Author Interview

Why is the Author Interview is a Challenge?

An author interview is by far a challenge. Why is this interview a challenge and not a normal interview? Well, it is important to mention that an author is not an ordinary personal next to you. Of course, they are just like one of us except for the fact that their professional background is different. It is hard to decide what questions should be on the list. There is a list of, let's call them conditions that are important to respect when going for an interview. Before trying to interview anybody it would be a good idea to see what specialists recommend and what are their tips and advices. This is a meeting that is worth all the effort and the trouble. Of course, spontaneity is also a great quality but a little bit of preparation will make it even better in the end.

A series of guidelines are available online for those curious to see how it works. The first condition, the primordial condition is to know what the interview is about. The theme, the structure of this discussion is the main point of focus. Everything else needs to follow naturally. However, when the structure is not solid the result will not be solid as well. The audience will see this and consider it as a weak point, it just takes all the fun out of those questions. So, from beginning to end the interview must have a direction, a hidden map and maybe some twists hidden at first. The questions need to come naturally one after another and the final picture must send a message. It doesn't matter if it is a personal message or professional message as long as there is one.

Before anything else, an author interview can be either about the person behind the books or about the book behind the person. This is how it can be; these are the situations that could appear. Depending on the context, depending on the ideas and the purpose of this interview the number of questions may vary according to the situation. For example, an interview for a cultural magazine will obviously have a different vocabulary than the one used for a popular newspaper. To interview an author is not about pretentious expressions but about the feelings, emotions and the life experiences.

• The author interview is different from any other normal interview. This is more like a discussion between two people; one of them is an expert, the author themselves, while the other, the interviewer is well-read on the subject. The preparation for an author interview is also quite different; the approach has to be different too.

• Interviewing the author is no mean feat; you as interviewer have to know the book thoroughly. Therefore, we will tell you a few pointers that will help you conduct this interview well, and increase your credibility as an interviewer. Read the book really well; it is quite silly that many interviewers don't even read the book, and end up making a fool of themselves in the interview. Therefore, read the book by the author.

• Prepare the questions well in advance, it is better to jot down questions while reading the book. This way, you will have enough relevant questions and all of them from the book. The question should come naturally to you, so you can practice the entire question bank beforehand.

• It helps if you know more about the topics other that the just what is given in the book. Therefore, read up well on the topics in the book from other sources as well. The sources could be any of the following, other books on the subject, newspaper articles, research work, internet etc. Make use of them and have some extra bit of knowledge.

• Work the crowd; don't forget to involve the audience in the discussion. Therefore, design your questions as such that the audience feels that they are ones quizzing the author. Of course, the author will take question from the audience too, but it is better that your questions cover their queries, this keeps the audience hooked on to the interviewer.

Follow these simple tips and you will be doing your reputation and your career a world of good.

An author interview is an experience that could enlighten the mind and the soul.

It is always pleasant to sit down and talk to a person who is ready to tell beautiful stories. Because this is what everybody wants to hear: beautiful and original stories that carry the mind into another dimension, a dimension where the world is different. It doesn't matter if we want fiction or we want to live something else, it doesn't matter if we want one character or another the author will take all these wishes and transform them into words and phrases. Ready to be read by everybody! As simple as that!