One of the most common ways to promote an author on a blog is through an interview with the author. Interview questions can change from blogger to blogger but what do you do when you want your interview to stand out from the rest?
I’ve been running a book blog, Froze8’s Blog, for about a year now as an actual book blog. In my experience the best interviews are the ones that are fun and engage readers. Remember your audience is not other writers, it is READERS.
How can you connect with readers?
Here are a few ideas for conducting creative author interviews:
- Character Interviews – Instead of the author answering the questions, the characters in their books answer the questions. These interviews are a great way for readers to connect with your book by getting them attached to the characters even before they begin reading. If a reader has already read the book it allows them to connect with the characters outside the story, reminding them why they loved them to begin with.
- Limited Word Interviews – These interviews are done at a handful of blogs. Here the blogger will ask you the standard questions BUT you are only allowed to answer in a set number of words. For example author Jessica Spotswood has thrice interviews where authors can only answer with three words or three things.
- Gif Interviews – Authors are only allowed to answer using either pictures or gifs (animated images). Check out Jessica Khoury’s Gif Interview to see it in action. These interviews were well received by readers because they are short, fun, and let readers see another side of the author.
Have you seen or created any interesting interviews? Let us know in the comments below!
About Kate Tilton:
Kate Tilton has been in love with books for as long as she can remember. Kate believes books saved her life and strives to repay authors for bringing books into the world by serving as a dependable author assistant. A cat-lover and fan of many geeky things, you are likely to find Kate curled up with the latest Doctor Who episode, plotting world take-over, or assisting authors and readers in any way she can. Kate is also a self-proclaimed Twitter addict, you will find her hosting #K8chat, her own creation, every Thursday night on Twitter from 9-10pm Eastern. You can connect with her on her website, Twitter, or BiblioCrunch.
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