#AtoZchallenge Why Interviews are About the Author Not Just the Book

Why Interviews are About the Author Not Just the Book

During our normal schedule, I run the Debut Author Spotlight on Wednesdays on this blog. I ask a bunch of questions (currently 20), mostly about the author. Why? Why not just ask about the book? Because it's only the first book! An author is a brand. Once upon a time, there was a company that only had one product, some corn that was processed into flat pieces and tasted good in milk. Not everyone liked processed corn in milk. They expanded into wheat breakfast products. Now they own a bunch of companies and make a lot more than cereal.

That's how it is for authors. The first book is a big deal. It's quite an accomplishment. But consumers will (hopefully) want more. So the idea isn't just to sell one book. The idea is to form relationships with readers. Once someone likes an author, they'll want not only that first book, but the second and third and some swag and will share on social media and be willing to pick up an anthology because that author is in it... This is how the author brand really works.

A few of my questions come from researching the debut author, looking for something interesting to ask about. More than once, an interviewed author was glad for this personal touch. I imagine the readers of this blog enjoy it too.

I ask for a #writetip. Why? That hashtag has a high search-and-share rate. It also connects the author with other writers. Most writers are also readers.

What ignited your passion for writing? These are great stories to draw in readers and fellow writers.

Twitter's #WriterWednesday has long since been a way to grow the #WritingCommunity.

My favorite question: "Who is currently your biggest fan? What does that person love most (or "ship") about your debut novel?" One day an author will look back fondly on this memory. Also, knowing why someone else loves a book can intrigue a potential reader.

I ask about the big emotions in the book because some readers are looking for books that make them feel a certain way.

Instagram has gained a lot of power with the #bookstagram reading community, so I ask about that.

"How do you hope your book will help readers in their life?" A lot of authors will recognize this question as being about theme without using the word theme. There are a ton of reference books for writers that proclaim that this is the reason people read books. I don't know who the psychologist was that came up with that idea, but it's everywhere. And if an author has an answer that happens to be something the reader wants help with, guess what? 💸💰🤑 Sold. If someone helps you solve one problem, do you go back to them hoping they'll help with another? Chances are you do. That's branding at work.

I ask about a memorable trait or visual oddity of a character. Well-developed characters have something to make them stand-out. (Or stand-out because they lack anything defining, in rare cases.) This gives readers something to look forward to, and shows the author knows how to create a character. Readers will stick around for a character they enjoy.

https://diversebooks.org #WeNeedDiverseBooks - I ask about this because I'm a diverse person and I want to see more books out there that represent more of the population. Even if an author didn't write one, at least being able to name one shows support of a vast audience.

The deciding factor in a publication route (be it self-published, small press, or traditional) is important because readers love to know how an author got to where they are now. It's like the climax of the first book journey.

I ask authors to create a question or discussion topic for the readers to comment on. Look at the number of comments versus the number of views of this year's interviews to see why:


Blurbs and Bios end the interview. Hopefully, by that point, the blog reader is interested in the author. A good interview will leave the reader remembering at least one fun fact about the author. A great interview will have the reader sharing something from the post. The best interviews of all, of course, result in the sale of a debut book. It means the reader found a reason to give someone new a chance.