How Authors Can Interview Themselves

  

Authors should seek out interviews in order to promote their book. They can be interviewed on someone’s blog or podcast, radio show, television program, newspapers, magazines, news wires, or newsletters. YouTube channels could also interview authors. You know who else can interview you?  

You.  

That’s right, you should interview yourself -- and post it on your website and social media. Make it available in your press release, too. The interview showcases what you have to say and in the process of creating it, gives you good practice for what others will likely ask you.  

So, what should you ask yourself?  

No hardball questions, right?  

Well, ask whatever you feel you can answer well. In fact, reverse the process. Write down the answers or things you want to say in every interview. Now, build questions around the answers, allowing for prompts to give you a rich opportunity to say the very things you believe will inspire people to take an action step -- and buy your book, or at least visit your website.  

You can cluster the question by topics. For instance, start with general, obvious questions:  

1. What is your book about?
2. Who is you targeted reader?
3. What inspired you to write it?
4. What is the book’s main message or theme?
5. How do you hope your book will impact the reader?
6. Where does your book’s title come from?
7. What other books have you written? 
8. What challenges did you overcome to pen your book?  

Then, move on to the writing process:

1. How did you shape your characters? Are they based on real people?
2. How did you go about searching content for your book?
3. What is your approach to writing and your editing process?
4. Which writers do you like or model yourself after?  

Go back to specifics about what happens in the book:

1. One of the themes in your book is “X”. Can you explain that? 
2. Another theme is “Y”. Why is that such a fascinating area to explore?
3. The pace of your book is “Z”. How does that shape the flow of your story?
4. There are “X” number of people who have experienced/ suffer from/ desire outcome “Z”. What was it like to write about that?
5. Your book is set in (location, time, circumstance). Why are we fascinating by that place and time?  

Move on to your personal life:

1. You have a hobby (say it). Does it help you be a better writer? 
2. For “X” years you worked as “Z”’. How did that experience inform your writing?
3. You (name an accomplishment /award). Were you humbled by such recognition? 
4. You received a great review from (name the outlet). Were you surprised to get such praise?  

Then end with general things: 

1. What trend do you see in (name your genre)?
2. What advice would you offer to a wanna-be-author?
3. What kind of feedback have others shared with you?

 

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres.

 

Please Contact Me For Help

 

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2022. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This blog, with over 4,000 posts over the past decade, was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Susan RoAne, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, IBPA, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.