To the Media
Why Talk Big Gets Attention
We’re living in a time where there are more celebrities than ever before. It’s not even close. This includes online influencers, reality stars, social media stars, even my dentist bills himself as a “celebrity” dentist. One common denominator is that all of these celebrities get interviewed; often hundreds of times.
Yet there was no book to work on this skill. Oh sure you can go back to the 70’s and find a book or two on interviewing, but that was mostly for print journalism and those books are glaringly out of date. As an example, currently there are over 750,000 podcasts being aired, and most feature interviews. Talk Big, How to Interview Celebrities and Make Them Love You, is the quintessential book for interviewers of all platforms to learn how to do it right.
Excellence in Interviewing
The goal is to give a technique and to avoid “winging it” where a celebrity grants an interview and there is zero preparation and the interaction falls flat, or worse, is a disaster. Talk Big introduces the three C’s (comfort, connect, and compel) as the building blocks to a powerful and memorable interview. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg as the book goes into detail on how to book guests, how to prepare, and how to avoid common pitfalls that sabotage interviews.
Clear and Concrete Instruction
Talk Big is not theoretical. It’s a nuts and bolts approach to consistently getting the best out of every interview. I give “in the field” examples from over 17 years of interviewing hundreds of celebrities.
Engaging Style
The book is a fun and easy to read. The anecdotes are humorous and keeps readers entertained…and reading.
See “News Pegs”
The subject of interviewing has many topical angles, which are relevant to your readers/listeners/viewers. Visit the “News Peg’ link to explore ways to maximize this current subject.
Thank you for exploring my site. It’s been created to be a valuable resource for your readers, listeners and viewers. In this section, you’ll find the tools necessary to make your work easier. Let me know if you need anything else.
John Kerwin
john@johnkerwin.com
Book Cover Art
Author Photos
FAQ
“Talk Big” Answers to FAQs!
We recently caught up with John Kerwin, author of Talk Big: How to Interview Celebrities and Make Them Love You. This new book finally gives new and traditional media broadcasters the tools necessary to create amazing interviews, whether for Podcasts, TV/Radio, YouTube, red carpet, print, panel discussions, or anywhere else stars are interviewed. Not to mention the techniques work if you want to connect with a celebrity you see at a party, your boss, or even someone you want to date. We chatted about how you can turn average, run of the mill interviews into ones that will blow people away.
How do you make an interview great?
Well the three C’s will get you there: comfort, connect, and compel. By that I mean you must make the guest comfortable, connect with them and have a conversation that is compelling. When a guest is relaxed and feels a rapport with you, they will be inclined to open up and give you an incredible interview.
Is being a strong celebrity interviewer something that you’re born with?
No, it’s learned. We’ve all connected with people in our lives. It may have been on a date, a job interview, or maybe at a bus stop. They felt a connection with you and were excited to tell you about their lives, the highs and the lows, and it was exhilarating. Celebrity interviewing is learning to do just that, except consistently and in pressure situations, like during a podcast.
What’s one way that you can connect with a celebrity?
Find, what I call, their spark. That’s the thing that they are most passionate about. It may be their new baby, a charity they’re involved with, or even golf. When you find their spark and they are able to express that to you, they will instantly feel connected. I once interviewed a TV star that didn’t really want to be interviewed. Then I noticed his tie clip had a little airplane on it. I said, “Do you like to fly?” He lit up like a Christmas tree and said, “Being in the air is when I’m the most free. It’s like I’m at one with God.” After discussing planes, he suddenly loved being interviewed. I found his spark.
What about interviewers who just want to wing it?
They may get lucky once or twice, but to consistently conduct excellent interviews, you need to prepare. And you should enjoy that process. Become a mini-expert on their lives and write good questions. You also have to listen and ask strong follow-up questions. Very often the follow up questions will come directly from you knowing all about their life and career.
How do you book a celebrity to interview if you don’t have connections?
You can start small with local celebrities and micro-influencers. Many will be eager to be interviewed, even by a newcomer. Most cities also have celebrity autograph shows, where you can meet tons of celebrities. In Talk Big I show the steps to writing an effective letter or email. That’s another effective route to booking stars. As you become more confident, you’ll find yourself reaching out to bigger and bigger celebrities.
What’s a common pitfall interviewers should avoid?
Your guest is often plugging a movie, book or TV show. Not seeing or reading their project is one way to make that guest hate you. And it’s often the first question they’ll ask. Did you see the movie my agent sent over? If you say, “No”, it’s going to be an uphill battle to create any kind of connection with that person. Far too many interviewers are guilty of this.
How can you practice interviewing without the pressure of being on a podcast or a TV show?
Well if you have a job in customer service, sales or dealing with the general public, you can practice by doing quick interviews. You can take a microphone and talk with people at the park or on a college campus, even online. Luckily people are everywhere. Once you learn the techniques, the same principles will apply whether talking with people at your job or talking with celebrities on television.
What types of celebrities should you interview?
Celebrities that interest you. I’ve interviewed TV stars, movie stars, musicians, sports stars, and more. I did a children’s talk show where I interviewed kid stars from Disney and Nickelodeon shows. You may want to focus on YouTube stars or MMA stars. But when starting out, I recommend interviewing everybody. Find out what works best for you, as you develop your skills.
How else can you improve as an interviewer?
Read Talk Big. Seriously. Also, get a mentor. Someone who knows what they’re doing and can look at your work and evaluate it. A mentor who can expertly answer your questions and guide you. My mentor was Garry Shandling. Having a mentor is an invaluable way to get better and better.
www.johnkerwin.com
News Pegs
Possible “news pegs” for Talk Big
To make your job as a journalist, book reviewer or radio host even easier, consider some of the following “news pegs” for this subject:
SECRETS TO INTERVIEWING CELEBRITIES: This topic speaks to all celebrity interviewers, whether for podcasts, TV, Radio, News, Sports or YouTube who want to crush it when interviewing stars. Here is a proven way to go beyond the ordinary to create electrifying interviews. Many people think, “I can get my friends to reveal things, I can do this!” Unfortunately that’s not the case. There are various techniques involved (including the Three C’s) and along with the right preparation, an interview can be taken from being a disconnected nightmare to a work of the highest art.
CONNECT WITH THE CELEBRITIES IN YOUR DAILY LIFE: Whether it’s talking with the CEO at your job or trying to connect with the object of your affection, the rules of celebrity interviewing apply to people’s day to day lives. How to build comfort and rapport to make that special person want to be around you, again and again. This includes parties, weddings, business meetings and special events.
ANALYSES OF HEADLINING CELEBRITY INTERVIEWS: Expert analysis for viewers and readers who want to understand the inner workings of a current media mega-interview. Past examples include: what made R Kelly scream during his interview with Gayle King? Or how did Bob Woodward get President Trump to talk candidly “on the record.” Viewers will be engaged and entertained to learn the tricks of the trade and what gets even the most protective of public figures to open up and reveal themselves.
HOW TO CONTACT A CELEBRITY: Now more than ever, people dream of meeting, working with, befriending or even marrying a certain celebrity or influencer. But how can they make that happen? The truth is, celebrities can be reached and there are countless examples of regular people connecting with stars. Viewers will be awestruck when they learn that anyone can do this, as they are given real life examples and an action plan.
Info Central
And don’t forget the section you just came from, “Media Resources” – offering a ton of useful tools to help you put together an article, blurb, mention, or interview: Author pix, book cover art, press releases, FAQs, sample chapter, tables of contents, cut ‘n paste promo blurbs, author bio, sample radio interview, and much more…
Book Synopsis
Talk Big:
How to Interview Celebrities and Make Them Love You!
Book Synopsis
How to Interview Celebrities and Make Them Love You!
Talk Big is a step-by-step how-to guide to help people successfully interview celebrities. It’s based on my seventeen years of experience interviewing stars on television, in print and on the red carpet.
Talking professionally with famous people is something novice interviewers believe that they can do, as if they were talking with their friends. They soon learn, it’s not. This is an art form and without proper guidance, those interviews will, at best, fall flat and at worst, be a catastrophe. Talk Big is the definitive guide on this topic, which will help interviewers avoid pitfalls and allow them to interview at their highest level.
I’ve been successful largely because of my commitment to creating superior interviews and from my experience talking with hundreds of celebrities. I share the “how-to” details with entertaining stories to illustrate all the points the reader will need to create powerful connections. With Talk Big, I help to raise the bar on celebrity interviewing so that thousands of interviews on podcasts, TV, radio, print and the red carpet move from being bland to being sensational.
Comprehensive Scope
Far more than just a book about the interviewing process, Talk Big also features an entire chapter (Four) on how to get the interview, allowing the budding interviewer to begin a career, step by step. There’s also a chapter dissecting the various types of interviews (Three) so that the reader can discover what is best for them. I also include notes from my mentor, Garry Shandling, who answered countless questions that I had on the subject. There are two appendices, including an interview checklist and a transcript of my interview with David Carradine (Kung Fu, Kill Bill) complemented by notes giving the reader an understanding of what I was thinking during that interview and how I was able to adapt and problem solve to make it successful. The following are some techniques that Talk Big covers to help readers produce the strongest interviews possible.
- The 3 C’s: Comfort, Connect, Compel. How to make a celebrity comfortable, before, during and after you interview them. Techniques on how to connect with them and find the celebrity’s “spark.” Then, ways to make your interviews compelling.
- Getting the interview. Where to go to find celebrities; how to contact them, ways to make them want you to interview them. Creative methods to land an interview with any celebrity. Also, includes letter writing techniques and how, when done correctly, show the reader how to attract even the most elusive celebrities.
- Preparing for the interview. The book tackles how to professionally study the celebrities work, write questions and go into the interview with confidence.
- Conducting the interview. A smorgasbord of situations and practical suggestions on making every interview their best.
- Making your interviews extraordinary. Talk Big will propel even the most experienced interviewer to a greater level. They will learn how to get a celebrity to open up, while creating a desire in them to make your interview exceptional.
- Personal, Engaging Writing Style (making learning a blast!)
Talk Big Press Release
Blurbs
Just “cut ‘n paste” one of these ready-to-go blurbs into your web or print publication. Feel free to edit as needed!
Attn: Podcasters! Want to interview celebrities or take your current interviews to the next level? John Kerwin, author of, Talk Big: How to Interview Celebrities and Make Them Love You! has just released the book for you. Buyers who purchase the book through his site (www.johnkerwin.com) get both FREE shipping and a FREE expanded interview checklist bonus.
Love interviewing celebrities but want to take your skills to the next level? John Kerwin, author of, Talk Big: How to Interview Celebrities and Make Them Love You! can help you do just that. Buyers who purchase his book through his site (www.johnkerwin.com) get free shipping and a bonus expanded interview checklist. Check it out!
Dream about interviewing celebrities? John Kerwin, author of, Talk Big: How to Interview Celebrities and Make Them Love You! has just released the book for you. Buyers who purchase the book through his site (www.johnkerwin.com) get both FREE shipping and a FREE expanded interview checklist bonus.
Want to powerfully connect with the object of your affection, your boss or your customers? John Kerwin, author of, Talk Big: How to Interview Celebrities and Make Them Love You! has written the perfect book for you. The same principles that work magic when interviewing stars can work for connecting with the celebrities in your life. Buyers who purchase the book through his site (www.johnkerwin.com) get both FREE shipping and a FREE expanded interview checklist bonus.
Attn: Celebrity Interviewers! Want to skyrocket your TV, Radio, Print, Podcast, Red Carpet, or Panel interviews to the next level? John Kerwin, author of, Talk Big: How to Interview Celebrities and Make Them Love You! has just released the book for you. Buyers who purchase the book through his site (www.johnkerwin.com) get both FREE shipping and a FREE expanded interview checklist bonus.