Have you dreamed of appearing on the radio?
Did you figure it was impossible or that you had to be famous?
It is actually quite easy. I've made the attempt less than a dozen times, the attempt mind you, and been a guest on three radio shows and one podcast.
Recently (as in yesterday) I appeared on a 15-minute segment of the Arts section for 89.3 FM KCUR's Central Standard and discussed my most recent book Gliese 581: The Departure. You can actually listen to the entire show here. I come on board at around the 15 minute mark.
Different approaches work for different people, but here are a few guidelines for landing a spot on the radio.
Narrow Down Your Options
Go to the website of each radio station you are interested in and click on the different shows. Often they have a description of what happens on a particular show, some are political, others like to discuss the arts and most are a hodgepodge of current events and focus on local interests.
Your first job is to discover the show that you and your book might fit with best. A book that focuses on conservative values probably won’t work well with a host (and audience) with more of a liberal bent.
Although, that could prove to be a lively discussion!
Identify your “hook” or talking points that will make the radio show host want to have you on the air. What do you bring to the table? How will what you wrote possibly entertain the radio show listeners?
Write Down Your Talking Points
When I initially emailed Gina Kauffman, the host of Central Standard, I gave her some talking points to consider:
-Inspiration: Whether it is painting a mural, writing a book, or composing music – what drives us and what propels us forward?
-The Indie author movement – more and more people are bypassing the traditional publishing model and moving straight to self-publishing on Amazon. Perhaps examining the pros and cons of this. There is so much more mediocrity to filter through. Whether you publish traditionally, or as an Indie author, writing the book is only half of the job – marketing is the other half.
-Local creatives – writers, artists, and more – their latest projects here in the Kansas City area
-Dystopian futures, our fascinating with apocalypse (from nuclear war to zombies and killer viruses) continues. Why we remain obsessed with pushing the big Reset button.
-How we change our lives in sometimes rather radical ways. For example, I worked in offices for more than 20 years before quitting a comfortable job to clean houses and write books. What propels such a change?
This gave her some ideas for how my appearance on her show could be beneficial and more importantly, interesting. Take a moment to write down some possible talking points for your future radio spot.
In Part 2, which I will post tomorrow, I will talk about how you get your foot firmly in the door and a radio spot scheduled.
Christine Shuck is a writer, artist, and general malcontent living in Kansas City, Missouri. She has written six books, five of which are published on Amazon. You can learn more about her by signing up for her newsletter, visiting her author website or one of her blogs:
The Deadly Nightshade - covers diy, sustainability, gardening, cooking, crafts, community and more
The Learning Advocate - touches on parenting, education and more
The Cottages - focuses on our renovations of two bungalows in Historic Northeast Kansas City and their future as Airbnb properties
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