We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Steve Becker. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Steve below.
Steve, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
I’m a big believer in creativity. I’ve always considered myself to be creative–whether it’s coming up with a new idea, discovering a new solution to a problem, or annoying friends with a bad pun (the louder the groan, the better!). I love wordplay–words are like toys for me and being in that playground is a fun, healthy outlet and keeps my mind sharp. As a freelance publicist, I’m always looking for creative, attention-grabbing ways to pitch a guest–tinkering with an email subject line or creating a new strategy to promote a book. I try to look beyond the obvious–media outlets are inundated with guest pitches–what approach haven’t they heard yet? What event or news story can I tie this guest in to? Ultimately, what will speak to their audience, entertain/inform/inspire them and get them to buy the book? Another way I keep my creativity alive is through an unusual hobby that I learned from my dad years ago–spoon playing! My TikTok page, Steve the Spoon Guy, has hundreds of videos of me playing spoons to various songs. My thousands of followers (and no one is more surprised about that than I am!) really seem to enjoy this unique talent. Spoon playing is a lost art–I’m doing my part to keep it alive!
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I started Steve Becker Publicity in 2013 after working at a Boston based publicity firm for 14 years. I specialize in booking authors, experts and newsmakers on radio shows as well as podcasts–the “listening media”. Why that focus? I was raised on radio. It’s always been my favorite of the mass media. I was the kid with the clock radio who would stay up late on school nights, turning the dial, and thinking how cool it was that I could hear an AM station hundreds of miles away from my bedroom in Massachusetts. In high school I interned at a small talk radio station, screening calls for the evening sports show. I had my own shows at the UMass/Amherst radio station and the Boston University radio station after transferring there. I continued my love affair with radio at stations in Boston, Charlotte, and West Palm Beach. The business of radio has changed dramatically since I cut my teeth on it, but I have always felt a connection with the intimacy, immediacy and excitement of radio. So here I am, connecting listeners with authors on a wide variety of subjects.–personal finance, health, memoirs, music, self-help, etc.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Listening is a skill, I think I’ve always been a good listener, maybe that’s why I was so drawn to radio at a young age. I’m glad people are still listening! Of course, it would be great if we could listen to each other more.
Communicating, and knowing how to communicate, is extremely important in my business. There are many communication styles-phone, email, texting, Zoom and of course, the old school method of actually talking with someone face to face. Communication is connection, and if done right, the client’s message has a much better chance of being heard.
Confidence. Some struggle with it, for others it’s second nature. I find that if I am confident about how I will pitch an author, BEFORE I pick up the phone or write an email, my success rate goes up. Why? Because I’m speaking or writing with authority and that’s persuasive.
How would you describe your ideal client?
An ideal client is an author who has written a book that will resonate with people, and is also a good speaker. Not every author can effectively translate their message to the listening audience. Maybe their voice is too soft or they’re not speaking directly into the phone. Maybe they’re conducting the radio interview on a speaker phone from across the room (bad idea) The combination of a well-written book with a strong speaking style is the winning combo. Want to sell your book? Do your part and make it easy for the listener to hear your message!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stevebeckerpublicity,com
- Other: TikTok: @StevetheSpoonGuy
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