As an author, you may encounter a variety of questions during interviews, ranging from generic inquiries about your writing to more profound and unexpected queries. The nature of the interview, whether it’s for a job or a public book reading, will influence the types of questions you’ll face.
Regardless of the interview setting, it’s essential to be prepared to answer any question that comes your way. This means not only having well-thought-out responses but also practicing how you’ll articulate them.
The best way to prepare for an interview is to anticipate the questions you may be asked and rehearse your answers. To assist you in this process, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best author interview questions and provided sample answers. Review these questions and answers to ensure you’re ready to impress during your interview.
Also check – Questions To Ask A Mentor / Appium Interview Questions
Author Interview Questions And Answers
1. When did you know you wanted to become an author?This is the most asked question for authors and you would certainly like to have an answer to that. You can be completely honest about your journey of becoming an author and especially how and when it started.
2. Who is your biggest inspiration?We all have our inspiration in our life, so you must have someone you looked up to while you were exploring your journey as an author. Your inspiration doesn’t necessarily have to be an author because they can be anything to inspire. If you have such an inspiration in your life, you should most certainly answer the question by mentioning them and how they become your inspiration.
3. How many books have you written?If you have been an author for a long time, you would most certainly ask this question in an interview. You can answer this question with utmost calm and tell them the number of books you have written including both the published and unpublished work.
4. How do you come up with the subjects of the books?When an author writes a book, whether fictional or non-fictional, they do think about several themes and subjects of the book that it will be based on. So you might have asked this question about a particular book that you have written in your career. If that is the case then make sure that you know the foundation and inspiration for the subjects of your book and form a great answer with that.
5. Are the characters inspired or based on real-life people?This is also something your readers would be curious about and that is why they are most likely to ask this at an interview session. If the characters in your book are indeed inspired by a real person then it is up to you whether you want to tell that to your readers or interviewer or you would like to keep that yourself. Make sure you have an answer to this question as well.
6. What do you think happened to the characters after the book ended?This is also something the readers might be interested to know so an interviewer is highly likely to ask this question to you. If you have a theory on what happened to the characters after the book ended then share it. Although if you don’t want to answer this question and want to leave some mystery then it would be better to not answer the question or you can say that the readers can come up with their theories.
7. What does literary success look like to you?Success doesn’t have a definition and it looks different to everyone, and this is why most people do ask the questions about success to the celebrities in interviews. If you have your theory of success and what makes you feel successful then do share your views on this.
8. When will the next book come?If you are at an interview, there are high chances that you might be asked about the future projects and when they can get the next book, or if there is something on the floors. So be ready with the answers to these questions and see how you want to tell them about your next project.
Author Interview Questions
- What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
- Do you hear from your readers much? What do they say?
- How do you do research for your books?
- What are the tools of the trade?
- What does success mean to you? What is the definition of success?
- Is writing your full-time career? Or would you like it to be?
- On a typical day, how much time do you spend writing?
- Are you on social media and can your readers interact with you?
- When you’re writing an emotionally draining (or sexy, or sad, etc) scene, how do you get in the mood?
- What inspired you to start writing?
- How long have you been writing?
- When did you start writing?
- Have you always wanted to be a writer?
- What advice would you give a new writer, someone just starting out?
- How do you handle writer’s block?
- What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?
- What comes first, the plot or characters?
- How do you develop your plot and characters?
- How do you come up with the titles to your books?
- When did you first consider yourself a writer?
- Describe your writing space.
- What time of the day do you usually write?
- Describe a typical writing day.
- What is the most difficult part about writing for you?
- What is your work schedule like when you are writing?
Good Questions To Ask An Author
- When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
- How long does it take you to write a book?
- What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
- What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
- How do books get published?
- Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
- When did you write your first book and how old were you?
- What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
- What does your family think of your writing?
- What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
- How many books have you written? Which is your favourite?
- Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
- Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
- Do you like to create books for adults?
- What do you think makes a good story?
- As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
- What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?
- What is the first book that made you cry?
- What is the most unethical practice in the publishing industry?
- Does writing energize or exhaust you?
- What are common traps for aspiring writers?
- Does a big ego help or hurt writers?
- What is your writing Kryptonite?
- Have you ever gotten reader’s block?
- Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
- Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
- Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?
- What other authors are you friends with, and
- how do they help you become a better writer?
- Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
- If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
- How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
- What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
- What authors did you dislike at first but grew into?
- What did you do with your first advance?
- What was an early experience where you
- learned that language had power?
- What are the most important magazines for writers to subscribe to?
- What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?
- How do you balance making demands on the reader with taking care of the reader?
- As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
- What do you owe the real people upon whom you base your characters?
- How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
- What does literary success look like to you?
- What’s the best way to market your books?
Conclusion –
These are some of the most common author interview questions that you might encounter during your interview. These questions have been carefully selected by professionals to help you succeed and impress your interviewers.
We hope that this article proves beneficial for your interview preparation. Be sure to practice these questions and craft your answers in a polished and presentable manner. Thank you, and best of luck with your interview!
