Publicity tips/An interviewer's lament June 12, 2007

The Publicity Hound's
Tips of the Week
Issue #350 June 12, 2007
Publisher: Joan Stewart
mailto:JStewart@PublicityHound.com
http://www.publicityhound.com/
http://www.publicityhound.net/ (Blog)
The Publicity Hound®

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In This Issue
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1. An Interviewer's Lament

2. Useless Testimonials

3. New York Times Best-Seller List

4. Thanks, Late Hounds

5. Promoting Heartaculture

6. Help This Hound

7. Hound Quote of the Week

8. And at My Blog...

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1. An Interviewer's Lament
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Now that Michelle Nichols has recorded about 30 podcasts for BusinessWeek, she's learned a lot about what it takes to make a great interview subject. Her observations, in her own words:

1. Humility can be overdone.

Don't start an answer like one of my guests did with, 'Well, you know there's nothing new under the sun...' The reason I was interviewing him was to learn what was new, the latest. I'm sure he thought he was being humble but he just shot down his--and my--credibility.

2. Go with the flow.

I had a guest just take over the interview with something like, "Well, I've come up with a 10-point plan for that, and let me walk you through it. Number One...

I had to interrupt her because I knew what I wanted out of the interview, points she couldn't necessarily see. In her defense, she told me later that in other interviews, the interviewers are happy that she would talk so much because they didn't have to do any work to prepare for her.

Give medium-sized answers, not short but not long.

I spend about 2 hours to prepare for a 14-minute interview. I have done my research and know what I want to ask, and in what particular order. You might want to contact an earlier guest and ask for advice. How prepared was the interviewer?

3. It's an interview, not a debate.

Long ago, I had a guest that had been a champion debater and he decided to debate me DURING the interview! For example, he didn't like a question I asked so he asked me to make it shorter or else risk a 20-minute answer. When I suggested how he could make it shorter, he said it couldn't be done.

4. Be gracious.

If the interviewer says after you've spoken, "So that means..."
be gracious. If they're pretty close, go along. Don't split hairs. If the host is well-liked by her audience, you'll risk looking unkind or petty.

5. Authors, have a copy of your book handy.

It blows my mind when guests FedEx me their book, then just before the interview begins, I ask them if they have a copy of their book handy and they say no, they wrote it so they know it.

Even more surprisingly, this is usually authors of books titled "The Seven Keys to X." Why would they risk forgetting Key #6?
Under pressure, we all forget important facts.

It's hard on the interviewer too because I often planned to ask them to bookmark page #88 because it has a good list on it I'd intended to walk though. Now they're asking me to trust their memory or else we both sound stupid.


The Publicity Hound says:

Yikes. Are you listening Hounds? You'll find more interview tips in my "Special Report #2: Questions You Can Expect Reporters to Ask During an Interview." It includes trick questions, questions that sound like trick questions but really aren't, and how to deal with skeletons from your past. Only $10, and you can download it as soon as your order has been approved. Order at http://tinyurl.com/6uz9g


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2. Useless Testimonials
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When you visit someone's website and see a testimonial from a media person prattling on about what a great interview the website owner gave, but the media person is identified only by two initials instead of a first and last name, what do you think?

I think the person who owns that website made up the quote.

Same with people whose brochures, book jackets, media kits, marketing materials and anything else includes anonymous testimonials.

Why bother?

Testimonials build your credibility, particularly when they are enthusiastic first-person endorsements from people with real names. If you don't give me a real name, I won't give you the time and attention you want.

Testimonials are one of the key factors in a good landing page.
And they can move a person to keep reading, pull out a credit card, or bail out and visit another website.

Internet marketing expert Mark Widawer will talk about testimonials, one of six key factors on every successful landing page. He's hosting a webinar specifically for Publicity Hounds who need help:

--Capturing the email addresses of visitors at your website.

--Staying in touch with them regularly until they get to know, like and trust you

--Writing a landing page that includes sales copy so compelling that a few customers are whipping out their plastic long before you've asked for the order.

If you don't sell anything, but you still want people to join your online community, this course is for you, too.

Our webinar is called "Six Simple Landing Page Secrets." It will be held at 8 PM Eastern (5 Pacific) on Thursday, June 14. The webinar will be about 60-70 minutes, and you'll need a telephone and a Mac or a PC to participate.

Seating is limited. Sign up at
http://publicityhound.net/LandingPage and you'll receive immediate instructions on how to participate.

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3. New York Times Best Seller List
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I don't know the statistics on how many authors make it onto the New York Times Best Seller List. But I know a lot of authors who dream of landing there, only to be bitterly disappointed.

Steve Harrison is hosting a fr*ee teleseminar on Thursday, June 14, called "Seven Secrets For Making Your Book A New York Times Best Seller."

You have your choice of two time slots for the 75-minute call: 2 Eastern (11 am Pacific) or 7 Eastern (4 Pacific).

You will learn:

--The key thing a married couple from Los Angeles did which drove their book to the New York Times Best Seller List BEFORE their publication date!

--One easy-to-implement idea for riding the momentum of another best selling book to drive your own book to bestseller status.

--What an author from Canada did just four weeks ago to launch her brand new book to the New York Times Best Seller List.

--The "hidden advantage" Rick Warren created for himself when promoting The Purpose Driven Life which led to his book hitting the New York Times Best Seller List and selling more than 30 million copies--and how you can create it too.

--How some savvy non-fiction authors have hit the New York Times Best Seller List through well-thought-out marketing campaigns.

--What speakers like Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, do when they speak to get sales that count towards the New York Times Best Seller List.

--Most people know that one big media hit, such as an appearance on Oprah or a feature in a major magazine, can drive your book to the New York Times Best Seller List. But most people don't know the secrets to securing that kind of exposure. I'll reveal it to you.

--What M. Scott Peck, author of The Road Less Traveled, said was the key to keeping his book on the New York Times Best Seller List for several years--and how the co-creators of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series followed his advice.

Again, register for the free call this coming Thursday, June 14, at http://tinyurl.com/2taen4

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4. Thanks, Late Hounds
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Diana DeLonzor, author of "Never Be Late Again, 7 Cures for the Punctually Challenged," writes to thank Hounds for responding in huge numbers to her request for chronically late people to join her on a "Today" show interview:

"Thanks so much for assisting in with my search to find a person to interview for the 'Today' show segment on chronic lateness.
So many wonderful people responded that the producers of the show had difficulty only choosing one!

"I’d like everyone who wrote to know that I’ve kept their information and will most definitely call upon them in the future. In fact, it’s nice to know that I have people ready and willing, as I’m usually scrambling to find people for interviews!
Thanks again for your help, Joan. You’re really a terrific resource for both producers and publicity seekers!"


The Publicity Hound says: Thanks for the great lead, Diana. Keep 'em coming.

If you couldn't make it onto the "Today" show for being chronically late, you have numerous other opportunities. The morning TV show hosts are looking for a wide variety of experts to entertain and provide interesting commentary. "How to Get Booked on the Morning TV Talk Shows" explains who to contact, how to pitch, and the topics that will make the greatest impression on those who book guests.

It's available as a CD or electronic transcript that you can be reading as soon as you order is approved. Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/ab86x

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5. Promoting Heartaculture
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This week, four Publicity Hounds have tips for Ellen Solart of Skull Valley, Arizona. She needs help promoting Heartaculture, a specific way to make every choice aligned to the heart in order to lead a more fulfilling and productive life.


From Lara:

"I’m not 100 percent sure but I think this magazine might be interested in your teachings: http://www.goodlifedenver.com/

"Good luck!"


From Stephanie:

"Check out Joan’s post for the list Alex Carroll has of media contacts that would be right in line with what you are selling.
http://tinyurl.com/3ym3lx



From Margaret Vos:

"Valentine’s Day 2008!!! What a great new angle for what can be a very depressing day. You could give tips for avoiding being lonely (not alone!), how to give to others and expand your heart on this very specific day--the possibilities abound. Print mags and papers might already be planning their issues, get in quick with your pitches to them.


The Publicity Hound says:

If you're pitching Valentine's Day stories for national magazines, you need to start contacting them only two months from now. Big magazines often have long lead times, so pitching in August may be what it takes to get the jump on everybody else who will be piggybacking off this holiday.

Don't forget the bloggers, Ellen. You can be sure there are dozens of bloggers who would love to help you spread the word.
Find who they are with help from Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff, aka The Blog Squad. "How to Pitch the Best Bloggers & Create a Publicity Explosion" is available as a CD or an electronic transcript that you can download and be reading as soon as your order is approved.
Read more about what you'll learn at http://tinyurl.com/m7ymr

Read all the responses at http://tinyurl.com/2v57bq


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6. Help This Hound
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Michelle Nichols of Reno, Nevada, who offered interviewing tips in item Number 1 above, is now asking your help with this dilemma:

"I have two Lab-type dogs, and I record my weekly podcasts for BusinessWeek from my home office. Occasionally, the dogs decide to bark for no discernable reason, and it's a real problem for the recording. I just need them quiet for a maximum of 30 minutes.

"Here's what I've tried to eliminate the barking so far:
1. Put them in my master bedroom with the drapes closed so they can't see any
distractions 2. Bought them each a $15 Nylabone they only get to chew when I'm
recording. 3. Take them out for a bathroom break just before we record so I know
they're empty, and give them a water bowl so I know they're not thirsty.

"I thought about:
1. Putting them in my car in the garage but worried they'd bark or eat the car
2. My non-dog-owning boss suggested a muzzle but that sounded harsh. They won't die of dehydration in 30 minutes but still, I don't like the risk of having them muzzled and out of sight.

"Do you or your dog-loving readers have any other suggestions?"


The Publicity Hound says: My four-legged Hounds will be happy to help your two-legged Hounds so that your podcasts will proceed uninterrupted. I know that some people on this list sell pet supplies, pet toys and teach dog training classes. So who knows what they'll come up with. You can post your best ideas to my blog at http://tinyurl.com/2zrzvz


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7. Hound Quote of the Week
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"The more people I meet, the more I like my dog." --Unknown


DOG JOKES & QUOTES EBOOK: 170+ G-rated dog jokes and quotes, perfect for a dog-lover, your favorite vet, or just for a few good laughs.

BONUS: Buy the ebook and you also get a compilation of the 50 best websites for dog humor.
http://www.publicityhound.com/dogjokebook/


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8. And at My Blog...
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Google PageRank: How it's determined
http://tinyurl.com/yt2xhy


Attorneys, legal analysts: Comment on the Paris Patrol http://tinyurl.com/223n7d


What do journalists REALLY want? Bookmark this link http://tinyurl.com/282lls



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Where to Meet or Hear The Publicity Hound®


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Joan Stewart
a.k.a. The Publicity Hound®
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