Preparing for a Radio Interview

On Saturday, October 24, 2015, Travis Owen Bryan had me on his LIVE Christian radio broadcast. I'd been on once before, so I knew the basic format.

When his friend, Jay Mather, connected us the first time, I didn't know what to expect other than we'd be talking about my books. What are some of the ways I could have prepared and lessened the nervousness?

1.  Pray. Well, I did that - quite a bit. I get specific, asking the Lord to give me wisdom and cause my words to glorify Him.

2.  The next time I'm invited to go on a radio show, I'll listen to a sample recording or tune in to an actual broadcast. If I'd done that, I would have known:

            A.  Travis values an author's testimony. He wants to know about our walk with the Lord and how it impacts our writing.

            B.  He asks probing questions about what it's like to be a writer, our journey to publication, and what kind of advice we'd have for aspiring authors.

            C.  I'd also know that he gives plenty of time to answer his questions.

3.  Notes - It's always good to have a page or two to jog your memory. Our minds can go blank in a fast-paced interview, so these are helpful tools to break through the brain fog. The last time I was on the show, I wrote down the following items:

            A.  A short blurb about Out of the Mist, the third book of The Moses Trilogy.

            B.  How I felt about finishing the trilogy - both relieved and bittersweet.

            C.  Where readers could find my books and connect with me.

4.  I'd think about written interviews I've done, what I like to know as a reader, and give plenty of takeaways for the listener.

5.  A glass of water and hard candy are good things to have on hand in case your throat gets dry.

With a little planning, a radio interview can be a fun and rewarding experience. The nice part: You don't have to worry about how you look. :)

My thanks to Travis Owen Bryan, of the LIVE show, in Elkton, KY, for being such a great host.

Writers:  Have you ever been on the radio? How did you prepare?

Readers:  Have you done any public speaking? How did you keep stage fright away