My phone rang recently and on the other end was a client telling me that the radio station on which her boss was scheduled to be interviewed had been struck by lightning. The producer informed her that they were not able to record the interview because the “recording board blew up” but that it would be streamed live online.
Murphy’s Law seems to reign freely when it comes to live radio and planning events of any sort. When I begin working with my author clients I ask them to read over material I’ve created about “How to Conduct a Great Radio Interview” and “What to Wear on a TV Interview,” etc. One of the first things I recommend is to be sure to ask radio stations in advance to record upcoming live interviews. These can then be added to the author’s web site and even transcribed to glean new content for speeches, articles or another book.
After being informed that they would not be able to record the interview with Linda Jeschofnig, CEO of Hands-On Labs, Inc., the author’s executive assistant, Joan Buck, immediately started researching how to record live streaming radio from the web to her local PC. “First, I quickly investigated the sound options in the control panel of Windows 7. No luck there. Next to the Internet where I discovered Audio Record Wizard from NowSmart Software Studio. They offer a free download, which was fast and easy.”
“Sadly, the free download only offers 3 minutes of recording time and the scheduled interview now rapidly approaching was to be 10 minutes in length. The Audio Record Wizard program featured a “buy now” button which took me directly to their site and the transaction was processed seamlessly. Their site even issues the license key immediately with the payment confirmation so there’s no need to wait for an email with that information. A quick copy and paste of the license key and I was recording the interview within seconds,” says Buck. “A couple of wayward sounds that entered the recording indicating an email on Outlook had just come in were removed with RealPlayer Trimmer software,” adds Buck.
Bottom line: Going forward, I am adding Audio Record Wizard to my list of items all authors should have on their computers. What a wonderful gift that bolt of lightning provided! We recommend this valuable tool is used on all live radio interviews that offer streaming audio on the web.
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC Nightly News, The New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Family Circle, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few. Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at www.book-marketing-expert.com or contact Lorenz at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 734-667-2090. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist.
