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


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 AllendeAuthor of The House of Spirits [image error] | Margaret AtwoodAuthor of The Handmaid's Tale [image error] |
Dan BrownAuthor of The Da Vinci Code [image error] | Deepak ChopraAuthor of The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success [image error] |
Khaled HosseiniAuthor of The Kite Runner [image error] | James PattersonAuthor of Kiss the Girls [image error] |
FICTION
Michael CunninghamAuthor of The Hours [image error] | Kristin HannahAuthor of Firefly Lane [image error] |
James McBrideAuthor of The Color of Water [image error] | Liane MoriartyAuthor of What Alice Forgot [image error] |
Jojo MoyesAuthor of Me Before You [image error] | B.J. NovakAuthor of One More Thing [image error] |
Robin SloanAuthor of Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore [image error] | Jeff VanderMeerAuthor of Annihilation [image error] |
Ayelet WaldmanAuthor of Red Hook Road [image error] | Jesmyn WardAuthor of Salvage the Bones [image error] |
NONFICTION
Mark BittmanAuthor of How to Cook Everything [image error] | Geoff DyerAuthor of Another Great Day at Sea [image error] |
Tim FerrissAuthor of The 4-Hour Work Week [image error] | Daniel GolemanAuthor of Emotional Intelligence [image error] |
Arianna HuffingtonAuthor of Third World America [image error] | Anne LamottAuthor of Bird by Bird [image error] |
Frances MayesAuthor of Under the Tuscan Sun [image error] | Michael PollanAuthor of The Omnivore's Dilemma [image error] |
Gretchen RubinAuthor of The Happiness Project [image error] |
YOUNG ADULT & CHILDREN'S
Laurie Halse AndersonAuthor of Speak [image error] | Holly BlackAuthor of Tithe [image error] |
Sarah DessenAuthor of Just Listen [image error] | Rebecca DonovanAuthor of Reasons to Breathe [image error] |
Susan EeAuthor of Angelfall [image error] | Gayle FormanAuthor of If I Stay [image error] |
Jeff KinneyAuthor of Diary of a Wimpy Kid [image error] | E. LockhartAuthor of The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks [image error] |
MYSTERY & THRILLERS
David BaldacciAuthor of Absolute Power [image error] | Joseph FinderAuthor of Paranoia [image error] |
Douglas PrestonAuthor of Relic [image error] | S.J. WatsonAuthor of Before I Go to Sleep [image error] |
ROMANCE
Bella AndreAuthor of The Look of Love [image error] | Kresley ColeAuthor of A Hunger Like No Other [image error] |
Sylvia DayAuthor of Reflected in You [image error] | Barbara FreethyAuthor of Just the Way You Are [image error] |
Christina LaurenAuthor of Beautiful Bastard [image error] |
FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION
Kevin J. AndersonAuthor of Jedi Search [image error] | Jim ButcherAuthor of Storm Front [image error] |
Warren EllisAuthor of Transmetropolitan, Vol. 1 [image error] |
Lev GrossmanAuthor of The Magicians [image error] |
Laurell K. HamiltonAuthor of Guilty Pleasures [image error] | Brian HerbertAuthor of The Butlerian Jihad [image error] |
Hugh HoweyAuthor of Wool [image error] | Sherrilyn KenyonAuthor of Styxx [image error] |
Bob MayerAuthor of Lost Girls [image error] | Richelle MeadAuthor of Vampire Academy [image error] |
John ScalziAuthor of Old Man's War [image error] | Michael J. SullivanAuthor of Theft of Swords [image error] |
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 251-300 of 320 (320 new)
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Gemma
(new)
Jun 06, 2014 09:27AM
I'd really love to pick the brains of Emmy Laybourne or Allen Zadoff :-)
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Helene Wecker - The Golem and the Jinni. That was one of the most unusual and beautiful books I've ever read. Vanessa Diffenbaugh - The Language of Flowers - I look at flowers differently now.
Great new feature.
I'd love to ask Trenton Lee Stewart (author of The mysterious Benedict Society) a question. He is an artist when it comes to writing and story telling. Trenton Lee StewartThe Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma
Sounds great especially that James Patterson is going to answer my questions! Im so waiting for this! :D
Has anyone suggested Daniel Silva, author of the Gabriel Allon series? I have lots of questions for him.
Now this is a brilliant idea!! In addition to the authors above, please add Natasha Mostert. I loved Season of the Witch, The Midnight Side and Keeper of Light and Dust. Hope she's working on something new.
I'd love to ask both George Saunders and Nathan Englander how they write so sparingly; do they start out by writing that way, or do they meander and then edit it down, like the rest of us mortals?
What a great resource for writers! I work with a group of teen writers, many of whom have already written at least one full-length novel and one whose novel has been published. They are going to so LOVE this direct communication opportunity!
Rebecca SteadJohn Green
JK Rowling
Veronica Roth
Suzanne Colins
Rick Riordan
Thank you, this is AWESOME!
I haven't had time to read all the comments, but I haven't seen James Lee Burke on the list, nor have I seen Lee Child or Abraham Verghese, whose Cutting for Stone is the first book I ever recommend to anyone. Too bad Bryce Courtenay has left us.
Colum McCann, a marvelous companion for Cormac McCarthy, and Martha Grimes, author of a whole bushel of English counryside murders written by an unrepentent American, though you'd never know. I just read her The Black Cat again -- this one's got a trio of murders (lots of high-class shoes involved here), a dog named Mungo, and a trio of black cats, one of whom is named Shroedinger. Mungo's favorite black cat is perfectly able to communicate with him, in surprisingly sophisticated language and ideas, but neither can figure out how to get detective Richard Jury's attention. Have I got questions? Ooooohhhh yeah!
How do you use the "Word of mouth feature"? I set up a group to discuss my new popular science book and I would like to publicize it... Thanks!
Rick RiordanJohn Flanagan
Shannon Hale
E.D. Baker and
Jessica Day George
are all good authors to add.
Maybe even Justin Blaney.
I would like to ask these authors question just to name a few. John Green
Kiera Cass
Ally Condie
Suzanne Collins
Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, Orson Scott Card to name a few. Sadly, I would have loved to have talked to Ray Bradbury (and others who are no longer with us).
I would like to have the opportunity to ask questions of the following young adult authors...John Green
Veronica Roth
Cassandra Clare
JK Rowling
Rick Riordan
SE Hinton
Suzanne Collins
Kami Garcia
James Dashner
Pittacus Lore
Lauren Oliver
I would like to ask questions to:Rick Riordan ( wrong spelling)
Veronica Roth
J.K. Rowling
Stephanie Meyer
Meg Cabbot
This is just a few. I will add more soon so be warned!!!! ( jk but i will add more soon)
I would really like to see Rick Riodorion and the Erin Hunters please
Theresa wrote: "I'd like to ask Susan Powers, Louise Errich and Barbara Kingsolver questions." Yes on Barbara Kingsolver.
I would just love to see the following authors included in the list:- John Green
- Veronica Roth
- Ellen Hopkins
- Rainbow Rowell
- Suzanne Collins
- Rick Riordan
It would be extraordinary if I had the chance to ask these brilliant authors about their inspiring literature!
Oh my gosh this is AMAZINGGG!! :DPlease let Meg Cabot, Brian Selznick, and Suzanne Collins join this awesome program :D
Autumn wrote: "I would love some middle grade fantasy authors, such as Shannon Hale, Gail Carson Levine, Jessica Day George, E.D. Baker. I'd love to ask them some questions."YES!!! just add Rick Riordan!!
How about some more Christian authors such as Karen Kingsbury, Gilbert Morris, Tim LaHaye, Dr. Dobson, Joyce Meyer, Phillip Yancy, Bruce Wilkerson, or Mark Driscoll.
Love is approachability your offering. Great work! As an author and Goodreads member, please consider my book -A Mirroring Discovery with Angel Visitations! I would be delighted to take questions. I channelled this book from The Angels of The Light in just 33 days. Several more books in the works. warm regards - Gloria Messenger
I'd love to see Jodi Picoult added to the list! This is a great start already. Thank you, Goodreads!
I've read all of Marie Donovan's books and haven't seen anything new by her lately. I would love to know what what is going on and if she's still writing.






































































