“I have good news for you, Jay [or Tom, Roger, Kid, Shelley…] — the world is NOT going to end!”
That’s how I began most of my sixteen radio interviews yesterday morning, opening with the requisite doomsday/apocalypse chuckles before moving to Maya calendar 101, Mesoamerican geography/history, then ending with a discussion of Mundo Maya travel strategies and opportunities.
Longer interviews allowed me to tell the story of paddling up the Macal River two years ago, when I was first inspired to write my latest book, Maya 2012: A Guide to Celebrations in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize & Honduras.
Thanks to my publisher, Moon Travel Guides, and to Auritt Communications for setting up this voice marathon. I am happy to say that it could not have been coordinated or executed more smoothly!
For a taste, listen to this 7-minute interview with James Lowe of the Jiggy Jaguar Show.
Tips for being interviewed on the radio
Before the radio tour, I reached out to my freelance writer colleagues for advice and was given some very helpful tidbits for successful radio interviews. Here are a few:
- Get some exercise before the interview so that blood flow to the brain is maximized and you come across as energetic.
- Stand rather than sit — it makes a difference in the energy behind your voice. (I usually pedal on an exercise bike while I do interviews.)
- Be clever, it makes you more memorable.
- Talk to the interviewer as if you find him/her delightful.
- Smile when you speak, it will come across in your voice and the listener will hear it.
- Suck on apple slices during breaks! It reduces the viscosity of your saliva (fun) and makes you sound better. It makes a huge difference for long shows.
- Write down the host name and location and have it in front of you. Use the name once if there’s a natural opportunity.
- Engage the interviewer at a personal level, if it makes any sense at all. Most people listening will know the interviewer better than you, and find YOU more engaging if you engage the interviewer.
- I second the advice to smile even though they can’t see you. That helps with the energy thing.
- Use “YES (enthusiastically), and….” anytime an interviewer says something that you have no great response to (then transition to something else).
Thanks again for the good advice and thanks for listening! I’ll post more interviews when I have them.
Here’s a related interview I did earlier this year: Rick Steves Radio: Mundo Maya
