Author Publicity: 3 Reasons Why You Need Media Training

written by Julie Parise

In today’s world, video is more important than ever. If you’re an author looking for book publicity, it’s nearly impossible to promote your work without appearing on camera in some way — whether you get featured on TV or social media. 

As a broadcast journalist and publicity expert, I’ve heard too many people tell me they’re “too scared” or “not ready” to do on-camera interviews. If you’re an author wanting book publicity, you need to get over any fear or misconceptions you have about being on video. That’s where media training comes in. 

Here are 3 ways media training will work wonders for author publicity:

Learn to answer any question. 

Maybe you’re worried about doing live interviews or getting featured on TV because you’re afraid of getting asked a question you won’t be able to answer, or at least a question you won’t be able to answer well. 

Media training provides you with the tools to answer any question with confidence. You’ll learn simple, directional statements that will bring any question back to your messaging. Author publicity isn’t rocket science — it’s all about knowing how to answer the question you want to be asked. 

Build your audience

Your expert messaging builds your credibility. If you get an opportunity to promote your book or gain publicity as an author, you want to provide information that will resonate with the viewers. They’ll want more from you. 

Media training helps you nail down your messaging to make it appealing to wide audiences. In turn, you’ll build a following of people who want to hear more from you. The more you engage with them, the more they’ll share your content — and the bigger your audience will become. 

Make sure you look and sound your best. 

It goes without saying that video is visual. This is usually one of the biggest reasons our clients tend to shy away from TV or video appearances – they’re afraid they won’t look good. But let me let you in on a secret: It’s not about looking perfect, or jaw-droppingly good looking. 

It’s about looking put-together and prepared — that means everything from your personal appearance to your on-camera setup for Zoom interviews. That’s what media training can do for you. You’ll practice getting ready for your interview, answering questions and mastering your at-home equipment setup. Our team can also guide you through what to expect if you’re getting ready to do an in-studio interview at a television studio. 

Want to learn how to pitch yourself for TV appearances? In our TV pitching program, we show you real pitches that landed segments and teach you how to find angles that will get producers booking you!