10 Tips for Radio Interview Preparation

By Jill K. Willis

It’s amazing how one 30-minute experience can teach so many lessons. Last February, Bob Crittenden, host of the Meeting House on Faith Radio, interviewed me as a debut author at the Christian Products Expo. It was my first radio interview.

I have a background in public relations and had a decent idea of what to expect, but I soon discovered that press interviews are very different from radio interviews. I’d like to share 10 recommendations so you can avoid my mistakes:

1. Respond promptly to the interviewer’s invitation. There are limited time slots and once they’re full, they’re full. Bob emailed me a month ahead of time and because I replied quickly, I snared a morning slot that didn’t interfere with any other events.
2. Brainstorm possible questions. Know that the interviewer may ask only a few of these, but it’s better to be over-prepared than under-prepared. Be aware that radio interviews are more conversational, unlike fielding Q&As with the press.
3. List a couple points you’d like to make in the interview. Since I was promoting my young adult novel, The Demons Among Us, I wanted to ensure the listeners understood the demons facing our teens today and offer resources for parents.
4. Practice the interview with a friend. The more you practice, the less you’ll stumble and bumble over words. I should have practiced more as I tripped through an important scripture. Thank goodness we weren’t live as Bob edited it out.
5. Study your notes the night before and the morning of the interview. It’s always helpful to have the information fresh on your mind. Realize that it may be difficult to consult your notes in the middle of the interview. In my case, I held a microphone in one hand and had no way to shuffle through index cards.
6. Put extra effort into your appearance for the interview. Don’t assume the interview will be audio-only like I did. Mine turned out to be audio and video. Don’t wear anything that might make an unwanted noise during the interview, like bracelets that clink. Just sayin’.
7. Bring an autographed copy of your book as a gift to the interviewer. Bob also used mine as a prop for the video.
8. Arrive early and, if possible, watch the interview in process for tips. I noticed the author interviewed before me kept her eyes on Bob and not the camera. I followed suit.
9. Pray right before you go in. God will grant you peace. I promise.
10. Ensure you’re comfortable once you’re seated. Fidgeting is noisy. If you’re holding a microphone, find a place to prop your elbow so your arm won’t become fatigued.

You’re welcome to watch and listen to my interview. I’m sure you can glean more tips than I shared above. If you’d like to learn more about my case of the jitters before the interview, check out my blog.

Have you ever been interviewed on the radio? If so, do you have any tips for authors?

Jill K Willis is the author of The Demons Among Us, winner of the ACFW Genesis Contest-YA Category in 2020. The first page of that manuscript also won the ACFW SC Chapter’s First Page Novel Contest in 2020. Jill’s a co-founder of the Storyteller Squad blog.