If you are reading this then odds are you have been invited to be interviewed on DotNetRadio and you have either accepted or are considering accepting (or you are just passing by)! Cool…I can’t wait to get the ball rolling with you. You should find all the information that you need below to understand the days leading up to the interview as well as the actual interview itself. If you still have questions after reading through this information please feel free to send your questions to podcast@dotnetradio.com.
If you are interested in the DotNetRadio interview schedule take a look at the calendar on Google.
In the days leading up to the interview
Once you have decided to be on the show I will set up a shared folder on google docs for us. In there we can toss any resources that we might need for the show. I will also drop a file in there that will allow us to collaborate on the discussion points for the show. In that doc we can create an outline of all the topics that we intend to discuss and flesh each of those topics out a bit until we are both comfortable with what is there. While we don’t necessarily have to follow this list of talking points they are good to have in case the conversation starts to drift off topic or worse - ceases to exist. We can use the talking points to keep us moving and on track.
Also, in this document there will be a few additional items that I will need you to provide. I prefer to get an introduction from the guest to be sure that I introduce you and promote you appropriately. In the introduction include things such as who you are, where you currently work, what you are interested in, projects you are working on, recently written books, etc. This should serve to tell the audience not only who you are, but also sell them on why they might want to hear you speak for an hour or so.
In addition to that I also need you to provide me with your Skype id, a phone number that I can reach you at in case we have technical issues while interviewing, etc.
How is the show recorded?
I use Skype to call you as this is the easiest way for me to record the interview (currently). The quality of the show is then directly determined by how you receive my call. If I can call you via Skype over a broadband connection on your end then we will both have a strong digital connection. This is the best recording quality. The next best quality is Skype to Skype where you take the call via iPhone (or other supported devices). From there the show starts to sound a bit more like an old school radio show where the DJ sounds really good but the caller sounds like they are talking through a tin can!
What should I expect during the call?
Don’t worry about technical details though. In the end, regardless of sound quality, the deciding factor about if a show is good or not is the quality of the content that is provided. For that reason we will have very distinct roles between us. My job is to keep the show moving in the right direction, to keep it on topic as much as possible, and to keep us from having dead air. Well, don’t worry about that last point to much. If we are doing a straight podcast where it is only you and I on the line then I can trim out the dead air and do a lot of audio correction after the fact (if it is a streaming interview via UStream…that might be a different scenario). Your job then is to tell me everything you know about a given topic. You are either promoting yourself, a project, a technology, a product, or a company. Odds are you are doing a few of these. This is your chance to shine!
What is acceptable while recording?
Feel free to say things that you don't want recorded during the recording. I frequently need to interject something here or there. Or if one of us talks over the other one I might ask that we re-cover the point. For that reason, if you need to take a drink, say something out of context, ask a question, etc. No worries - the recorded podcast will be edited and cleaned up after the fact. Be comfortable!
What should I expect after the interview?
Once the interview is done I have some work ahead of me. I will need to do some post production on the recorded interview to remove any unwanted content, sound effects, etc. I will then post the cleaned up interview where you can get to it so that you can listen to it before anyone else does. If you have any issues with the recording now is your time to express that too me so that I can go in and correct it.
Once the raw interview is accessible to you I will start to piece the rest of the show together around it. This will include the show introduction, your introduction, some advertiser inserts, music, etc. I will then send you a link to the finished show to listen to so that you can make sure that what I have put together is up to your expectations. Then I will post the recording to the DotNetRadio.com site, iTunes, etc.
Is there anything your can do to help?
Performing the worlds greatest interview is much like the old saying “if a tree falls in the woods, and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?” We all know it makes a sound… But the reason that we put this interview together is so that people that are interested in the content can get to it. For that reason I would ask that you promote the interview before it takes place just as much as you would after it is completed. Build a buzz. Use your blog, twitter, facebook, myspace, and any other means to promote your show.
If you have any questions that are not covered here please feel free to send me an email at podcast@dotnetradio.com.
-Andy
