How to slay your virtual panel or podcast. Tips from an actor.
The virtual trappings of the pandemic have clearly made their mark. Virtual panels and podcasts are two of the many examples that affect writers.
There are several benefits to online panels and podcasts. Authors from different locations can panel together without the need to travel. The whole event can be recorded for those who miss it. You can put a link up on your website, and you can cut out the good bits and put them on social media if you’re good at that! It gives the authors and the platform more flexibility and lets those who might consume it—librarians, educators, booksellers—catch more events than if they had to fund their own travel to every single conference.
Of course there are downsides. The lack of live audience interaction makes it difficult to guage if you’re hitting the right notes. Authors don’t get the advantage of meeting their panelists beforehand and establishing a connection. When authors are just sitting in their home office, there can be a physical disconnect and the event can sometimes feel like it’s not real.
Like it or not, virtual panels are here to stay. And while authors used to merely have to throw on something nice to make appearances at signings and live events, now everyone needs to learn how to behave in front of a camera.
Most of these tips are geared toward being on screen, however some will translate to live panels and interview situations as well.
Learn what looks good on the screen. General rules from when I was auditioning for commercials: avoid prints (especially geometric, they do weird things on camera and hurt people’s eyes), black (may not be so bad depending on your background, but usually makes you fade away), white (can mess with a camera’s white balance, may not be such a big deal on a webcam, but I personally don’t risk it), and red (bright red just looks weird on camera). The great thing is, we can all film ourselves now. Do a practice Zoom with the same lighting and setting you’re planning for interviews and see how your outfit looks! Some colors you might have thought weren’t that hot in the mirror really pop on camera and vice versa. I had a rotation of blues and mauves that looked great on camera, but not so awesome in real life. Also, avoid your joke shirts or topical Ts. They’re great for conferences (I have three ghost-themed shirts specifically for these events) but they usually get cut off in on camera and very rarely is anyone trying to read them anyway.
For the love of all that’s holy, act like you enjoy listening to the other authors and moderator. Most authors are on the introverted side of the spectrum and are usually just nervous and probably worried about what they’re going to say next. They have no idea what this looks like on the screen. One of the biggest mistakes I see people making on virtual panels (and sometimes real panels) is just staring into the camera like a very bored crazy person waiting for whoever is talking to be done so they can speak. No. Virtual panels in general would be so much better if everyone did their best to engage when they weren’t the one speaking. I know you’re nervous about what’s going to fall out of your mouth. (More on how later.) There are ways to look warm and approachable even when you’re insides are filled with violent butterflies. Something I learned in commercial class: smile at the other actor when they’re slating. I’ll break that down. When you come in for a commercial audition, you are asked to slate. You’ll state your full name for the camera in addition to whatever other details they ask you to provide. Height, willingness to cut hair, role auditioning for, etc. If you’re lucky enough to have a scene partner, they will also be asked to slate. You could just stare straight into the camera like a zombie, or you could look at your partner while they’re talking, and smile as if you like them. It’s natural, it’s what you would do if you were in a conversation with someone, and it makes you appear more open, and like someone people would want to hang out with. If no one else on your panel is doing it, I guarantee you’ll be the one their eye is drawn to, and the one they remember.
“Yes, and” your fellow panelists (and the moderator). The foundation of improv, and arguably all of comedy, is “yes, and.” Do not negate your stage family. So, for instance if someone says, “I have to plot out my books chapter by chapter.” If that’s not how you work, the wrong thing to say would be, “oh, I don’t work that way, this is what I do…” Even if you don’t intend it to come off negative, it shuts down your fellow panelists and can give the impression that you believe your way is better. Instead, you might say, “I am so jealous of people who can plot, I’ve tried to do that and I think it would make some things easier, but I’ve found I need to do a discovery draft first. I love that everyone has different methods!” You are able to insert your opinion without negating the other person. Same goes for your interviewer or moderator. Even if the question is off the wall, try to stay positive and go with the flow. I was once at a terrible panel where one author kept saying things like “Is that a real question?” It was very uncomfortable to watch and made the author look bad. One easy seg for unexpected questions is, “That’s such an interesting question,” then just say something in the neighborhood. Or you can ask for clarification.
Bring your fellow panelists into your spotlight. If you’ve already started “yes, anding” then it won’t be a big step for you to share your spotlight with other authors. (This also works with an interviewer if you’re doing a podcast.) For example, “I love what Lauren said about character, I agree and this is what I do…” If you love something another panelist has said, mention it if you can. It will form a bond between you and the other author, elevate the panel as a whole, and make you look like a generous panelist. Makes readers want your book!
Do a background check. (But don’t stress about it). If you’re going to be on a podcast, try to listen to an episode or two beforehand. You’ll get an idea of what kind of questions are asked and what kinds of guests they usually have. If you scroll back a bit (like I did once) you may even see that someone you know was a guest. Then you can bring up that person during your episode (if appropriate). “I know you’ve interviewed Jim before and I really enjoyed…” You legitimzie the podcast, you legitimize your friend who was on previously, and you look like a smart person who has done some research.
Take some time to familiarize yourself with the platform if possible. Do some prep, ask if the podcast is going to be filmed. Sometimes they aren’t, but if they are, you want to treat this as if it’s a live interview. You have no idea where your career is going after this and this footage will be out there for anyone to find. Represent yourself well. Personally, I dress up for a podcast regardless of if it’s going to be on YouTube or not. Just like throwing on a costume, dressing the part helps me ‘get into character’ whether I’m in a blazer or one of my ghost shirts.
Write things down if you have to. This is one beautiful thing about being behind a computer. Many times you’ll get your questions in advance. Even if you don’t, you can type up points you may want to work in or your book pitch if it’s still new to you. As long as you are looking in the direction of your camera, no one watching will know. You can probably even write it on a piece of paper (there are studies that say handwriting something commits it to memory faster) and hold it out of frame. This is something you can control. Write things down and keep them within easy reach. I sometimes do it even if I don’t end up needing what I’ve written. It’s like a security blanket just to have it there.
Assume that it’s going great, everyone loves it, and never say a word otherwise. One of the worst things you can do during a live podcast or panel is say, “Wow, I’m so boring,” or “This is going terribly isn’t it?” The audience doesn’t know how it’s going. If you’re smiling and engaging and doing your best to respond to the interviewer, it doesn’t matter if you stumble over some words or if you forgot a thing you were going to say. In fact, if you have an experienced host, it’s their job to make it look like you’re amazing and interesting. Don’t undermine their work by telling the audience you’re not having fun. You negate the host’s efforts and in reality, it’s probably not as bad as you think it is. You are always going to be harder on yourself than anyone else would be. Case in point, I sent a link to a short live television interview I did to friends. I told them I bombed it, that I couldn’t believe I had wasted the opportunity, etc. Once they watched it, they told me I had nailed it. A quote, “Okay, I was ready for you to bomb and was going to try to figure out what to say to make you feel better, but this was really good.”
Be chill about technicall issues. They happen. I once did an Instagram live with an author friend for his book release and Instagram dropped us, not once, not twice, not even three, but four times! We eventually gave up and I just posted a screenshot of our interview, but really all we could do was laugh about it and move on. I still did the giveaway, his book still got a little extra promo, our friendship survived, no one died. If you are a guest either on a panel or podcast and glitches are happening, be aware that the host is probably twice as stressed as you are. Be chill, make a joke about it if you can, and hopefully things will even out.
Ignore the viewer count. If you’re on a platform where you can see how many people are tuned in, ignore it. Don’t stress if there are only two people or even no people. Remember, this is going to be recorded. You’ll be able to send out links to your followers and the host will do so as well. A lot of people tune in retroactively, act as if you’ve got an incredible audience!
Fake it til you make it. No matter what, there are going to be some incredibly introverted authors who just hate everything about interviews and being ‘on stage,’ I’m sorry. But it’s not going away. Prepare as best you can and then just fake it. Even if you’re on a podcast, smile. I did some time in radio and you truly can hear the smile in someone’s voice. This is one of the times where ‘grin and bear it’ can be taken literally. Fake like you’re having a great time. Likely no one will know the difference, and eventually, you might start actually enjoying appearances.
Personally, I really enjoy interviews, podcasts, and especially panels, but even with years of acting experience behind me, I was super nervous for my first one. It might take some time to hit your stride and find your author persona, but you’ll get there. Just relax and go with the flow. It’s all supposed to be fun afterall!