Sell your Message; Sell your Book; Sell Yourself

I've been doing book publicity for a number of years now, and my clients can attest to the fact that I insist upon media training for each book that is released.

There are several reasons for this.

1. Each book is its own entity with its own key messages. You must take the time to be able to deliver these key messages in an informative and often entertaining way. This doesn't come naturally to most. Training will help you become more effective and engaging.

2. Confidence. The time to learn how to deliver your message is not while you are on the air. The time to learn this and figure it out is before you interview with a host, journalist, or blogger. Knowing how to handle any situation thrown at you will give you great confidence in your message and your abilities.

3. It can take a long time to build your brand, and you can blow it in seconds. Don't let that happen to you.

4. Ask yourself, "What subject am I most worried about being asked about during an interview?" That is the place to begin. Train until you are so good at answering this question that you actually hope each interviewer will ask you that. Then you are ready.

Being able to communicate your messages in a powerful, pursuasive way does not come naturally. It is a learned skill, and that's the good news. You can learn it.

So take the time to consult with your publicist, publisher, or media trainer about how you can be more effective and ultimately sell more books.

Have you been media trained? What was the best tip you got during your training?