the questions we always ask our authors to help them start developing soundbytes: Can you tell us about your book? Why did you decide to write this book? Who do you think will enjoy this book? Etc. She was doing an excellent job, busily scribbling down notes every time we said, "THAT'S a good soundbyte!" (Such as: "Game Widow is designed to bridge the gap between those who game and those who don't.")

About an hour after lunch, guess who called? Dr. Phil's producer. She was already booked on the program, he just needed a little more information about her book....so could she tell him about it? Fortunately, she had just prepared some soundbytes!

So as you can see, those powerful little phrases that help busy people quickly understand your book don't just come in handy on-camera - but off, too. Moral of the story? It's never too early to start developing soundbytes - you never know who could be calling.

Wait - my book is huge! How do I pick and choose what to say in my soundbytes?

First - you want to assume that anyone asking you about your book knows little to nothing about it. Why? Because the grand majority of people watching national talk shows are being introduced to you and your book for the first time. Second - you want to, again, make the segment editor's life easier. And what that person needs is a few clips of you describing your book succinctly. So here are some ways to mentally get the soundbytes rolling:

-Always be prepared to answer the question, "Tell us about your book." Your response should be 2 brief sentences, max. If the host wants you to explain further, he/she will ask.

-Know how to credential yourself. "I researched game addiction for four years, interviewing mental health professionals, game widows, gamers - even sneaking into a few professional gaming conferences!" is perfection.

-Even if you think it's obvious, identify clearly who will benefit from your book. Parents? Kids? Males? Females? Those with a specific problem or condition? With a national talk show, you want to reach out to viewers at home with your book and expertise, but avoid using blanket statements like, "anyone will enjoy this book!" That may be the case, but you're much likely to make an impression in a viewer's mind if you name his or her demographic specifically.

This is the process we've used here at Phenix & Phenix to help our authors prepare soundbytes for national television spots. Hopefully they assist many of you out there, too! Wendy tapes her in-studio segment with Dr. Phil today, so when it airs during October, we'll get to see how she did (fabulously, I have no doubt).

Tomorrow's post: National talk shows and networking. How to make friends with the people who will be shaping your segment!

Prepping Authors for Talk Shows: Part 1 - Booking

This is the first of a series I'll be doing this week on prepping authors for nationally syndicated talk shows. One of our authors, Wendy Kays, author of Game Widow will be taping a segment this week on the Dr. Phil Show, and I thought I'd walk everyone through the process of booking, soundbyte prep, networking, and segment follow-up.

Booking a national talk show

Since so many authors rightly dream of being on shows like Oprah and Dr. Phil, the latter reaching 6.4 million viewers daily, it's important to clarify how these bookings come about. Many authors assume these shows are pitched just like other national TV spots, with their publicist calling or emailing the producer with a segment idea. In most cases, this actually couldn't be further from the truth. Since anyone can email or phone in a story idea to these programs if they have a producers' contact info, these producers are getting bombarded with completely original, wholly inspired, absolutely exclusive pitches every day - so pitching alone, you see, is not what seals the deal. A helpful step yes, but authors, don't get mad at your publicist if their pitches to Oprah go unanswered - this is the most difficult booking to get, period. Even for celebrities. Even for politicians.

Ok, so how do authors get on those shows? Here are some tips that worked for Wendy Kays.

1. Have a hot topic.
Wendy Kays wrote a book on video game addiction - a huge story right now, especially since games like Second Life, World of Warcraft, and soon Spore are slowly seducing whole legions of gamers out there. Moreover, the title of her book in itself is not only punny and clever, but comes up frequently on Google searches when other game widows are looking for a resource. Never underestimate the power of the buzzword.

2. Start small and work up.
If you follow talk shows like Oprah and Dr. Phil, you'll probably notice that these shows don't often break news stories, but follow popular trends. This is why it is vital for new authors to get a platform established by allowing their publicist to start small (i.e., local) and work their author's name and book up through the media outlet ranks. Our own publicity efforts for Game Widow had just gotten underway when this opportunity arose, and one of those publicity events was with a small college newspaper who wanted to interview Wendy - which she promptly and enthusiastically responded to.

3. Have your website up and running well before the pub date.
Wendy's website was a crucial part of securing this booking. After hearing about the book, a producer from Dr. Phil found Wendy's site, which directed her to Wendy's publicist. She then called our office to invite Wendy to the show.

4. Make your website as informative and credible as possible.
There are two things that Wendy did especially right on her website.

First, she had links to her press materials, which help producers find out more about a prospective guest. These press materials also provided her publicist's contact info, making it easy for the producer to track us down.

Secondly, Wendy had done plenty of work on the front end to secure key endorsements for her book, and listed them on her website. This boosted her credibility, and also connects her to a wider network of experts on this topic whose names will now come up on Google searches for video game addiction. (Remember - TV producers are just like us, putting on their pants one leg at a time, and using Google). So while your publisher or publicist may help you with the endorsement process, it's always a good idea to start contacting prominent authors or experts with a similar field / book genre early on, ideally 3-6 months before your book pubs.

5. Clarify the nature of the interview.
If you're a book publicist, it's important to know just what role your author will be playing in the segment when a talk show producer comes calling. As you can well imagine, getting counseled on Dr. Phil for poor decision-making is not exactly the same thing as offering an expert opinion. Fortunately, Wendy's expert thoughts were just what Dr. Phil's producer wanted, so we were able to quickly establish everything Wendy needed to know to prep for the segment.

Hopefully this clarifies some of the mystery behind those elusive talk show bookings. It's a lot more back-to-basics than you'd think, no?

Stop by tomorrow for the next in our Prepping Author for Talk Shows series: Soundbyte prep.