Would you like to be a guest on a QAQN show?
First, get an invite! If you think you’d be a great guest, use the handy contact form to let me know. I cannot guarantee that I will send an invite, however. Let’s face it, if I promised to invite every single person who sent a request, I’d be opening myself up for some really tough times (“Hi, this is John from LegalizeHeroin.com, and I want to be a guest so I can promote my cause of legalizing heroin. Also, I like to eat babies.” Yeah… um… no.) I can promise that I’ll consider every request.
Second, prepare. Here’s the bullet list:
- Your invitation email will contain information about Skype, and you’ll need to download and install it if you haven’t already. Skype is the preferred method for guests. It’s preferred because it’s consistent (well, consistent enough) and it almost always sounds better than calling in via a standard phone line. If you need to call in on the phone, just let me know and I’ll give you a direct number to dial, no problem.
- Please use a headset or a proper microphone/headphone combination. I want you to sound great! There is only so much I can do to improve poorly recorded audio, and few things sound worse on a podcast than recording into your laptop’s built-in microphone. It doesn’t have to be anything super-fancy… $25 or less at Walmart can get you a decent headset.
- Shut down all unnecessary programs when we record. You’d be surprised how much better your audio will be when you give more processing power to Skype. Even seemingly innocuous programs (I’m lookin’ at you, TweetDeck) can take up a huge portion of your CPU cycles. A taxed processor leads to glitches in your Skype audio.
- Have a drink nearby. Feel free to use it. Getting thirsty in the middle of a recording will make you very uncomfortable, and you don’t want to be distracted.
- Speaking of comfort, make sure you’re in a good chair or on a good couch. Make sure you’re seated comfortably. Again, minimizing your distractions.
- Please try to eliminate background noise. That means noisy ceiling fans, televisions, radios, dishwashers – anything that’s in the background that your mic might pick up. The listeners want to hear you, not what’s on your TV!
- If you’re not accustomed to giving interviews or guesting on a show, nerves might be an issue for you. Just relax. Take deep breaths and be yourself. It’s just a conversation.
- Lastly, if you trip up or the show derails, just remember that we’re not live. The shows can be edited. Of course, it’s preferable to nail it the first time, but if there are bits in need of serious editing, it will be done.
If you have any questions or any concerns whatsoever, please ask before we begin recording. I’m available via email prior to the call and when we connect via voice, I’ll ask if you have anything you’d like to talk about before we start. Don’t be shy, I don’t bite.
