Launching Today: Goodreads Q&A! Ask Your Favorite Author or Fellow Readers Questions on Goodreads!

Posted by Patrick Brown on May 21, 2014


If you could ask Margaret Atwood, Khaled Hosseini, or James Patterson anything, what would it be? Maybe you want to know their writing inspiration, what they read as a guilty pleasure, or you have a burning question about one of their bestsellers. Now's your chance because these three are among the 54 major authors who are helping us launch an exciting new program on Goodreads—Ask the Author!

Ask the Author allows readers to ask questions and get answers from their favorite authors. At Goodreads, we believe the relationship between authors and readers is very special. Authors tell stories and create worlds that spark the imaginations of their readers. Now readers can deepen that connection by asking questions about the new worlds, ideas, and people they've discovered in books.

Starting today, you can submit your questions directly to any of the 54 authors participating in the Ask the Author launch. (Full list below!) If an author answers your question you'll be notified, and every answer will be shared on the author's page so that other readers can enjoy them, too. In the coming weeks, all of the 100,000+ authors in the Goodreads Author program will be able to opt in to the feature. (To check whether an author is participating, visit his or her author profile and look for the "Ask the Author" section.)

We asked international bestselling author Dan Brown a question of our own about his thoughts on Ask the Author. His answer: "One of the most rewarding things about being an author is hearing from readers. I love engaging in dialogue with them, and I'm excited to have a brand-new way to stay truly connected with my fans. I'm looking forward to discussing writing, secret codes, ancient mysteries, and anything else that comes up with the Goodreads community. Then, of course, I will need to get back to writing because the most common reader question I get seems to be: 'When is the next book coming, Dan?'"

Reader Q&A

Of course, fellow readers are an endless source of book knowledge, too! So, we're also starting to roll out Reader Q&A over the coming weeks to provide our passionate, opinionated, and curious community with another way to connect over the love of books.

Reader Q&A for The Goldfinch


Reader Q&A for The Power of Habit


Reader Q&A for Night Film


Once Reader Q&A is activated for you, you'll find a new Reader Q&A section on every book page, just below your friends' reviews. When other readers start responding to a question, Goodreads members can click "like" on the answers they find most interesting, and the best ones will rise to the top.

To try out Reader Q&A, go to the book page for your favorite book or a book you've just read and submit a question for the Goodreads community. You can also look for questions to answer! If Reader Q&A is not yet showing for you, it will be coming shortly!

We'll be opening up Ask the Author to all Goodreads Authors in the coming weeks, but right now you can ask a question of any of the following authors:

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERS
Isabel Allende
Author of The House of Spirits
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Margaret Atwood
Author of The Handmaid's Tale
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Dan Brown
Author of The Da Vinci Code
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Deepak Chopra
Author of The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success
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Khaled Hosseini
Author of The Kite Runner
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James Patterson
Author of Kiss the Girls
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FICTION
Michael Cunningham
Author of The Hours
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Kristin Hannah
Author of Firefly Lane
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James McBride
Author of The Color of Water
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Liane Moriarty
Author of What Alice Forgot
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Jojo Moyes
Author of Me Before You
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B.J. Novak
Author of One More Thing
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Robin Sloan
Author of Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
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Jeff VanderMeer
Author of Annihilation
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Ayelet Waldman
Author of Red Hook Road
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Jesmyn Ward
Author of Salvage the Bones
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NONFICTION
Mark Bittman
Author of How to Cook Everything
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Geoff Dyer
Author of Another Great Day at Sea
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Tim Ferriss
Author of The 4-Hour Work Week
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Daniel Goleman
Author of Emotional Intelligence
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Arianna Huffington
Author of Third World America
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Anne Lamott
Author of Bird by Bird
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Frances Mayes
Author of Under the Tuscan Sun
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Michael Pollan
Author of The Omnivore's Dilemma
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Gretchen Rubin
Author of The Happiness Project
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YOUNG ADULT & CHILDREN'S
Laurie Halse Anderson
Author of Speak
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Holly Black
Author of Tithe
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Sarah Dessen
Author of Just Listen
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Rebecca Donovan
Author of Reasons to Breathe
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Susan Ee
Author of Angelfall
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Gayle Forman
Author of If I Stay
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Jeff Kinney
Author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid
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E. Lockhart
Author of The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks
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MYSTERY & THRILLERS
David Baldacci
Author of Absolute Power
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Joseph Finder
Author of Paranoia
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Douglas Preston
Author of Relic
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S.J. Watson
Author of Before I Go to Sleep
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ROMANCE
Bella Andre
Author of The Look of Love
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Kresley Cole
Author of A Hunger Like No Other
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Sylvia Day
Author of Reflected in You
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Barbara Freethy
Author of Just the Way You Are
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Christina Lauren
Author of Beautiful Bastard
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FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION
Kevin J. Anderson
Author of Jedi Search
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Jim Butcher
Author of Storm Front
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Warren Ellis
Author of Transmetropolitan, Vol. 1
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Lev Grossman
Author of The Magicians
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Laurell K. Hamilton
Author of Guilty Pleasures
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Brian Herbert
Author of The Butlerian Jihad
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Hugh Howey
Author of Wool
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Sherrilyn Kenyon
Author of Styxx
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Bob Mayer
Author of Lost Girls
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Richelle Mead
Author of Vampire Academy
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John Scalzi
Author of Old Man's War
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Michael J. Sullivan
Author of Theft of Swords
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Is your favorite author missing from the list above? Let us know which author you'd like to ask a question of in the comments below and we'll pass on the message!


Comments Showing 151-200 of 320 (320 new)


message 151: by Dawn (new)

Dawn Seems like this is going to be an awesome feature but please make sure there is extreme spoiler support.


message 152: by Ivy_359 (new)

Ivy_359 really. where is he


message 153: by °BeauutiLovve (new)

°BeauutiLovve Please add urban street fiction and romance please. I have so many questions


message 154: by Bree (new)

Bree This is such a wonderful idea, this is one of the reasons why Goodreads is one of the best book websites out there. I can't wait to see the full list of authors, I'm very excited! :D


message 155: by Robin P (new)

Robin P I'm confident those who have signed up will answer themselves. They may only be able to answer a certain number of questions or in a certain time frame, but if they weren't interested in the interaction, they didn't need to agree to it. There may be other authors who just don't wish to participate, that's fine too.


message 156: by rach (new)

rach James Dashner
Michael Grant
Rick Riordan
Nancy Farmer


message 157: by [deleted user] (new)

Please please include Rick riordan


message 158: by [deleted user] (new)

Please please include John Green


message 159: by [deleted user] (new)

Please include Rick riordan


message 160: by Mollie! (new)

Mollie! This is SO COOL!!!!!! I love this feature!!! Thank you so very much for giving us fans the opportunity to talk to some of the authors we wouldn't normal have the chance to talk to. :)


message 161: by Gayatri (new)

Gayatri Thank you Goodreads for this new feature. Goodreads is wowreads to me, reading is so much fun with this site


message 162: by Erika (new)

Erika And Neil Gaiman??


message 163: by Kuroi (new)

Kuroi Please try to add Rick Riordan and Leigh Bardugo. Possibly also Sarah J.Maas.


message 164: by Konna (new)

Konna -Brandon Sanderson
-George R.R Martin
-J.K.Rowling


message 165: by [deleted user] (new)

Thank you sooo much goodreads for giving us an opportunity to talk to our favorite writers


message 166: by Nidheya (new)

Nidheya Thank you SO much for this feature :D Can we have JK Rowling answering questions too? That would make my life.


message 167: by Saakshi (new)

Saakshi Roy Soplada wrote: "WOW ! :))"
Gyllian Flynn!!!! A dream...


message 168: by Kat (new)

Kat Montemayor Nenia Campbell


message 169: by Courtney (new)

Courtney I would like to ask Julie Kagawa and Michelle Rowen a question!!! Oh, and Stephenie Meyer!!!


message 170: by bree (new)

bree Rose wrote: "I love this, but more authors would be REALLY good like the latest and most recent authors of the very popular books of the YA gen:) I would love to talk to Veronica Roth, Cornelia Funke or even Su..."

I agree, I would love to talk to these authors!


message 171: by Zain (new)

Zain NA Please include John Green!. It's been such a great feature to be able to interact with the authors. Thank you so much, Goodreads!.


message 172: by kat (wanderfulbooks) (last edited May 23, 2014 07:50AM) (new)

kat (wanderfulbooks) I'm loving this feature! Thank you Goodreads. I hope to see more authors next week.


message 173: by [deleted user] (last edited May 23, 2014 08:11AM) (new)

My author wishes:
-meg cabot
- maureen johnson
- marianne curley
- lene kaaberbøl(danish author is translated)
- holly smale
- derek landy
- alyxandra harvey
- Rachel hawkins
- joy preble
- kristin cashore
- rick riordan
- jennifer estep
-


message 174: by [deleted user] (last edited May 23, 2014 08:25AM) (new)

oh,forgot, Leila rasheed.
marian keyes
janet evanovich
susanne winnacker
huntley fitzpatrick


message 175: by Nichole (new)

Nichole Robertson I love this! Thank you for the feature.


message 176: by Alendi (new)

Alendi Stephen King


message 177: by [deleted user] (new)

Please please include rick riordan


message 178: by Saakshi (new)

Saakshi Roy Ramsha wrote: "Please please include rick riordan"
Is your profile pic the Hogwarts School Crest?


message 179: by brooke1994 (last edited May 23, 2014 09:45AM) (new)

brooke1994 Please include:
Jan Brett (Writer and illustrator)
Ruth Sanderson (Writer and illustrator)
Donita K Paul (author of the Dragonkeeper chronicles)
Rick Riordan
Jenny B Jones
Jenny L. Colt


message 180: by Dee (new)

Dee Awesome. Love the author to reader engagement here.


message 181: by Emmaly (new)

Emmaly Pseudunymous bosch
Lemony Snciket
Andrew Clements
Chris Grabenstein
These are some good childrens authors.


message 182: by Saakshi (new)

Saakshi Roy Emmaly wrote: "Pseudunymous bosch
Lemony Snciket
Andrew Clements
Chris Grabenstein
These are some good childrens authors."


Oh yeah, Lemony Snicket...he's a little tragic hero


message 184: by Kai (new)

Kai Richard Dawkins please :)


message 185: by Saakshi (new)

Saakshi Roy Erich Segal is on the top of my list...


message 186: by Page (new)

Page Kristen Ashley


message 187: by Meredith (new)

Meredith I would love to ask Rick Riordan a million questions!!!


message 188: by April (new)

April What an exciting feature! Would love to hear from Chuck Palahniukand Craig Clevenger too!


message 189: by Dyzaleen (new)

Dyzaleen If not too much to ask, can we have JR Ward, or Suzanne Brockmann, Lisa Kleypas or Karen Rose. Have couple of questions on BDB series, especially...


message 190: by SB (new)

SB I want to ask questions to Mr. Orhan Pamuk, but I didn't find his name! Will you please make it possible to meet with him for some questions? Thank you.


message 191: by معصومه (new)

معصومه توکلی Michael Grant
Andrew Clements


message 192: by Linda (new)

Linda Neil Gaiman! Even since I read The Ocean at the End of the Lane, I've wanted to ask him what the Hempstocks do with all the cats they're growing in a field. She even said they have regular cats for pets. So, what do they do with cats who grow underground and you pull up like turnips? Does anybody have an idea?


message 193: by Michael (new)

Michael Wei I'd love to be able to ask Gary Paulsen questions. Except he's 75 so who knows if he'd have the time to respond.


message 194: by Michael (new)

Michael Wei I really hope Chad Hardbach signs on. The Art of Fielding is beautiful writing.


message 195: by [deleted user] (new)

PLEASE include:
RICK RIORDAN (double please!!)
Christopher Healy (another double please!!)
Suzanne Collins
Kathryn Lasky
Kate Messner
Kate O'Hearn


message 196: by معصومه (new)

معصومه توکلی Neil Gaiman


message 197: by [deleted user] (new)

Saakshi wrote: "Christine wrote: "Well maybe they will"

I don't think Goodreads will hoodwink us into believing some cock and bull story that the famous authors will reply and instead the staff replies to our que..."


Well, you gotta have faith. They wouldn't have said the authors would answer our questions if the GR staff were just gonna do it.


message 198: by Ray (new)

Ray It'd be cool if Brandon Sanderson was one of the authors you could ask.


message 199: by Kierra (new)

Kierra Watson Elizabeth wrote: "I would like to see more YA authors like...

John Green
Marie Lu
Marissa Meyer
Veronica Roth
Kiera Cass"

I totally want all these authors!


message 200: by Penny (new)

Penny And this request from a New Zealander:

Graeme Simsion (as he is a witty man in conversation!)
Elizabeth Gilbert (extremely inspiring and helpful)
Eleanor Catton (Manbooker award-winning New Zealand author and teacher of writing skills)
Mandy Hager (Award-winning New Zealand YA author and superb writing skill teacher)
Neil Gaiman (extremely amazing knowledge from this man)
Emily Perkins (New Zealand author and presenter that I'd love to get some insight from)
Jason Shon Bennett (inspirational nutritionist and motivator)
Katharine Kerr (Writer of the most prolific Sci-Fi and Fantasy titles)
Sarah Waters (Keen researcher, wonderful motivator, and writer of some damn fine period novels)
Margaret Mahy (the woman who inspired me to write - New Zealand award-winner of children's and YA fiction categories...but oops, too late, she's unfortunately with us no more...)
Penny :)


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