Author Hack: Interview Yourself via Video

___

BONUS FREEBIE: I have a resource for you that will help you prepare to talk with media and audiences. It’s the 10 Questions Every Author Needs to Answer. You can grab the fiction and nonfiction lists here.

___

Interviewing yourself on camera is a hack for authors and experts that I recommend to clients all the time — because I do it myself! When it comes to sharing your expertise, self-interviewing can be a game changer. It’s one of the most efficient and effective ways to get your message out clearly and on your own terms.

Why is it a good idea?

Interviewing yourself puts you in the driver’s seat. No more worrying about scheduling conflicts, no-shows, or being misquoted. You get to deliver exactly the sound bites you want out in the world.

You’ll save time and scheduling stress by avoiding the back-and-forth with producers and journalists. And recording your own video means you can easily re-use your content in different contexts. Your video or transcript can be used in articles, blogs, and social media posts.

Being able to interview yourself is a skill that can earn you points with the media. Let’s say a journalist doesn’t show up. That happened to me when I was supposed to be interviewed about using HIIT-esque strategies to boost productivity. 

Instead of losing the opportunity, I recorded myself answering the interview questions. Those quotes made it into the piece — and the video was used too. 

Yep! I had no idea that they would broadcast that video I sent them as a segment on Yahoo Canada! That wasn’t even where the initial interview was published. 

Lesson learned — always assume your video content could go live. Even if your self-interview is intended for a text article, it might end up on video platforms, to make sure you’re comfortable with that possibility.

In another instance, a book author asked me for responses to a set of questions. I recorded a video instead, delivering my talking points using the Accordion Method. 

Her response? “I wish all my interviewees did this.”

As an author or expert, having the skills and confidence to interview yourself can come in handy in so many situations. It’s a great tool to have in your media-readiness toolbox. 

___

__

Interview yourself like a pro.

Ready to give it a try? Here’s how: 

1. Write out your talking points. You have to go into your video recording session with a clear idea of what you want to say. You can check out my guide to creating talking points here for more tips. 
2. Record your answers on video or audio. You want to look and sound professional, so it’s important to put some thought into creating a functional set-up. I have lots of tips for creating an at-home studio here. 
3. Use a transcription tool like Fathom. I’m a big fan of Fathom — it takes your video or voice recording and turns it into accurate transcription and summaries using AI. I use it for brainstorming and note-taking too. 
4. Edit your answers. Tweak your transcript or video clips as needed to match the tone and length required.
5. Assume the video might be shared. Review your video before you send it off! You can always go back and re-record if you need to. 
6. Ask for permission from the journalist or producer before publishing or repurposing your self-interview. Since you’re recording the video for them first, you will want to be sure that you hold off on publishing it until they do. Also – make sure to make the video generic enough that it can be repurposed as needed. So don’t use their name or address them personally. 

I predict that we’ll see more and more authors and experts interviewing themselves. When journalists see how easy you make their job, you’ll jump to the top of their contact list. So here’s your permission to flip the script and start interviewing yourself! 

___

BONUS FREEBIE: Your message deserves the media’s attention. So how do you get out there in a bigger way? I’ve got you covered. CLICK HERE to grab my free “Checklist to Become a Go-To Media Expert.”

___