‘I Want You to Be on NPR’

How to hurry up, get ready and be a great media guest. For authors who want to get their book out into the world.

Photo by Israel Palacio/Unsplash

“I want you to be on NPR,” I said recently to two book clients.

I could hear the brilliance in their writing. I could hear it in our zoom conferences when we talked about what kind of conversations they wanted to have with readers.

Often, when I polish the final manuscript, I will highlight media talking points, places where the message is crisp and clear—sound-biteable!

In this paid post, I’ll drop my wisdom from 30+ years in media as a senior editor and longtime consultant. I’ve been on the other side of the media pitch, the side where someone is desperately hoping I’ll catch it and assign it to a writer.

For three decades, I have had a lot of practice in knowing when something lands with me—if it’s original and suits my needs, you’re in. If I see immediately how you stand out, you’re in. The vast majority of pitches don’t land. Too often, you have only one shot at an editor.

I became professionally good at saying no. In this series of posts on media mastery, I’ll tell you how you can get me to say yes. Today, we’ll focus on preparing for an interview.

At the 2025 Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference in LA, I hit the media mastery panels hard—that’s because I have a book to promote {BOUNDLESS} and my author clients who have just signed publishing deals have books to promote.

#1 Elevate your pitch

Much is made of having the elevator pitch so you can get an agent.

You also need the elevator pitch so you can earn media appearances. (It’s actually called “earned media” in the publicity world, and I’m here to give you tips about how to “earn” it.)

The elevator pitch is everything. It’s the beginning, middle and end of writing, publishing and promoting a book.

In the beginning, it’s a focusing device.

In the middle, it’s the key that unlocks the door to publication.

And in the end, when there is a book and there are readers, and you get to talk about it.

There it is, its super-concise, super-compelling self, inviting “come one, come all” to your table.

#2 Mine your book proposal

To get a book deal for a nonfiction book, you need a book proposal. That book proposal is a mother lode of media-ready talking points. Your elevator is right there.

(Book proposals are my bread-and-butter as a book coach—they are the hardest thing you’ll ever write, and I help author clients deliver gold standard book proposals. To find out more about this, schedule a free Find Out More! Zoom session with me https://calendly.com/carolyn-777/30min-free-find-out-more

Also consider becoming a paid subscriber so you can get all of my practical tips about book proposals.)

Your elevator pitch should appear as a crisp, compelling and concise paragraph in your book proposal by the third paragraph. This paragraph has your hook—that irresistible line that is a clear, instant recognition of what your book is and why we need it now.

All of that, in two or three sentences. The elevator pitch should pack a punch.

But the other questions you answer in your book proposal are ripe for media talking points, such as, “Who is this book for?” or “Why this book now?”

To prepare for your media interview, pull out your elevator pitch and media talking points, print them out in big type, stick them on your mirror and…

#3 Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking you need to be on an elevator to deliver your pitch.

You’ll be asked in random places by random people, “What is your book about?”

Don’t tell yourself, but this is not an agent. This is not an NPR radio show host. This person probably doesn’t even read books like my book.

If someone asks, you just got an opportunity to rehearse.

Remember, you are writing for the public. A member of the public showed up and asked.

You don’t know what they’re interested in. And neither do they until they hear your pitch, and suddenly they just heard something so original, surprising and delighting that they are interested!

So, roll out that elevator pitch early and often. Test it in a thousand ways with a thousand different people—your barista, your hair stylist, your mechanic, your librarian, your cousin.

Listen to how smoothly and confidently you say it. If you stumble over words, it may not be simple enough.

Notice how the listener responds. A knowing nod. A brightening of interest. (Even if it’s not their thing.) These are signs you’re on the right track.

My elevator pitch for BOUNDLESS, which published in December 2024:

What if the road to nowhere goes everywhere?

#4 Figure Out the Three Slices of You

One mistake authors make when promoting their book is to only hit book media.