TURN EVERY INTERVIEW INTO PREDICTABLE BOOK SALES
Stop doing "good media." Start doing interviews that actually drive sales
An author called me recently … a day too late. She’d been booked on a huge podcast that speaks directly to her target market. The interview “went great.” The host loved her. The conversation flowed. Everything felt perfect.
For several hours after the podcast aired, my author kept checking her Amazon ranking. Nothing happened. The podcast didn’t move the needle – not even a little bit.
The next day she called me to commiserate. And I felt terrible – because landing a big interview is such a great opportunity. But in this case, it was a missed opportunity. I wish she’d called me the day before that interview.
I’ve worked with thousands of authors over the years, authors who’ve done hundreds of thousands of interviews. Many of those authors are national figures, with tons of experience doing media. But as I tell every author: There’s a massive difference between “good media” and media that sells books. And unless you know how to bridge that gap, your interviews will fall flat, no matter how charismatic, experienced, or well-prepared you are.
How to Give the Media What They Want and Still Use the Interview to Drive Book Sales
Most authors assume that if they land a great interview, book sales will follow. But that’s not how media works. In fact, sometimes the more famous you are, the harder it is to promote your book through media interviews. The host will want to talk about the news of the day, the latest drama in the headlines. The last thing they want to talk about, unfortunately, is your book.
I talk with C-level executives and celebrity authors every day, and I can tell you that few publishers earn their respect. But when Marji talks, leaders listen.”
– Greg Mueller, CEO of CRC Advisors and President of CRC Strategies
Remember, whether you are a national celebrity with multiple bestsellers under your belt or a first-time author, the media is not interested in helping you promote your book. They are interested in ratings, eyeballs, clicks, subscribers.
Their job is not, repeat not, to sell your book. It’s up to you to turn that conversation into book sales, while still making the host look good. And that requires a very specific set of strategies.
The Limitation of Media Training
A quick Google search will yield dozens (even hundreds) of results for “media training.” And a good media coach can certainly teach you some really useful skills. Things like how to stay calm, how to handle tough questions, how to speak clearly. So, I am not saying that conventional media training isn’t worthwhile.
However. As an author, basic media training will make you a good guest for the media. It might even get you invited back. But it will not drive book sales. For that, you need a different skillset entirely, a very specific set of interview strategies designed to make your book irresistible to your target reader.
There are actually a handful of very specific strategies an author must use to make sure your interviews translate into book sales
The Proven System Behind 85+ National Bestsellers
I’ve been in the publishing business for more than 30 years. For nearly 20 years, I ran a major independent book publishing house that was famous for our PR success.
We conducted “murder boards” to prepare our authors for even the toughest media encounters, and we coached our authors on how to turn the conversations into book promotions that didn’t sound like a canned sales pitch.
We didn’t just do media, we mastered the art of media that sells books.
The results were astonishing. During my tenure :
- We launched 85+ books onto national bestseller lists (and I mean printed lists, not just Amazon)
- 14 books of those books hit #1
- Our authors saw immediate spikes in their Amazon ratings after virtually every media hit
- Our authors did hundreds of thousands of interviews, and were frequently invited to come back on major shows multiple times
- It’s not an exaggeration to say that we wrote the playbook on media that sells books.
Today, I’d like to offer you that playbook. I want to equip you with the same techniques that turn every media interview into a book promotion machine.
Overcoming the Biggest Obstacle
Let me give you a strategy right now, that you or your publicist can use starting today. This is the secret to overcoming one of the biggest objections the media often have when someone pitches them on having a book author as a guest on their show.
I can’t tell you how many times a young publicist would come back to report that they couldn’t get one of our authors on an important show – be it radio, TV, or podcast – because the producer had told them “we’re not doing book interviews anymore.” Perhaps you have encountered this obstacle as well.
The solution is simple. When someone tells you they are not doing book interviews, your reply should be “Great! This isn’t a book interview. Those are boring, anyway. Nope, this isn’t a book interview, this is a conversation about [insert the most controversial or timely issue you cover in your book].” You have now reframed your pitch from something you want to talk about into something they want to talk about – and their audience wants to hear about. Then, when you get behind the microphone, you can employ the strategies I will give you to make sure this fascinating conversation actually makes listeners want to buy your book.
Introducing the Media Success Blueprint
The strategies in this Media Success Blueprint unlock the power of the media, turning every interview into book sales. Inside, you’ll learn:
- The #1 reason interviews fail to convert – and how to fix it instantly
- How to structure your talking points so listeners naturally want your book
- The “host hook” that makes interviewers want to promote you
- How to turn even difficult questions into book-selling opportunities
- The difference between TV, radio, and podcast interviews, and how to curate each one to drive book sales
- The mistake even celebrity authors make – and how to avoid it
- How to seamlessly weave the title of your book into every interview without sounding like a sale pitch
- How to turn any interview into a long-tail sales asset
Why This Works When Everything Else Doesn’t
There are plenty of other tools out there, many of them free. So why do you need this blueprint? Simple: Every interview you do is a one-time opportunity. You can’t redo it. You can’t reclaim the audience’s attention. You can’t rebuild lost momentum. Unlike all other tools, this Media Success Blueprint is designed specifically to drive book sales.
So, if you’re wondering…
Can’t AI just tell me all this? AI can’t replicate decades of real-world media experience. These strategies come from thousands of interviews, not theory.
Doesn’t my publicist handles this? Publicists book interviews. This system converts them. Two different jobs.
I’ve done interviews before, isn’t that enough? Interviews don’t equal sales. A few strategic shifts can dramatically change your results.
I don’t want to sound salesy. You won’t. This method helps you lead a conversation that’s more engaging, more interesting, and more relevant than any interview you’ve done before.
I’m overwhelmed – is this more work? Nope. It’s a simple set of strategies that make interviews easier, not harder.
Will this work if I’m not a celebrity? Yes. Non-celebrity authors benefit the most because they can’t rely on name recognition.
What if I don’t have interviews booked yet? Perfect. This prepares you and helps you land better interviews.
The Cost of Doing Media Wrong
It’s exciting to be invited onto a podcast or a TV show. It’s flattering to be interviewed and recognized for your expertise. And interviews are not that easy to get. So, please don’t squander your next opportunity. Every interview you do without these
strategies …
Wastes time
Weakens your chances of being invited back
Leaves your book without momentum
Fails to connect with your audience
Misses an opportunity to help potential readers
Limits the reach of your message
Underperforms on a chance to build your brand
Costs you sales you can’t recover
“I’ve been lucky to represent authors who’ve received 7- and 8-figure advances, and dozens of New York Times bestsellers. Much of that success is related – in one way or another — to the wisdom and judgment I learned from Marji Ross.”
– Keith Urbahn, president and founding partner of Javelin literary and creative agency
“Marji is a superb marketer, a first-class book publisher, an innovator of the first order, and an incredible leader. One of the most successful book publishers in the country.”
– Jay Abraham, founder and CEO of The Abraham Group, Inc., Strategic Marketing Expert
Transform Media Into Book Sales
Take advantage of the strategies used by the smartest and most successful book authors on the planet.
I’ve put together all these strategies into my Media Success Blueprint, complete with examples and worksheets to make sure you can easily and immediately apply all the secrets that have created hundreds of national bestsellers.
Once you master these techniques, you will :
Feel confident and prepared for every interview
Understand how to make the host look good, so they invite you back
Attract more, and bigger, media attention, leading to interviews on larger shows
Watch your Amazon ranking spike after every interview you do
Never be at a loss for answers to even the most difficult interview questions
Start every interview with a powerful and compelling soundbite
End each interview knowing you made the most of the opportunity to spread the word about your book
Turn every interview into a book-selling asset
Don’t let one more interview go by without using these techniques. Transform your entire media campaign into a book-selling engine. You wrote your book to make a difference. Now be sure every interview you do connects with readers and leads them to buy your book.