'I Have A Question. No, Wait. I Have All The Questions.'

"No, wait. I have all the questions" is one of my favorite lines from the Toy Story movies.

It's time for tough love from a journalist. The number one marketing tool for an agency owner is a book; the number one business development strategy is talking about the book.

Conservatively, I guesstimate that 100 times more people will be impacted by hearing about your book than actually reading your book.

Since I was a teenager I have been paid to write for newspapers and magazines.

I love asking people questions. And I hate how unprepared they are.

In the last decade, I have edited and published more than 170 business books.

I am sad to report the majority of authors were woefully unprepared to talk about their books. They think they are better than they are, so they just wing it.

When you had a tremendously important job or new client interview, did you just wing it? Or did you write down the anticipated questions and then rehearse your answers?

Recently, I invited an author to be my guest at my $365 Book Kickoff class to practice answering seven questions that journalists and podcasters are going to ask her.

She declined, saying she didn’t need the practice. Oy.

Do you want to know the types of questions a journalist will ask? The California Business Journal hired me to interview an author this month.

I interviewed Ron Wayne, the original “seed” partner at Apple, who once owned 10% of the company and sold it for $2,300.? As of November 2024, Apple has a market cap of $3.377 Trillion USD.

This makes Apple the world's 2nd most valuable company by market cap. It was the worst deal since Jack sold the family cow for some magic beans. Or was it.

(During the interview, Ron revealed what really went down in Apple town back in 1976.)

Most journalists don’t do this, but I am gave him the questions in advance. To quote Glinda from Wicked, “That’s what makes me so nice.”

Here are the questions I asked him to help you prepare for your next podcast, broadcast or print interview:

1.?????? Who is your new book Tomorrow’s Money written for?

2.?????? Why did you write the book?

3.?????? What is the main message of the book Tomorrow’s Money?

4.?????? What type of information does the book contain? If you had to choose one, is it new information, more information, better information, or different information on the subject?

5. Looking back on selling your stake in Apple for $2,300, today, why would you say you did that?

6.?????? Was it because both Jobs and Wozniak were young and broke, and you had assets, including a house, and feared that the financial burden would fall on you if Apple couldn’t pay debts? [On lawyer shows, this is called leading the witness.]

7.?????? What is the biggest concern facing future currency challenges and opportunities in the commodities marketplace?

8.?????? Describe Ron Wayne is one or two words. (He said, "Will of the wisp.")

9.?????? What do you mean by “future-proofing wealth for the next generation”?

10.? What did you learn during your years at Atari?

11.? Why did you, in 1956, at the age of 22, decide to move to California?

Blatant commercial and gift invitation. If you have read this far, I have a gift. If you want to be my guest at my December 4, 2024, Book Kickoff class to workshop your answers to the seven questions every nonfiction author must know the answers to, please email me at [email protected].

I will scholarship you the $365. I don’t have to, but that’s what makes me so nice.

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