How to Prepare for an Interview

If you are an author, you will more than likely be called on to do an interview some time during your career. Whether it is a live television interview, a video interview, or a radio interview, you must properly prepare prior to your interview. I’ve been on both sides of the interview process, and I can guarantee you that whether you are the interviewer or the interviewee, nervousness is a reality. This can be tamed by preparing for your interview in advance.

In addition, not preparing for your interview, not researching your interviewer, being late, and acting in an unprofessional manner can cause an interview disaster. Following are a few ways to prepare for an interview so that you come out shining and proud to add your interview to your growing press kit.

Confirmation

Once you are asked for an interview, confirm that you have all the pertinent information. Unfortunately, the interviewer may not provide you with this information, so it is up to you to get it.

You will need to know the format of the interview. Will it be a live video interview, a pre-recorded, edited video, a live radio broadcast, a pre-recorded radio interview or podcast, or a chat interview? Again, this is important because the format will dictate how you present yourself; if you’re doing an at-home video interview, you will want to be well dressed, made-up, and accessorized from your head to at least your waist, and your viewable area must be clean, neat, and free from clutter and distraction.

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Publicity – My Take on Things

I want to talk candidly about two things that have been bugging me a lot lately. Before I go on, I must give a disclaimer: If you are easily offended, then you might not like this piece. Not everyone wants to hear the truth, or, perhaps, many don’t see things the way I do, so I’ll end this disclaimer with saying this is only my opinion. However, I’d love to hear how you feel about these two issues.

Why I Think Many Indie Bookstores Are Failing

We cannot refute the obvious: many indie bookstores have fallen victim to large online retailers such as Amazon. And let’s not forget the rise of indie publishers and authors. Then there are those . . . those . . . eBooks! I agree that many bookstores have met their demise at the hands of one or all of these culprits, but I have to say, this is not the only reason indie bookstores are failing. Truth be told, there are many indie bookstores that are still open and are not lacking in support and business.

My opinion is not a sudden epiphany, but something I’ve seen happen long before Amazon was popular, long before the rise of self-publishing, and long before the creation of eBooks. Often I have gone to a book signing and feared for my life or was completely turned off by the bookstore because of unkempt conditions, its unsavory location, and, of all things, the lack of books! If a bookstore’s size is 2500 square feet but contains only 200 square feet worth of books, then, Houston, we have a problem.

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Book 1 in the That Literary Lady Knows Series

What is SEO?

You may have seen or even heard of SEO, but perhaps you thought it didn’t pertain to you, so it went in one ear and out the other; however, even as an author, SEO is very important, and it can do wonders for marketing your work.

SEO stands for search engine optimization. In laymen terms, it means that with the proper search engine optimization, potential buyers will be able to find your work—more so than without SEO. When you think about it, the bottom line comes down to numbers. Have you ever checked your ranking on Amazon? Numbers. Have you ever checked your various social media rankings? Numbers. Your rank in search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, and so on comes down to, you’ve got it, numbers.

Search engine optimization helps with your ranking, er . . . I mean numbers. Search engine optimization helps potential clients search for and find you and your work faster and, depending on your rank (numbers), perhaps before any of your competitors.

For example, a Christian fiction author has a Website where she has announced the release of her newest novel. Without search engine optimization, a user may put the keywords “Christian, fiction, new, release” into the Google search engine (I will use Google from this point on, since it is my favorite.), garnering millions of results. And, without search engine optimization, the author’s Website may not be on the first page of results, let alone the first twenty.

When you use keywords on your Website or blog, there is a better chance that your rank (numbers) will be higher and your Website or blog may appear on the first page of results, or at least the first twenty pages. Let’s use the same scenario above. I’ll useChristian Fiction Online Magazine for example. Go to Google and type in the following keywords: Christian, fiction, new release. If you’ll notice, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, which is an affiliate of Christian Fiction Online Magazine, and Christian Fiction Online Magazine show up on the first page of the Google Search results.

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Excuse Me . . . Do I Know You?

How many of you have gotten a marketing email about something that has absolutely nothing to do with you or your interests? Am I the only one who has received an email trying to sell a flea/tick solution for my Cocker Spaniel? Newsflash! I don’t even have a dog!

All kidding aside, and more important, why did I receive this email? Probably because its sender likes wasting time and money sending out mass emails, while missing the entire concept of knowing his audience.

It’s really not as hard as it may seem to target your audience; however, it takes a little more effort than just networking, collecting business cards or information, and adding contacts to your email list. When it comes to marketing, one size does not fit all.

If you’re like me, you have several email lists. I have lists for public speaking, publishing, writing, marketing, branding, technology, and a host of other things. It is fairly easy to keep these lists separated, and several tools help you do that.

Microsoft Access allows you to input information from your contacts or business cards and categorize them with tags and colors. It also allows you to add several different tags, categories, and colors to each contact. For example, if I have a branding prospect in Greensboro, North Carolina, whom I’d like to send a Christmas card, I’d add her to three different categories and use three different colors. This way, when Christmas time comes around, I can either pick all the red-coded contacts (this is what I use to distinguish my Christmas card list), or I can select the tag “Christmas card list.” It’s really that simple, and this option is absolutely free if you own the Microsoft Office Suite.

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Get Your Brand in Order!

Baby You’re a Star!

“I told two friends about Faberge organic shampoo with true wheat germ and honey, and they told two friends, and so on and so on and so on.” I love that commercial from the 1980s because it expresses the power of word of mouth marketing. The creative team of this commercial knew what publicity means. They knew using a catchy marketing tool to publicize their product was the way to go to get the word out about the then famous hair product. In addition, there was a second message in this advertisement. To see if you can tell what the second message was click here for a YouTube video. Did you figure it out? Word of mouth marketing and publicity! She told one friend, and so on and so on. A big mouth will go a long way. Why not use it for your publicity?

Last month I talked about the importance and components of a marketing plan. This month I’d like to focus on the importance and components of a publicity plan. What’s the difference between a marketing and publicity plan? I’m glad you asked.

A marketing plan, much like a business plan, is a blueprint that you would complete prior to the completion of your project—and although you do think of publicity avenues before and during a project, a publicity plan is the action at you will take to get the word out about your project. In cases where a writer is looking for an investor to front money for their project, a marketing plan is usually needed; however, a publicity plan may or may not be.

Simply put, a marketing plan looks at the big picture that can include publicity; however, publicity is a plan that can stand alone and will include media and marketing venues that will get your project in front of consumers to convince them to purchase your product.

You could look at a publicity plan as a branding and marketing resume. It’s a braggadocios, if you will, way of presenting yourself and your product. A publicity plan is often confused with a marketing plan, and this is okay in many cases because they are quite similar, but remember, a publicity plan is only part of a marketing plan and can stand alone as an advertising plan.

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That Literary Lady interviews Author Iris Bolling

Iris Bolling, author of The Pendleton Rule, was
born in Richmond, Virginia, has a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Management. She is currently a Workforce Development Trainer with the Commonwealth of Virginia, providing management training and professional development consultation for the state workforce.

In an effort to combine the areas in her life she enjoys the most, education, politics and romance, she penned her first manuscript, Once You’ve Touched the Heart, which was release in March 2008. Since that time she has released books 2-5 of what has become The Heart Series which includes, The Heart of Him, Look Into My Heart, A Heart Divided, A Lost Heart and her latest release, The Heart. In May of 2011, Iris introduced her new novel, Night of Seduction/Heaven’s Gate.

In April of 2010, Iris was named Debut Author the Year, at the Romance Slam Jam conference. Her novel, Once You’ve Touched the Heart was voted the Readers Choice Award with Shades of Romance Magazine for, Romance Book of the Year. Iris was voted Romance Author of the Year and Author of the Year. Her novel A Lost Heart was nominated Romantic Suspense Novel of the Year, at the 2011 Romance Slam Jam. In 2012, she has been nominated at Author of the Year. Her latest novel The Heart has also been nominated for several awards.

Her passions are reading (especially romance novels), writing, sports and politics. An active proponent of state and federal educational issues, she
continues to encourage young adults to pursue their education. She also volunteers with her local registrar’s office, promoting voter registration in the African-American community.

For more information please visit; www.irisbolling.net, www.sirient.com or email at irisb@sirient.com.

Click here to listen to Iris’ interview with That Literary Lady on iTunes or click here to listen to the interview in your browser.

Brand Yourself, Sweetheart!

I trust and pray that everyone is having a great 2013 so far. Wow, February already—it seems like I just took down the Christmas tree. As we all know, time waits for no one.

This year I am going to focus a lot on branding, because people are still not catching on, nor are they understanding the importance of branding and how it relates to publicity and marketing. This is the new age in our industry, and branding is no longer for large corporations only. Everyone is a brand, and depending on how you display that brand, it could help or hurt you.

I challenge each of you to look at the various brands all around you—corporations, products, public figures, authors, speakers, etc. What do these brands have in common? What makes these brands stand apart? What makes these brands appealing to you?

Now look at your brand. Some of you might say, “I don’t have a brand.” The truth is this statement is absolutely not true. Your brand is simply how you present yourself. As a writer/author, consider how you “show” yourself. When you’re telling people about your work, how are you telling them? Do you say, “Hey, do you wanna buy a book?” Or do you say, “Hi, I am author Jane Doe, and shielding our children from bullies is very important. To bring awareness to this, I’ve written a book titled Bully on the Playground. I’m sure you have children, nieces, or nephews who may have experienced bullying at one time or another. My book gives tips and tactics on how to combat bullying so that our children feel safe when they attend school.”

Do you see the difference between these two scenarios? Which one would interest you more? And the differences don’t stop there. If you’re using social media, how are you “showing” yourself? Are you just posting a photo of yourself or your book you want people to buy? Or are you posting a photo and including a caption and a link that leads them to a site to purchase your book? Are you engaging your friends or fans on social media?

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A Fresh Start

Happy 2013! You’ve survived to live another year. If you haven’t already, take a few moments to reflect on the successes and failures of the past year and consider how you can take those lessons into the New Year. Why not give your brand a face-lift and make 2013 your best year yet!

Re-evaluate your business status. Whether you are an author or a freelance writer, you are a business owner. Are your business matters in order? Now is a good time to decide if you’re going to make this writing thing a hobby, or if it’s something you also want to profit from. Do you want to be a sole-proprietor, a Limited Partnership, a corporation, or a non-profit? What are the differences?

Sole Proprietorship is a type of business entity that one individual owns and runs; there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits (subject to taxation specific to the business) and has unlimited responsibility for all losses and debts. Every asset of the business is owned by the proprietor and all debts of the business are the proprietor’s. This means that the owner has no less liability than if he or she were acting as an individual instead of as a business. A sole proprietor may use a trade name other than his or her legal name after filing a doing business as statement with the local authorities.

LLC, also known as Limited Liability Company, is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions. LLCs do not need to be organized for profit. It is often more flexible than a corporation and it is well-suited for companies with a single owner. It is important to understand that limited liability does not imply that owners are always fully protected from personal liabilities. Courts can and will pierce the corporate veil when some type of fraud or misrepresentation is involved.

Corporation is a formal business association with a publicly registered charter recognizing it as a separate legal entity having its own privileges and liabilities distinct from those of its members (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporation – cite_note-0). Many different forms of corporations exist, most of which are used to conduct business. An important (but not universal) feature of a corporation is limited liability. If a corporation fails, shareholders normally stand to lose only their investment, and employees will lose their jobs, but neither will be liable for the corporation’s debts.

It’s tax time. Do you have all your receipts in order? If not, you may want to do that. Check the IRS Website for new tax laws and be sure to maximize your tax deductions, including office space, office and computer supplies, conferences and workshops, related classes, printing, related subscriptions and magazines, professional services, such as accountants and bookkeepers, phone and Internet charges, mileage and use of your car, and professional membership dues and fees.

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