Media Darling: Shine Through Every Interview is finished! Yippee! If you’re an author, you know how great it feels to finally get your book published. It is quite the process, and I have an updated appreciation for all the work (and emotions) authors experience to make it happen.
Because this blog is all about information for marketing and publicizing books, I decided to share a bit from its pages beginning with the Inner Game, and then moving into the Outer Game of Media.
This book is the first in a series called The Inner Game of Media. You see, we’re all more than familiar with the Outer Game. The Outer Game is everything we see “out there,” particularly since we are all the media now. You only have to look around to see how much media content we share–people with their eyes fixated on their smartphones, hyper-connected with social media, recording video as they shop in a store with intentions of loading it onto their YouTube channel, or pulling out their cameras as they witness an event happening near them that they think others should see. The Outer Game also includes any interviews you do, whether it’s for “earned media,” “owned media,” or “social media.”
Then there is the Inner Game, and that game is more subtle. It begins before you do anything with the Outer Game. The Inner Game is all about mindset. It’s what you tell yourself every morning when you get out of bed and start thinking about your book and how you’re going to promote it. It’s the thoughts that play across your mind when you’re thinking about getting work done–or not getting it done. It’s being your own cheerleader rather than working against yourself by saying things like, “I can do this, even if I’ve never done it before. I can learn and then do,” rather than things like, “Why should I bother sending my book to reviewers? They’ll never go for it.” or “I’d love to be on that podcast, but I don’t have enough credentials to get on the show.” (Do you know that for a fact? It’s one thing if the producer told you that you need more credentials. It’s another to say it to yourself, which then stops you from even trying.)
The Inner Game is played well when there is little to no resistance inside you to push against. All your energy is moving in the same direction toward what you want. When you do not have any resistance coursing through your body, causing you to either fight and struggle with it or wildly procrastinate, you can accomplish a tremendous amount without feeling tired and dragged down.
You are instead pulled toward your desires, not fighting with yourself to do what needs to be done. You are pulled toward them because you know it is what you are meant to do, you want to do it, and more importantly, it feels good. It becomes fun!
When you experience feelings like that as you start promoting your book, things are going to go better. They simply are.
Tips for your Outer Game
Once you land the interview and you’re preparing to go live, here are some suggestions to deal with any nervousness that might be there:
Get physical
Before you do a virtual interview, do some physical exercise to warm up your body and your mind. Take a walk, jump up and down in place, or do something else to get your energy moving. If you’re doing a live in-studio interview, take advantage while in the Green Room or walking toward the set. Move your arms, jump up and down in place, get the blood moving so you are ready for the interview.
Sing
Warm up your vocal cords and sing! It does not matter if you sing well. The point is warming up–something you do not want to be doing during the interview itself. You need to come out of the gate strong, so warm up first.
Warm up some more
Drink warm water as this is very soothing to the vocal cords.
No food
Do not eat–particularly dairy foods – for a couple of hours before your interview. It often creates mucus, and you do not want to be clearing your throat while the microphone is “hot” – turned on. Everyone will hear you, and it is not a pleasant sound.
Bottom line
If you have been a regular reader here, I hope you have found it to be a great resource. It is my pleasure to write about books, publicity, marketing, and helping authors to become visible and get their books out there.
If you have found value in this, then please consider this my personal invitation to purchase a copy of Media Darling and write a review! As we’ve discussed here before, those Amazon reviews are important, and I can’t think of anyone I would rather see reviews from than the readers here. I appreciate being a part of your life so much! Until next week…
To your success!
Joanne
P.S. Having a little celebration over here…
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