Has Anyone Ever Told You…

I had the distinct honor of being a guest on an internet radio show this week called Lydia’s Literary Lowdown.  The host, Lydia Aswolf, is also a writer and avid reader and I’m very grateful  for the opportunity to guest on this show as an up and coming author. I feel privileged as Lydia’s first children’s book author on the show.

I have to admit I have never done a live interview, not even for five minutes. At least not one where I wasn’t behind a camera asking the questions.  I will also admit that I was more than a little nervous. An entire hour talking about myself? Oh my.

For those of you that are ever asked to interview about yourself, your work, or an event,  I’ve listed a few tips to help you prepare:

1. Get a feel for the host and his or her style. If you are  scheduled for a future date, make sure you listen to or watch the show on which you are a guest.  This helps you understand what kinds of questions your host asks, how much you should prepare to talk and what the listeners are interested in.
2. Ask yourself and answer the questions you would like to know- about yourself, or the topic, event, or situation you are going to talk about.   Then type out the answers.  This helps in getting focused ahead of time as well as staying  focused during the interview.
3. Be yourself.  You might be a professional ‘whatever’ or part of some very specific event you plan to discuss.  You are the guest and people are listening to YOU. Concentrate on being meaningful, rather than just impressive. If you come across as being anything other than sincere and real, people will know it and be turned off by it.
4. Have good and memorable knowledge to share.  While people may like you for you(see #3), they are also taking 5 minutes, a half hour or an hour of their life to listen to you. As a guest, you owe it to them to do your homework and have valuable information or insight.
5. Take a breath, relax,and have water nearby. Be clear when you speak, so listeners can easily hear you.
6. I share interviews I’ve done for Pittsburgh On Video and I always set up what I’d like to know about the person I am interviewing before the camera starts rolling. If you are given the chance to talk through an impromptu interview, it is absolutely fine to take a minute to compose yourself and think through what message or story you want to share.  Then, take a breath and relax.

To listen to my interview with Lydia you can find it on blogtalkradio.com dated for 2.22.11 under Lydia’s Literary Lowdown.  Click here to go straight to the interview. I sincerely thank Lydia for sharing my story.

Having now reviewed my interview, I have a few tips of what NOT to do.

1. Don’t talk just to fill up space. It is the hosts job to help get your information out and they will if you let them.  If you talk to fill the void, you may end up babbling about why your name is your name and other really irrelevant information.
2. Don’t answer a question without thinking of your main point. If you start answering without knowing where you intend to stop, the audience might not follow any round about discussions that happen in between the message.  A slight hesitation is acceptable before answering, in my opinion, as you clear your head.
3. Don’t get off-task with trivialities.  The audience wants valid, credible information- not what you did before breakfast,  etc. Some anecdotal glimpses into your life are appropriate for some interview topics, but they can be overdone if you aren’t careful.
4. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification before answering. Concentrate on the questions you are asked and try to answer each one. If you don’t understand or are unclear, ask the host to explain the question or further identify what he or she is asking you to address. Listeners are following the hosts line of thinking.
5. Don’t fixate on the things you forgot to mention or didn’t have time to share. Maybe next time.  If it’s that important, you can always post it in a blog or share it in other venues later.
6. Don’t worry if you make a mistake. We’re all human and I’ll bet listeners don’t mind it if you aren’t completely perfect. It’s the story that’s important. If you tell a good one, a few snags in the delivery won’t matter.

Do you have any suggestions for doing an interview?  Comments are welcomed and appreciated.

Life is like an eternal interview. If you read the highlighted suggestions again, they apply to more than just our interview skills.

Simply Put- An interview is just a conversation between two people that is being shared with others.

Addendum: 2/27/11. For clarification and correction from the interview. Past invitations as a Music Therapist to be a guest speaker/presenter were for UMWA Funds for several events, not for the UMWA Union itself.  The articles and poem(written for my grandfather who was a coal miner) that have been submitted for consideration are for publication in a quarterly newsletter that is part of the Bereavement initiative. The program is still in development.

Toonseum- A Blogger’s Paradise; A Fan’s Delight

Joe Wos greets the digital media crowd at Toonseum Media Preview

Toonseum, a museum dedicated to the art of cartooning and based in Pittsburgh, PA hosted a media event, Bloggers Blast and Media Preview Night on Friday February 4, 2011.  Throughout the course of the evening,  Executive Director, Joe Wos,  once again proved himself  a forward thinker.

By acknowledging the bloggers, podcasters, tweeters and other media types and creating a specific event for such, he has recognized the non-print trend in current marketing culture. With his informational, yet genuine approach Wos reached out to those who utilize these means as a way to let people know about what the Toonseum has to offer.

“What you (as a digital media community) do is so important and can make such a difference to small organizations like ours. We continue to grow because of all the individual voices out there.” Wos also described to those in attendance at the event that the unique fan-based way they run the museum is “dependent on those that love the museum and spread the word about it.”

It is easy to see why Toonseum attracts followers when Wos reveals the upcoming events and technological applications.

Upcoming exhibits include a Charlie the Tuna exhibit in February, Brenda Starr, the first comic strip by a female in March, Overture: Behind the Scenes of Looney Tunes in September, SuperHeroes: Icons and Origins beginning in May, 40 years of Ziggy in August, and One Fine Sunday in the Funny Pages in December.

In addition to the exhibits and displays, the planning at the Toonseum provides for many experiential opportunities. Fans have enjoyed an evening with Carroll Spinney and a family friendly puppet making workshop with Noel MacNeal (“Between the Lions” and “Oobi”).  For it’s Valentine’s Day package, Toonseum has partnered with Church Brew Works  to give couples an evening of beer tasting with a drawing workshop. It is so popular that a second date had to be added.

“We are trying to be always on an innovative and cutting edge for such a small museum,” says Wos during his greeting.

The cutting edge is exemplified in the fact that The Toonseum is the only museum in Pittsburgh to have an iPhone app.  An Android app will soon be available. These allow visitors to use a bar code to access videos and other linked information about what you are viewing around the museum.

Joe Wos and Doug Bradley (Pinhead)

Highlights of the Media event include a visit from Doug Bradley, most notably known as Pinhead in the Hellraiser movies.  His announcement that he is soon moving to Pittsburgh was well received by those in attendance. Should we be afraid?

In his best demonic voice Bradley repeats one of his famous lines, “We have such sites to show you.”  For Pittsburgh residents and its visitors, Bradley, in 2012, will be curating  what will surely be a spectacular site at Toonseum, Doug Bradley Presents: Things That Go Bump in the Night.

There is something special about the Toonseum.  The exhibits that are presented and the events that are held are a huge part of it. There’s more to it than that. To be around Joe Wos and his staff, you can feel the passion and honesty, ambition and motivation, intelligence and creativity.  Most of all you can feel the fun.  It’s like fun with purpose.  The dedication to the art form he loves and his willingness to reach out to media, fans, collaborators and other non-profit organizations is sure to endear him and the museum to the hearts of the people who meet and talk with him.

Joe Wos describes the function, focus and future of his museum:

If you have not yet visited Toonseum, you are missing out on what Doug Bradley states is “…a jewel in the crown of Pittsburgh.”  You are also missing out on history, art and a very enjoyable experience.

In posts about the upcoming exhibits 2 free passes will be given away on 4 separate occasions(8 passes total this year), all compliments of Toonseum.

Simply Put- The Toonseum is a Blogger’s Paradise and a fan’s delight.