I was a guest on the Reader Seeks Romance channel’s First Date Summer Books episode, which was such a fun time! Together with authors Elle Everhart, Jessica Joyce, and Lyn Liao, we chatted with host Liz Donatelli about our summer debut romance novels, our romance tropes of choice, book dedications, and our books’ opening lines. We also played Match Game, which I am decidedly terrible at but I still enjoyed playing!
Before you check out the video at the end of this post, I’ve thrown together a few quick tips for preparing for author interviews, and how to make a video interview easier on yourself.
Prepare for Your Interview!
Okay, it seems obvious, right? Well, I’m still here to remind you to practice that elevator pitch because the second the camera flips on, notes are irrelevant and you’re just kinda doing it from memory. At least I’d watched previous episodes of this show, so I had some preparation for each piece of the show format (except Match Game—seriously, score looks like I’ve never played a game before in my life!).
Watching existing episodes also meant that I had an idea of what questions we’d be asked, which is an important step to keep my anxiety in check.
If you’re preparing for an author interview, go ahead and practice your answers out loud ahead of time. Recruit a friend to listen, or record yourself and sit through the (in my case, brutal) playback. And don’t just do it in your head: Say it out loud! The Production Effect means that if you’re producing something—in this case, words—you’ll be less likely to get distracted, and more likely to remember the information. Basically, applying it rather than only thinking it means you have a memory advantage when it comes time to repeat the details! You don’t have to memorize everything, but the information you want to convey will be easier to pull from your memory when you’re in the spotlight if you’ve given yourself this practice session.
Practice Your Facial Expressions
Staring at yourself in that little Zoom window is brutal, but sometimes re-watching something after it has aired is even worse. I have a super expressive face and photos of me are always ridiculous because I just can’t help it. If you’re like me, and every photo looks like you’ve eaten something sour OR someone just smacked you on the back, set up that mirror and give yourself a pep talk, while keeping an eye on your facial expressions. Practice reeling it in a bit. You’re not on stage at the Globe Theatre. Your webcam probably captures plenty of your features, no exaggeration needed. (And it’s a great chance to practice your elevator pitch, as I mentioned in my point above.)
Know That the Jitters Will Pass!
Even if you’re freaking out ahead of time, I betcha you’ll suddenly forget about the nerves the moment the ice breakers are over. Why? Nobody knows your book like you do! You’re talking about something YOU created, and you’re keeping all kinds of fun facts inside that head of yours. Embrace the know-it-all-ness and relax. You’ve got this. (So far, for me, the same goes for in-person interviews too!)
If you’ve ever acted or otherwise performed, you may know the feeling of everything melting away the moment the show begins. Worry kind of disappears, and it’s just you, your fellow performers, and the show. I love that feeling, and was pleasantly surprised to find that it sort of happens with book interviews, too!
Anyway, that’s my rambling for today! You can check out the August 2023 episode of First Date below, or on YouTube—and don’t forget to subscribe to the Reader Seeks Romance channel so you don’t miss any new episodes!
