So, as I mentioned in a previous post, I’m helping a producer to help make a self-publishing series on local access TV. Well, tonight, I sat in as the interviewee (ie, guinea pig) to audition potential show hosts. My job was simply to sit off camera and answer their questions. Their job was to throw questions out and look like an attentive show host. Some of them made my job easy. Others, not so much.

To be honest, I’m not sure how the candidates were vetted. And, it was clear that some were a) more prepared than others and b) had a clue about being a show host. Others seemed like they thought, “Yeah! Host a TV show! Piece of cake!” It was quite an experience. I didn’t have the questions ahead of time, so I just had to answer off the cuff. Some questions were presented better than others. Some questions I was able to answer with more confidence than others. The worst had to be the potential host who started the interview with, “So, what can you tell me about self publishing?” Seriously?! We’ve got 7 minutes! I could fill an entire hour talking about self publishing (easily!). That’s like asking a scientist to tell you about science. Let’s get a bit more granular. Let’s just say, he didn’t make my final cut (though I have nothing to do with the choice). 😉

After going through the process, I became very aware of just how often I say “uh” and “umm.” Gotta work on that. I also have a little more appreciation for folks who do guest interviewing. It’s not an easy process. You’re essentially trying to have an entertaining guided conversation with someone in an effort to teach the viewers something about the subject and the person. There was a distinct difference between the hosts who were absorbing what I was saying and utilizing that info to lead their next question (as you would in a conversation) and those who spent the time when I was talking focusing on what they wanted to say or ask next.

A few other random details… the show will be 10 episodes long, with each episode containing 3 seven minute interviews. That’s 30 self-published authors! The show will start filming in August and the first episode will appear in September. For those of you lucky enough to live within shouting distance of Princeton, NJ, you’ll be able to watch the series on Princeton Community TV. The not-so-lucky will just have to wait until I post the YouTube channel links. I’m really looking forward to seeing the end result. I think with that many authors, this might be a great resource for those looking to self publish. The more perspectives the better! Stay tuned! 🙂