Most authors have a love-hate relationship with interviews. We love to be interviewed because it gives us a chance to spread the word about who we are, what we’ve written, and where we are heading with our next publication or event, but there’s the flip-side to being interviewed.
Answering the same questions over and over can be tedious for us, and boring for our readers and followers. Below are a few ideas for making your author interviews exciting and fun.
Use the coffee table approach
Many interviewers feel that they have to be completely polished and professional in their approach to interviews, but the truth is, many authors enjoy a more casual approach. Interviews with a bit of fun banter thrown in are often more enjoyable than straight questions. Ask questions that you might ask if you were meeting over coffee—and yes, “What’s your favorite place to read?” is an acceptable question to break up the monotony of book-related questions.
Make it personal
Readers read interviews to find something more about the author than they already know. Usually, they’re looking for a hint of what makes that author tick, what they’re like as an individual, outside of writing—so give the readers what they want. As a few questions about the author’s hobbies, research trips, or the mood of their writing space.
Research before you interview
The worst thing you can do for an author is send them the same questions that you ask every authors—the same way that the worst thing an author can do is to always provide the same stock answers. Do a bit of research. Google the author’s name, read a few of their previous interviews, and then…take a different direction than what’s been done.
Presentation & Promotion
Presentation is everything! Request a photo of the author, a brief bio, and their social links. Include the author’s cover art linked to their Amazon page. Be sure to proofread your post before making it live—we are authors not proofreadersJ Remember to promote the interview, and ask the author to do the same, bringing traffic to your website or blog.
Article written by Melissa Foster, founder of Fostering Success, World Literary Café, and The Women’s Nest, as well as a bestselling award-winning author.
Melissa Foster is a New York Time and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes contemporary romance, new adult, contemporary women's fiction, suspense, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page.