Broadcasting on the Internet, A Word About Going on The Air

As I previously said, I started out on radio. I'm comfortable with it. I've done speeches in front of groups and I regularly lead conference calls at work. I'm a bit of a ham, so doing radio isn't intimidating to you.

Before you go on the air, you'll probably want to take some steps to put yourself at ease. The point of the discussion is to personally touch your readers, just as you would at a book signing. Here's some tips:

Remember, radio is a personal medium. Even if you have a large group listening, don't think of it as a large group. Think about speaking to one person. You aren't speaking to a large group, you're speaking to a bunch of individuals in different locations.

The listeners are already favorably disposed toward you. If I take the time to tune in to someone on the Internet, it's because I think it might be interesting or I like the person's work and know I'll be entertained or informed. In other words, when you do this, you're starting with a captive audience.

Get someone to interview you. When you use BlogTalkRadio, it's just you and one other person talking on the phone to each other. If you talk to a caller, then your conversation shifts to the caller. You've had phone conversations with people before, and that's all this is.

Don't worry about noise. We have a dog. When someone rings the doorbell, the dog seems to be worried that we didn't hear it, and feels the need to amplify the announcement that someone's here. At length. If the dog barks, you can hear it on the other side of the phone. Life happens, you aren't in a radio studio, so people will accept a barking dog or screaming kid. They'll probably even identify with it.

Get a headset. Most interviews are going to last half an hour or longer. That seems like a long time, but it goes quickly, once you get absorbed in the discussion. However, it's a long time for your neck if the handset is stuffed between your shoulder and your cheek. Many landlines have headset jacks. If yours doesn't you can buy one that does at Wal-Mart for less than $20. Try it first before you use it for the interview.

Relax and have fun. Sure, have fun, you say, Mr. I-Used-To-Be-On-The-Radio. To go back to a previous point, you're talking to your readers. It's just that instead of getting in a car and driving to your book signing, they're sitting in the comfort of their house. They're relaxed. They're interested. And you're talking one-to-one with them. You just get to do it in your pajamas, if you want.

Next time: Doing the show.