What do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?
If you were to write a spin-off about a side character, which would you pick?
If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose?
It’s 7:14 in the morning and I just shot off an email of questions for an author interview for Connilyn Cossette who’s book, A Light on the Hill, is coming out February 6th. Times like this make me feel like a legit blogger. And a writer. Ya know, getting the writing work done before going out and jetting off to my non-writing job. (And when I say jetting, I actually mean driving very slowly and taking the long way around cause roads are icy.)
Recently I’ve been thinking about author interviews, and how it can be slightly annoying as an author when I get the same questions over and over and over again. Therefore I thought it would be fun to share with y’all 30 unique questions to ask during author interviews. But really, I do like the traditional questions as well, so I like having a mixture of normal and unique.
Unique Author Interview Questions {Part 1}
Authors are tired of getting the same questions at every interview. They’ve answered them a hundred times and will not be excited to answer them yet again. I can tell you exactly the questions writers get time and time again at every book reading and interview:
My list below of interview questions are fantastic, but if those 50 aren’t enough, I would suggest you go here to see examples of fantastic interviews, and maybe pick up a few more good questions:
Now, if you’re a writer, I would suggest also reading my post, “12 Steps to Write a Bestselling Novel.”
But if you haven’t read their book yet, this is the next best thing: I’ve compiled a list of good questions for authors that are surprising and unique. I guarantee that these questions will surprise them for a second, and make them think about their answer.
Now, of course, the best question for a writer is one based on their book. Every author is excited to talk about their most recent book, or the big one they published a few years back. If you have a good question about a character or a plot point or the process of creating that book, they will be overjoyed to hear it.
Interview Questions About Writing
What inspired you to start writing?
How long have you been writing?
When did you start writing?
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
What advice would you give a new writer, someone just starting out?
How do you handle writer’s block?
What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?
What comes first, the plot or characters?
How do you develop your plot and characters?
How do you come up with the titles to your books?
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Describe your writing space.
What time of the day do you usually write?
Describe a typical writing day.
What is the most difficult part about writing for you?
What is your work schedule like when you are writing?
What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
Do you hear from your readers much? What do they say?
How do you do research for your books?
What are the tools of the trade?
What does success mean to you? What is the definition of success?
Is writing your full-time career? Or would you like it to be?
On a typical day, how much time do you spend writing?
Are you on social media and can your readers interact with you?
When you’re writing an emotionally draining (or sexy, or sad, etc) scene, how do you get in the mood?
Writing can be an emotionally draining and stressful pursuit. Any tips for aspiring writers?
How do you deal with emotional impact of a book (on yourself) as you are writing the story?
How do you handle literary criticism?
How do you deal with poor reviews? (be cautious with these type of questions)
How much ‘world building’ takes place before you start writing?
Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing the story?
When writing a series how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
What was your favourite part, and your least favourite part, of the publishing journey?
Do you find it more challenging to write the first book in a series or to write the subsequent novels?
Describe your perfect book hero or heroine.
More often than not, people fail to understand the importance of the right questions but trust me the right interview questions can help you position and define your personal brand and your book better.
If you are an author who wants to position his/her personal brand and book the right way through interviews/coverages than in that case, you need to pick the right interview questions.
You may be wondering what sort of questions you shall consider for the coverage or an interview. To give you an idea, I have gathered the top interview questions that you should surely consider for promoting your book and your personal brand through an interview on digital space.
Some Author Interview Questions
When you want to interview authors for your blog or podcast, you’ll need to prepare for the interview. It’ll require you to know the right set of questions to ask that will attract the right audience. These questions, when asked strategically, will make your interview lively.
Furthermore, such interview questions are not only useful for bloggers but also for authors. The authors who are the significant guests of the interview should also be prepared. It helps to avoid errors and to ensure that the interview goes smoothly.
Also, interview questions are helpful for authors who want to work at a publishing company or other related agencies. Some of these questions are listed below.
When should someone be regarded as a writer?
What differentiates an author from a writer?
What’s your experience with writer’s block?
How do you handle negative reviews on your book?
What part of your writing process is the hardest?
When did you start writing?
What’s your advice for upcoming authors?
Which elements of writing are the most important to you?
How do you build up your characters and plot?
Between your plot and your characters, which is essential to you? Why?
Why did you become a writer?
When did you become an author?
Do social media play a role for you as an author?
What’s your experience with publishing your book?
What would you tell an author that wants to publish his first book?
How many books have you written so far?
What’s your favorite book among the ones you’ve written?
Which of your books did you find very difficult to write?
Which part of your book gave you the most challenging time?
Which of your books did you have the most fun writing?
Which characters do you relate with easily? Why?
What did you leave out in the final draft of your book?
What are you trying to achieve with your book?
Do you go for book tours?
What is the favorite place you conducted research?
Can you share a bit about your next book?
Has your book gone through any significant change since the first draft?
To what extent is your book realistic?
What inspires your cover designs?
What beliefs is your book challenging?
What was your inspiration for the idea?
How long was your research for the book?
How did professional editing influence the development of your book?
Which scene was the most difficult? Why?
Are there characters in your books that have similarities with you or people you know?
What time did you finish writing this book?
What inspired the title of your book?
Is your main character someone you would get along with usually?
Do you develop your characters as you write, or you already know them before you start writing?
What helps you focus while writing?
Which famous author is your best?
How is your writing space?
Have you ever traveled to gather more research for your book?
What helps you relax while writing?
What is your favorite way of taking a break after writing?
What risks have you taken on your journey as an author? Did any of them pay off?
Do you write with music? What’s your favorite one?
Which actors do you think would play your characters if your book is made a movie?
Have you written a favorite character that died at the end?
What motivated you to become a writer?
What’s the average time that you spend writing a book?
Where do you get ideas for your books?
When was your first book published?
What surprised you the most while writing and publishing your books?
Have all the books you’ve written been published?
Is your family supportive of your writing? What do they think of it?
What do you think will make a person a better writer?
Do your readers contact you? What do they say?
What book genre is your favorite? Why?
If you have an opportunity to write a different genre of book, which will it be?
What do you think makes a story spectacular?
Can you share a bit of your current work?
What’s the most interesting twist in your book?
How do you schedule your time while writing?
Did you consider using a pseudonym when you write?
What time of the day do you write the most?
What are the tools of an author?
Do you find writing fascinating, exhaustive, or both?
What is the best channel for marketing your books?
How would you define success as an author?
Are you a full-time writer? Why?
How do you bring emotion into your scenes?
What advice will you give an aspiring writer?
What is your biggest challenge when marketing your book?
Describe your ideal reader.
Who is your most influential audience?
Who are you when you’re not writing?
What do you think should change or improve in the publishing industry?
What type of publishing do you use the most? Why?
What do you think can boost or destroy a writing career?
Have you ever experienced reader’s block? How did you overcome it?
Have you ever felt frustrated with writing? Why?
Do you prefer to write what you feel readers want or what you find inspiring?
Can a person who doesn’t feel emotions firmly stand a chance of being a good writer?
Does building relationships with other authors improve your writing skills? How?
What communities should a writer join?
Do you have unfinished books? How many?
Which books did you enjoy reading when growing up?
Who is your biggest supporter?
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by your work? Describe it.
Do you prefer print books, audiobooks, or e-books? Why?
Which of your hobbies do you think will surprise your readers?
How do you determine the names of your characters?
Do you recommend any writing blogs?
What books do you reading now? Which authors are influencing your choice?
What inspired the setting for your book?
What inspiration makes you get out of bed every morning?
Do you have any collections apart from your library?
How do you brainstorm ideas during your writing process?
What would you consider the best advice you’ve ever received?
What does the title of your book mean?
Are you currently working on any books?
What is your favorite writing style?
Do you prefer typing on a computer or writing with a pen? Why?
Which do you prefer, writing when you’re alone or in public? Why?
Do you write based on goals, or whenever you’re inspired?
What takes most of your effort when writing?
What will you like your readers to know?
What’s your plan? Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
Have you ever considered writing with another author?
What’s the hardest thing about writing a character of the opposite sex?
How’s it like working with an agent? What’s your advice for those looking for one?
Which marketing strategies have been helpful so far?
FAQ
What are good interview questions for an author?
Suggested Author Interview Questions
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
How long does it take you to write a book?
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
How do books get published?
What are some good interview questions for fun?
55 other funny interview questions
Why are manholes round?
If you were a tree, what kind would you be and why?
What two nonessential items would you want if you were shipwrecked on a deserted island?
What was the last gift you gave someone?
If you could compare yourself to an animal, what would it be and why?
How do you conduct an author interview?
How To Conduct An Author Interview
Stop Focusing On Yourself. It’s easy to worry about low sales, writer’s block and lost motivation. …
Shift The Focus. …
Do Your Research. …
Make Your Subject Look Like a Rock Star. …
Last Pointers.
What are some good questions to ask about a story?
Plot
How did the author begin the story? …
What is the main problem in the story? …
What challenges do the characters meet in the story? …
What choices did the characters have?
How does the choices the characters make affect the other characters and the story?
What do you think is the most important part of the book?
