The following is a short article written by Eileen Parker, who teaches authors how to perform their best in a media interview. For more about her services, see http://www.authormediatraining.com.
During a media interview, a rock-solid posture is a no-no. It restricts your breathing so you sound tense and weak, even tinny. Put all your weight on your legs and hips to relax and open up your body to a confident-sounding voice (even if you are not feeling that way). Here is how:
Your Weak Voice
Sit in your chair and assume a solid posture then lean back a little. Talk about your book as if you are in a media interview. How do you sound?
Your Strong Voice
Scoot forward in your chair so the bottom of your bottom is at the chair’s edge. Put your feet on the floor hip-distance apart. Lean forward slightly so the back of your bottom lifts a little. Your hip and leg muscles will tighten slightly. Talk about your book again. Now how do you sound?
Your Strong and Relaxed Voice
Now that you have the weight of your body on your legs and hips, loosen everything above it. Keep your back straight, but not tight. Starting with the top of your head relax your upper body while imagining it as going down an elevator. Relax your throat and jaw, your shoulders go down, and your chest and stomach relax. Feel the tension flowing down out of your upper body into your hips and legs. Talk about your book. How do you sound?
Relaxed Mind
If your brain were a muscle, I would tell you to relax that too. But, this upper body relaxing does relax the brain. Tension begets tension, but relaxation also begets relaxation. Relaxation results in greater confidence, or at least sounding that way. Sounding confident makes you feel more confident. Now, talk about your book confidently.
