As a book publicist, I’ve booked hundreds, if not thousands, of interviews for authors over the years. Like all book publicists, I have my war stories — you know, the stories about interviews that may seem funny now, but that reduced me to tears at the time.

I really want my clients’ book promotion campaigns to succeed, and when authors make rookie mistakes during interviews, it’s tough for me to see (or hear, read, etc.). So, authors, I’m about to share with you some of this book publicist’s advice about mistakes authors make with interviews — and how to avoid them — to maximize your chances of book promotion success.