Tips for Podcast Guests

Good preparation is important.

• Review the questions ahead of time, and prepare concise answers.

• Tell good stories.

• Know what you want to read ahead of time, and have the pages marked in your books. (The microphone picks up on the rustling of pages.)

Good conversation is important.

• Be yourself. Have fun. Laugh.

• Engage with Sandy in conversation.

• It's OK to pause.

• Silence is OK and can be edited out.

Good audio is important.

• Silence your cell phone, and turn off any notifications you receive on your computer.

• Don't flip through the pages of a book or shuffle papers while we're recording.

• Don't tap on the desk (or table) or keyboard, or move around in a squeaky chair.

• Don’t eat, chew gum, or drink from an ice-filled glass.

• Avoid sitting where there will be extraneous noise from appliances, people, or pets.

• Connect directly to your router if you know your Internet connection can be wonky.

Podcasts are taped live, but not broadcast live.

• We prefer conversation to be natural and flow easily from beginning to end.

• You don’t need to speak perfectly when in the spotlight.

• If you think you really messed up, we're happy to edit when necessary. If you think you need a re-do, we can do that, too.