How to Talk About Your Book on Camera (Without Hating Yourself)
Media coach Kim Rittberg on overcoming camera anxiety, preparing stronger sound bites, and speaking with confidence without sounding scripted
I dread being on camera. It’s hardly a shocking confession: most writers I know find the experience awkward and embarrassing. And yet, like it or not, being in front of a camera is pretty much unavoidable these days. Whether it’s podcasts, Substack Lives, virtual events, social media, or (rare, but it happens) TV appearances, a basic degree of on-camera skill has become essential for authors.
Unfortunately, most of us were never actually taught how to do it well. Case in point: the last Instagram video I shot took me 22 takes, and when I watched the final version, I ran out of the room clawing at my eyes like Oedipus.
So when the chance came up to interview Kim Rittberg, an award-winning video expert, media coach, and former executive producer at Netflix, People, and Us Weekly, of course I jumped at it.
Kim has spent years helping professionals communicate more clearly and confidently on video, combining deep media experience with practical coaching around presence, messaging, and storytelling. For authors, that means learning how to talk about your work in a way that feels both natural and persuasive, not to mention distinctly your own.
During our lively conversation, we covered a number of topics, including:
How to sound prepared without sounding rehearsed
Why to use bullet points instead of a teleprompter
The difference between “supermodel mode” and “teacher mode”
How to bring “dinner party energy” to an interview or video
How to create stronger sound bites for podcasts and social media
Kim’s four-step routine for calming yourself immediately before recording
Paid and founding members can watch the full conversation and read the edited transcript below:
