Radio Spots

Currently radio spots are running for Coral Moon on Christian radio stations across the country. The promotion, run by Westar Media Group, includes advertisements as well as taped interviews with me, and book give-aways. Details:

1. Mega weekend: April 13, 14 & 15. Participating radio stations promoted Coral Moon once every hour the entire weekend. Promotion included the radio host mentioning the book and asking listeners to call in to win a free copy, plus a brief clip from me. In the week leading up to the mega weekend, stations promoted the weekend’s events: “Be sure to tune in this weekend to win a chance for a free copy of the latest book, Coral Moon, from bestselling author Brandilyn Collins.” Or something to that effect. As I understand it, sixty-five stations took part in this program. I think all those who participated had five books each to give away.

2. The mega weekend led to this week, 4/16 – 4/25, of paid spots (two 30 second spots running back to back) that are running on seven of the stations four times daily. (I think these are some of the bigger stations.) Each is also doing on-air book giveaways. Most will be doing some additional excerpts from the interviews I taped. The stations are:

WFFH/WFFI (Nashville)
WRVI-FM (Louisville)
KGBI-FM (Omaha)
KXOJ-FM (Tulsa)
WJBZ-FM (Knoxville)
WJQK-FM (Borculo, MI)
KBIQ-FM (Colorado Springs)

I recorded the stuff over the phone, but I haven't heard how it was put together for airing. I answered a bunch of questions for the interview, and each of my answers had to fit with a certain amount of time. I think it was 45 seconds. Which meant I had to write each answer carefully and time myself before the recording. Then, of course, when I'm recording, I'm supposed to sound totally natural, as if I'd never practiced at all. I recorded the 30-second spots, too, but at the last minute they had to be redone by a radio announcer because, over the telephone, I didn't sound clear enough for an advertisement. The interviews worked fine, since listeners are used to hearing people being interviewed over a phone line. The problem with the 30-second spots was not Westar's fault. They had planned to have me record in a local studio. But at the time, with one good leg and crutch-hopping with one arm, I couldn't get around well enough, so we just did it from home.

Anybody heard any of this on the radio? (If you're like me, you're not listening to radio during the work day.) Was it an interview, the two thirty-second spots or what?