Regarding Interviews
Why I Write #2 –
I don’t have much to say today. But I wanted to briefly talk about interviews, with both press and fellow authors. To a new author, interviews are beneficial in helping a reader discover your work, while gaining a fresh perspective on who you are as both an author and as a person. I highly suggest pairing up with a few fellow authors and interviewing each other on your respective blogs. It helps spread the word, and it potentially increases your own blog readership.
I recently did an interview over at author Kristen Otte’s website. She’s written a few books herself, including two Pug-centric books that are beyond adorable. You really should read them.
In the interview, I discuss some upcoming projects, my influences, my current work, and what inspires me. It was such a blast. Check it out!
It’s an odd experience being the interview subject and not the interviewer. For years, I was an entertainment journalist, and during that delightful time, I interviewed dozens of celebrities, from A-list to D-list. I even had lunch on set with cinema legend Arnold Schwarzenegger, which was a pretty awesome highlight of my journalism career (check out the results of that set visit here).
But it’s a strange experience being interviewed. And some authors get pretty freaked out about the process. You want to say the right things. You want to be positive. You want to plug your work. And you want to sound interesting. It’s a tough balance, and I have respect (and perspective) for those who handle the opportunity with grace, ease and joy.
To be frank, I very much look forward to future interviews, and as a potential author yourself, you should too. They’re a lot of fun and they help readers find you. But next time you sit down to read an interview, ponder how nervous or excited the subject likely was to be interviewed. See if you can detect it in their words. And practice and plan ahead if you are going to be interviewed yourself. Have a few canned responses ready. But be prepared for a curve ball question. If you’re going to be the interviewer, be sure to have a few questions ready, but (if you’re doing an in-person interview), be prepared for the interview to go off topic. Allow the interview to evolve naturally. I’m sure the whirlwind of being interviewed gets old for big celebrities, but for up-and-comers like myself (and perhaps you), it’s a fun, awesome, wonderfully exciting experience, one that you will likely learn from … and hopefully enjoy.
If you are an up-and-coming author and you would like to be interviewed on this blog, or you’d like to interview me for your own blog, just add me as a friend on Twitter and send me a quick message. I’d love to interview fellow authors on this site.
Until next time…
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If you haven’t already, check out my short stories and novellas. Titles include,The Horror, Vampire Zombie Claus, Does She Smile at Home? and The Stray Cats. They’re all just 99 pennies each! CLICK HERE to buy your copies today!
