[authorme] PUBLISHING EMERGING WRITERS, MAY, 2009
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In this issue...
MY INTERVIEW WITH LEE HABEEB - Marsha Friedman
SELF PUBLISHING ADVENTURES - J.N. Reynolds
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MY INTERVIEW WITH LEE HABEEB
by Marsha Friedman
Lee currently coaches 7 of the top 10 talk show hosts in America; people like,
Michael Medved, Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager, Hugh Hewitt and Bill Bennett. He
also developed “The Laura Ingraham Show” and was Laura’s Executive Producer for
many years.
Marsha Friedman: One thing I regularly tell my clients is the importance of not
only being interested in the talk show host who is interviewing them, but also
demonstrating a caring for him, his show and his listeners. In your opinion,
how important is this? (continued below...)
Lee Habeeb: In my opinion listeners are attracted to this sort of caring. Take
the case of Click and Clack, the two car brothers. I don’t really care about
car repair or cars, but every time my wife and I are in the car and those guys
come on, we tune in because there’s such energy there. You get the sense that
they live, breathe and love cars. But furthermore, they love each other. The
audience loves them! The show is so rich in detail, in warmth and humanity, you
can’t help but tune in whether you like cars or not.
The best performance comes from those who are relaxed. These brothers are so
relaxed because they prepared for so long, they’ve got the details down so well
that when they get on the air, they are ready to go. And this is what happens
as you can probably imagine for most guests doing a radio tour. The more
prepared they are and the more interviews they do, the better they will get!
MF: That’s a great example of how to manage the expectations of a guest. After
booking guests for 20 years, I know that by their 15th interview, that’s when
they start hitting their stride.
LH: Yes. The staged interviews you do in a room that aren’t real can be a real
waste of time. It’s like scrimmages. If you ever coached college basketball and
said, “Hey, let’s scrimmage and then we’ll play one basketball game” no one
would ever get better. That’s why there’s lots of practice, but then you get
right into the season and you start playing games. And luckily, there are a lot
of games before the NCAA tournament so you can get really good.
It’s the same with radio interviews. There’s generally a progression. In the
beginning - you’re awkward, not sure what you’re doing, and after all, it’s
your first time. Then step by step, interview by interview, you get better at
it.
MF: I often try to explain to people that this is an art - a skill that you
develop. It’s not the same skill as being a public speaker or being a
professor. Just because you’ve done hundreds of public speaking engagements or
talked in front of groups, it is not the same thing. It’s very different, and
that difference really needs to be understood. I emphasize the fact that there
is a skill attached to this kind of activity.
LH: Well, look at E.E. Cummings - I think if you had stuck him in sonnets, I
don’t know how good he would have been. So even with poets or even actors who
are great on the stage, they just may not be as good in front of a camera. A
good 100 meter sprinter is a different runner than a 440 or a 400 meter. And I
get this all the time. “Man, he’s such a good guest. He should host a radio
show.” My response is, “Oh, no, no, no, no.” Most people who are good guests
can’t host a show because they’ve been so good at reducing stuff to six minutes
that the idea of carrying a show for 15 hours a week doesn’t work as
well. They’d rather spend 15 hours in a week to get six solid minutes.
So if you’re a professor and you have an hour a day, three days a week, 15
school hours, and you’ve had 8 years to prepare this, that’s a lot of time to
make your point, get those ideas across, and do all the goodies and magic you
do in that classroom. But it has nothing to do with coming on a radio show and
having seven minutes to impress the listeners. It’s a totally different format.
MF: You know you’ve really sent home the point that being a good guest is a
craft. You’ve got to study, prepare and drill.
LH: I can go to a basketball game and during the practice, I can pick out who
the captain is by how he walks around. He’s not the guy slamming the ball down
and trying to impress the cheerleaders. No, he’s the guy in a quiet
conversation over here because he’s actually the leader. He’s acting like it;
he’s talking like it. The best way to credibility is to be credible.
The best way to be credible is not to talk about yourself. Talk about the
problem and the solution. Talk about the audience’s problem, the host’s
problem, not your own problem. Here’s the solution. I’m not the solution. This
is the solution. And then your credibility goes up the more comfortable you are
in your own skin. The more you try and sell yourself, the less credible you
sound.
MF: That brings up the question about how someone should pitch themselves as a
good guest?
LH: For starters, don’t pitch yourself. Talk to the host, engage him and then
through him, define a problem and offer the solution.
These hosts and producers could care less about you…they care about their
show! Every day they look at the pitches they get and think, “Hmm, what would
make this show work today?” And in the timing of the news cycle, what would
make the show work. No matter what business you’re in, there’s a news cycle. If
you’re in the vitamin business, it’s vitamin news. I’m just trying to make the
point that there’s always news you can tie your message into.
MF: Lee, you’ve given us so many nuggets. Is there a final piece of advice you
would like to share?
LH: Get with a professional media coach. You’re not going to get good as a talk
radio guest by yourself. And, if you’re going to spend x amount of dollars on a
PR campaign, make sure you’ve got the coaching. And make sure you get coached
from a seasoned professional who’s actually done it as this is a specialty. If
you’re going to get out there, be prepared.
MF: Lee, thanks so much for taking the time to sit down and speak with me today.
LH: It has been my pleasure Marsha!
###End of Part 2###
I sincerely hope you enjoyed my interview with Lee and found some interesting
points to consider when thinking about your own talk radio publicity campaign.
If you are interested in learning more about a customized talk radio campaign
to promote your book, product or service, then we can help you. As a leading
resource for talk radio guests for 20 years, we know how to develop newsworthy
hooks that interest talk radio hosts around the country. We do it everyday and
that’s why we’re able to schedule 40 to 50 interviews every week!
Our team of talk radio experts can help you gain national recognition and
instant credibility for yourself, your book and/or your company. Call my
partner Steve for more information. He can be reached at 727-443-7115 extension
202.
Warm Regards,
Marsha
PS: Don’t be concerned about your level of experience as a talk show
guest. Keep in mind, every pro has a coach (even Tiger Woods!) and we can also
make sure you have the best media coach available in your corner.
Marsha Friedman, CEO
1127 Grove Street, Clearwater , FL 33755
www.emsincorporated.com
Join My LinkedIn Network: Click Here
Follow Me on Twitter: Click Here
Join My Facebook Network: Click Here
Join My Plaxo Network: Click Here
==============
SELF PUBLISHING ADVENTURES
by J.N. Reynolds
I ventured into Self Publishing some five years ago, when my children were
quite young, and I was about to be signed onto a traditional publisher. When
the publisher decided change the content I put my foot down and said “No!” When
I mentioned I would self publish, they sent me a rather rude e-mail and were
miffed by my decision. However, I do not regret my decision.
It has been a world of discovery. I had picked up a book sent to me from a
radio host when I asked a relevant question regarding self publishing. I felt
the book was some sort of 'proverbial sign' for me to self publish. With
extensive research, I found my decision was sound.
After a few life changes, I managed to finish my book, 'The League of Light -
Guardians of the Light' ISBN-13978-0-9735353-1-0 and ISBN-100-9735353-1-8. I
got my CIP number and bar code for pricing and country of origin. I was
excited! I then went to several people and started to tell them about my book
and what I had done.
I developed the story over the years, between two countries, two ex-husbands,
two provinces, and two children. When I put together the marketing copies, I
used Cerlox binding and handed them out for half of what the book would cost. I
got enough money together to make my first set of 50 books at the printers.
I found four different sponsors. Each one helped in their own way. For example,
I managed to get a publicity shot in exchange for a book. I used the computer
at work (with my boss’s permission) and used the materials I brought to work to
put my books together. The Printer helped by waiving certain fees and extras
and all I had to pay was the actual fee, no set up costs, as long as I did all
the pre-press work (typesetting and editing).
I generated the local publicity I needed by appearing on a local cable talk
show and did local author readings. However, because of time and money
constraints, everything came to a grinding halt and I found myself embroiled in
personal issues, having too little money to promote my book.
I left it for just over a year. Now I'm starting out again, and this time I
hope to generate interest not only locally but further afield and take my book
to the next level, which is of course a film. If that becomes feasible, I have
contacted locally with a couple of directors but have not heard back from them
in over a year. This is hardly surprising.
The whole process of self publishing has been a very satisfying and
all-encompassing experience. Several mentors helped enormously with my writing,
publishing and focus on selling and marketing. They have always encouraged me
and would not let me give up when I felt I couldn't put one foot in front of
the other.
On the whole, self publishing has been an exciting experience. I have gone the
self publishing route via the likes of self publishers on the Internet, and
while they provide excellent service, there is so much competition that I would
be one out of 80,000 on one publishing service alone! That is very intimidating
and doesn't really encourage me to get out there and do something about my book.
I can see others who have done their work and have the money and capacity to
put their work online, so that they are industry leaders. But I am encouraged
by the number of self publishers in the market and the healthy competition that
has developed.
My book 'The League of Light-Guardians of the Light' still remains an obscure
tome and few if any have heard of it outside of the city where I live. (The
League of Light is not to be confused with the cartoon characters that pervade
the Internet with the same title. In fact, I believe they are breaking
copyright of my titles.
The League of Light is a fictional fantasy thriller based on events which
occurred during my stay in Wales in 1997. The book was borne out of research
done and conducted at the time in Wales, where I was living in a small and
obscure village. Rumour had it that there were several groups of people who
practised the 'The cult of the Dead' and Paganism. There were many incidences
and coincidences that would not be pushed to one side, so I based a story on
some of the events which had occurred at that time.
Thumbnail sketch of The League of Light' - 'Guardians of the Light' is: Rules
were meant to be broken, but not the rules of the Universe or those that govern
it. Zarya has broken those rules and must now bear the consequences. With
betrayal and murder left in her wake and an evil so ancient and dangerous
tracking her every move, will Zarya survive? From one end of the globe to
another, mysterious strangers become her friends, but are they enough to help
her and can she trust them for what lies ahead?
The book keeps the reader guessing until the very end and gives a good twist on
the whole story.
I did plug this to publishers but they didn't seem to be too interested and,
because the book is written in the first person, to bring the reader into the
narrator’s world and see first hand what goes on, it has scared a few people.
Thus it's not a book for youngsters or those who can't sleep at night. If you
are looking for a good ghost story or a really good thriller that will get your
blood pumping, this one might just do it!
For more information on my books please contact me at
clankjn@xxxxxxxxxxx People who have read my book The League of Light actually
go to bed with the light on for a few days afterward. They have been a little
'thrilled'. If you are interested in knowing more about the books I write,
creative works on being a single parent and “That Cat” (a children’s
book). Plus a series of short stories with poems about loves lost bloom.
I work as an Administration and Marketing Tourism Consultant for Battlefords
Tourism in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. Tourism is one of the biggest
industries in Saskatchewan and with the Yellowhead Highway (Hwy 16) passing
through the Battlefords, this brings a lot of potential high tourism traffic
into the Battlefords. I am as enthusiastic about Tourism as I am passionate
about my writing.
Further to some of the above information, I have contacted Booksurge and have
submitted my book for the US and UK markets on Amazon.com. I'm hoping to see
some results. Booksurge has been fantastic, very professional and always
available to answer questions no matter how mundane. I am particularly fussy
with my books and where they are in the publishing process, which has led me on
occasion to be slightly frustrated when things don't go according to plan -
which can happen.
My confidence in submitting my book led me to publish books done by my children
for Christmas presents: for example, 'What Walter Did Next' (our next door
neighbour's cat). This has also encouraged my children to explore the world of
writing and see the process first-hand from concept, idea, writing, submission
to publishing. They have found it to be an exciting process and, when I find
myself becoming jaded by the whole publishing process, I think of their
enthusiasm and it makes me realize that it's only my expectations and
frustrations that hinder me.
As for my book "The League of Light", locally it's doing very well. We shall
see what comes of the work I've put into getting it this far. If locals are
interested, hopefully there will be enough interest generated globally to buy
it or even acknowledge it. I hope people are inspired to read it and will tell
others about it. While I don't think I'll be the next J.K. Rowling (that would
be nice!), I do think that when people read my book, there is no in between.
They either really like it, or really can't handle it. I have a press release
as well as a book review coming out shortly. This will be put onto a website
I'll have up and running soon as well.
Having put out the money for the publishing of my book, I certainly feel a
certain sense of satisfaction to see it in print for the first time and with
people coming up to me asking me where they can buy it.
Once my book was launched I decided to get a press release. BookSurge helped
with the wording and when I got the first draft, although it was good, it
wasn't quite right. So, with some assistance from the folks at BookSurge, we
managed to complete an updated press release.
Along with the press release I was also persuaded to get a book review. Several
weeks later I got the review back. It had been outsourced to another company, a
very reputable one. Unfortunately the review was not what I expected but then
my book is somewhat of an unexpected genre.
After going through the review I found that it contained several mistakes
(which would not have made if the reviewer had read my book) I filed a
complaint and asked that the mistakes be rectified. They were and, somewhat
mollified, I found myself not using the review at all. It really is a case of
self publishing being at the mercy of what we can afford.
The lesson I learned from all this was that a review done by someone else who
doesn't know the subject and isn't sympathetic to it, doesn't matter. It's what
the writer/author feels about the book, and how passionate they are about
it. That passion will transcend a lot of barriers and keep them going through
some of the toughest times. Personally the review was a tough one to come to
terms with and many people reassured me that my book was worth more than
someone else’s critical and angry point of view. In the end I had to agree with
them.
The League of Light by JN Reynolds is available on BookSurge.com or at
Amazon.com, among other websites internationally.
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Publishing Emerging Writers
May, 2009 (No. 1005)
Publisher: Cook Comm - Bruce L. Cook, 6086 Dunes Drive,
Sanford, NC 27332 USA.
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