A Contest for Authors Hop On...

I've joined with a group of other bloggers to bring you this BLOG hop... in the process there are instructions in the post below about what I am specifically giving away. Want a one-on-one consult with an experienced author consultant? Well now is your chance! See how to enter in the post below and best wishes.


Here are my top reasons for joining the "HOP"
1. Get the word out about my blog in the hopes that you will FOLLOW it!. I'm so busy helping other authors, hosting events and writing books that I forget my OWN writing blog.

2. Hope you will look around and consider buying my book! It is available on Amazon and my website here: Information In A Nutshell: Writing and Publishing and Business Tips and Taxes for Writers

3. Spread the joy... point you to other great bloggers and authors! (See links below)

About me:

Felice Gerwitz loves to be on the host side of the mic and has a radio show for authors at Writing and Publishing Radio.com (http://www.WritingandPublishingRadio.com) Felice is also the author and co-author of 19 books. She wrote Information in a Nutshell: Writing and Publishing and has published, Information in a Nutshell: Business Tips and Taxes for Writers.

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Contest:
Monday May 7th for the John 3:16 Marketing Network Blog Hop which will run May 7-14. There will be over 50 blogs you can hop to and all of them will be offering a giveaway all you have to do is leave a comment on that blog. 

MY PRIZE OFFER
In order to win the prize I offered (see the previous post for details $125.00 Value) please leave a comment to this post with your EMAIL so I can contact the winner... AND follow the instructions below.

In order to win the Kindle Fire that is being offered you should visit and post on each of the blogs below and join the mailing list below. (I don't run that mailing list but it is run by the Christian bloggers I belong to!)... 

Now! To enter for a chance of winning one of the Kindles, sign in below.

Join The Mailing List (Blog Hoppers, sign up here, check the John 3:16 Readership Box)

Email: (for Kindle drawing, May 7-May 14)

For Email Newsletters you can trust

Participating Bloggers AND GREAT PRIZES

Blog Hop Participants:

Be sure to tell your friends about the John 3:16 Giveaway Blog Hop! It's going to be a great! week of fun!

Just click on the links below to go from blog to blog! Happy hoppin'!

Blog Hop Participants:

1.     John 3:16 Network Blog

2.     Lynn Dove– Word Salt (Host blog)

3.     Laura J. Davis

4.     Paulette Harper

5.     Carol A. Brown

6.     April Gardner

7.     Sue Russell

8.     Susan F. Craft

9.     Heather Bixler

10.  Joy Hannabass

11.  Deborah Bateman

12.  Kimberley Payne

13.  Rose McCauley

14.  Lisa Lickel

15.  Alice J. Wisler

16.  Amanda Stephan

17.  Saundra Dalton

18.  Tracy Krauss

19.  Ashley Wintters

20.  Deborah McCarragher

21.  Lorilyn Roberts

22.  Anita Estes

23.  Martin Roth

24.  Janet Perez Eckles

25.  Kenneth Winters

26.  Eddie Snipes

27.  Diane Tatum

28.  Janalyn Voight

29.  Alberta Sequeira

30.  Tammy Hill

31.  Marcia Laycock

32.  Julie Saffrin

33.  Nike Chillemi

34.  Elaine Marie Cooper

35.  Sidney W. Frost

36.  Jairus B. King

37.  Bill Burt

38.  Kathy Eberly

39.  Bob Saffrin

40.  Theresa Franklin

41.  Ray Lincoln

42.  Lilly Maytree

43.  Valerie King

44.  Yvonne Pat Wright

45.  Pauline Creeden

46.  Katherine Harms

47.  Brenda Wood

48.  Deborah Malone

49.  Melissa Main

50.  Kevin Main

51.  Sandy Humphrey

52.  Felice Gerwitz

53.  Hallee Bridgeman

54.  Lisa Mills

Getting Publicity on Radio Shows

Guest Post by Author Francine Silverman

We all want publicity. It’s free and often results in a positive outcome.

As an on-line publicist for about 180 authors, I focus on getting my clients radio spots so that they can publicize their books and expertise on the air. Radio hosts need guests and are more receptive to pitches than newspaper editors – of which there are fewer and fewer these days.

However, with the dearth of information on radio websites – especially regarding show theme and guest criteria – it’s anyone’s guess what kind of guests hosts want. For this reason, I decided to write my book, Talk Radio Wants You: An Intimate Guide to 700 Shows and How to Get Invited (McFarland & Co. 2009), which retails for $75 and contains everything a potential guest needs to know before contacting a host.

To make the information more affordable, I followed the format of the book to create ebooks in business, health, self-help, sports, entertainment, politics, parenting, food and travel, men and women, and relationships selling at $12 to $20. These are shows I discovered after my book went into production, include both Internet and on-air programs, and feature show theme, name of host, guest criteria, email, phone (optional), website, best method of contact, and where aired.

When I started my on-line publicity service, I began by pitching newspapers, and while I did get two clients into national newspapers, it was an uphill battle. But when I began pitching radio hosts, I was astounded at the responses. Only then did I realize how desperately hosts need guests. If this doesn’t convince you, how about the thousands of hosts who responded to my questionnaire to be in my book and ebooks? They completed the form because they want guests to learn about their shows.

The jury is out on whether radio interviews help sell books. On the one hand, you read about how, before they became household names, Wayne Dyer and Scott Peck started out as authors. When Dyer’s first book was published, he filled his station wagon with copies and headed west to do as many radio shows as possible. The book ultimately became a best seller.

Peck also began by doing three radio shows a day to help sell his first book, The Road Less Traveled, which was on the best seller list for 12 years.

On the other hand, unknown authors express a mixed bag regarding their radio interviews. Some report that they sell copies with every show they do, while others complain that radio interviews fail to move the audience.

I always respond that we don’t know who is listening and if nothing else it gives us a chance to talk and answer questions about our books. Moreover, the host will often tout the book and author’s website several times during the interview. They want to present their guests in a good light and are happy to promote them.  

For information on my publicity service, book and ebooks, please visit

http://www.talkradioadvocate.comTalk Radio Advocate

Interviews: What Works

How to get the most out of an interview

by Jocelyn Green

http://www.faithdeployed.com

Most of my writing, whether for magazine articles, Web content or books, depends on me getting great interviews with my sources. Some interview subjects make that job easy, and some make me work for it. Here are a few tips for getting what you want out of any interview.

1) Ask the right people. Before requesting an interview, make sure the potential source has the credentials and experience you are looking for. How do you find good sources?
    a) Do a Google search for your topic plus the word “expert” and see who comes up.
    b) Look up news articles online on your topic and see who those reporters are quoting. They may be good leads for you.
    c) Go to Amazon.com and see who the published authors are on the topic.
    d) Use Profnet.com to find any kind of expert you want. It’s free for writers, and effective.
    e) If you’re looking for personal stories or illustrations from the average person, go where they congregate. Contact churches, local chapters of a national organization like MOPS or AmVets, and use social media like Facebook and Twitter. Just be specific about what you’re looking for.

2) Do your homework. Before the interview, read as much background on your person as possible. If they are a published author, ask the publisher for a review copy of their book. If they are not published or quoted in the news already, send them a few preliminary questions they can answer via email before your phone call so you know where to probe.

3) Put them at ease. Some people are naturally more comfortable being interviewed than others. Everyone will be more at ease if you send them a list of questions that you will likely ask them during the interview. If your editor/publisher agrees, tell them up front that you will send them your draft of their story before sending it to the editor so they can make corrections for accuracy.

4) Ask the right questions. Of course you’ll need to get the facts, but dig deeper for the emotional, human element of the story.
    a) Ask about the thoughts that were never spoken. “What went through your mind at that moment?”
    b) Ask about surprises, expectations, emotions. For example, ask “What surprised you about____?” Ask, “When was the last time you cried, and why?” to get a glimpse of his or her heart.
    c) Ask them to paint a picture for you. For instance, “What was the view from that mountaintop where you had that conversation with God?” The details you get could take your story from good to great.
    d) Ask follow-up questions if they aren’t giving you what you want.

5) Don’t interrupt. When your interview subject pauses, don’t quickly jump in. He or she may be thinking. Many times if you just let the silence hang for a moment, your source will keep going. Whether or not it’s just to fill the silence, you may get some deeper stuff than if you had gone on to your next question.