TIPS FOR AUTHOR INTERVIEW

How to Conduct an Author Interview

By an eHow Contributor

I want to do this! What's This?

Authors are some of the most accessible public figures around. While readers generally think of authors as celebrities, the rest of the world doesn't always feel the same way. As a result, authors are often easy to contact and willing to talk to their readers and publications. Interviewing an author can be as simple as asking permission.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare a short pitch. Authors are more likely to sit up, take notice and consent to an interview if the interviewer is convincing. Write no more than two or three paragraphs of introduction, expressing interest in the author's work and spell out intentions for the interview. Mention any publication or professional affiliations that might pique the author's interest.

2. 2

   Suggest an email interview. While every interviewer would like to sit down over coffee with her literary hero, it is often more feasible for authors to conduct interviews through email at their leisure. If a phone or face-to-face interview is preferable, the author will likely suggest it.

3. 3

   Research the author's body of work and past interviews. Knowledge of an author's work gives an interviewer added credibility. Similarly, a working knowledge of the author's attitudes and experiences found in previous interviews can give an interviewer an advantage when preparing questions.

4. 4

   Prepare thoughtful questions. Authors do a multitude of interviews, especially if they have been writing successfully for a significant period of time or if they have a new book coming out. By preparing thoughtful questions which reflect research into their lives and work, an interviewer adds credibility to his name and any publication he might represent.

5. 5

   Be patient. Authors have full lives just like everyone else. Whether they hold down a day job or keep busy with new projects, it will take some time to for them to prepare and return interview answers. It is perfectly appropriate to suggest a deadline for the author, but be sure to work far enough ahead to allow two to four weeks for the return of the interview answers.

6. 6

   Resist the urge to edit beyond minor spelling errors. Authors are typically careful and thoughtful in their written answers to interview questions. Editing answers could change the author's meaning and ultimately damage the credibility of an interviewer or publication.

7. 7

   Send a thank you note and a copy of the interview. When an author takes time out of a busy schedule to answer interview questions, it is preferable to send along a link to the interview if it is published in an online forum. If the interview appears in print, send along a copy of the publication with your sincerest thanks. Thoughtful gestures heighten the possibility of interacting with the author in the future.