Incorporating Authors into Your Blog

[Tracie Yule]

Right now, I'm not conducting any author interviews on my blog. I've seen other sites do it, but I want to do something a little different that is a bit more creative. I would like to offer authors some topics to guest post on my site. Would authors be receptive to this idea?

Next, what authors do I choose for my site and when? After I've read the book (and I liked it), do I offer a guest post? What if I don't like the book, should I never offer a guest post?

How do other bloggers handle authors on their site?

[Jaime Huff]

Yes, those are called Guest Blogging/Guest Posting. Bloggers do this quite a bit, also, generally as part of a book tour, or whatever. Here's one I had recently: http://booknerdextraordinaire.blogspot.com/2009/08/cl-talmadge-gues...

What, who and how you choose is entirely up to you. Generally if I am doing reviews for books from publishing houses, a lot of times they contact me and ask me if I would like the author to do a review or guest post. Then the publisher is the go between. If the author contacted me to review the book, then if I REALLY love the book, I will email them and ask if they would like to interview or guest blog on a topic of our choosing. As a matter of fact, an author from book blogs , MD Griffith author of Alec Thrace and The Lost Medallion, is one that I am going to be interviewing. We have chatted quite a bit as I have been reading his book.

If you don't like the book, I wouldn't ask them to do an interview or a post and then turn around and slap them in the face with a negative review. That's just me, though.

As for your last questions, what do you mean, how do other bloggers "handle" authors?

I really enjoy interviewing authors and coming up with topics for them to blog about. I haven't done many but I have had sooo much fun!

[Tracie Yule]

I agree. I don't think interviewing authors of book you did not like is a good idea and is rude.

As for interviews. How do you conduct them? Are they via phone, chat? How do you come up with questions?

[Jaime Huff]

For interviews, they are (at least all of mine have been) done via email. I just compile a list of questions and email them. It gives you time to prepare and the author time to think and write out the answers.

As for the questions, it really just depends. I ask the author about themselves (education, how often they write, do their families read their books, etc.), about the book I read and what other ideas/books they have in the future, and something off the wall... like the last ones I did, I asked the authors "If you were a dessert, what would you be and why?". The two authors I asked had me in stitches. Some of the authors/publishers will allow you to give away a book to coincide with the interview/guest post and some will even engage with the readers of the blog. Actually, a really good one for example is an interview I did with Sharon Lathan who wrote "Loving Mr. Darcy" and she is a ton of fun and was commenting on the bloggers who commented! Here's the post: http://booknerdextraordinaire.blogspot.com/2009/09/interview-with-s...

One thing I suggest, if the author has a website, read it. Find out all you can and use that info to help guide your questions!

[Joss Arden]

So, if interviews are done via E mail, is there ever room to ask follow up questions or not so much?

[Stacy-Deanne (Novelist)]

Interviews these days are conducted mostly through emails. It's easier for everyone that way, especially the author because most are very busy. Plus, a lot of authors don't share their phone numbers with the public. You just write a list of questions and send them to the author. Specify when you'd like them done because if you don't, you might never get them back. Even magazines are doing interviews online these days.

As for how you come up with the questions, you read the author's web site, google them, read their past interviews. We appreciate that more than someone who doesn't do research. I had an experience with an interview where the reviewer didn't take the time to learn anything about me to the point where he got my book titles wrong! I was livid and also wrote a mental note to never be interviewed by him again. I also think it's best to interview author's whose books you've reviewed or have at least read. Then you'll be more comfortable interviewing them and can ask detailed things about their book as well.

Tip: Try to interview authors who have new releases on the way or books that have just been released. That way you can center the interview on the new book.

As for what Jamie said about interviewing someone after you give them a negative review, I'd have to agree. This could not only be seen as rude but can get you cursed out by the author (yes many of them do go there), and they can pass this around to their author pals in the industry about how "rude" you were. You don't want to end up in a hateful twitter session like that reviewer who recently gave that author (forgot her name) a negative review. You don't know what an author will do these days. You don't want to become the subject of somoene's hate blog. Seriously.

Best Wishes!

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

[Sophie]

I just started my own blog, but I have been debating author interviews. Right now I think I am going to hold off on even considering it until I have a few followers and post for a few months. Plus, I don't necessarily just do book reviews, my blog is more a discussion of topics in the books I read.

[Mary @ The Sweet Bookshelf]

I do a featured author once or twice per month. No interview, but just bringing my readers to the knowledge of who some other great author's are and what their books are. Here are some of My featured Authors:

Sophie Kinsella
Brandon Mull
Gail Carson Levine

Mary
The Sweet Bookshelf

[Books For Sale]

I usually ask authors to do an interview. To my way of thinking it is at least worth a try. You would be surprised how many authors are willing to do and interview on even a small blog. My old book review blog had only 300 or so visitors a day and I had one New York Times best selling author accept an interview.

[Rhonda McKnight]

I do author interviews every Sunday. Smart authors know even small blogs have readers and every reader counts. :o) In my experience, the bigger the author, the more they recognized this and were happy to be interviewed. I have NYT bestselling author Kim Roby on my blog tomorrow and my traffic has dropped off alot because I haven't been promoting my blog. I may only get about 50 hits a day.

[Stacy-Deanne (Novelist)]

Hi Tracie,

A lot of people do guest blogging. People always ask me but it turns out to be when I am too busy. It's much easier for me to just do an interview or Q&A for a site. You should try to contact authors who blog because they may be more inclined to do them since they blog anyway. I think it's a great idea to guest blog but everytime I'm asked, it's just at the wrong time, LOL.

Just remember to explain to the authors you're asking that you'll be patient. You can have a month set up for when you want them to do it, that way they can fix their schedule ahead and this will be more attractive to them. Working with them, sort to speak. Also, offer to review their books or offer to post their book covers or web sites on your blog if they participate.

Best Wishes!

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

[Sheila DeChantal]

I agree with Jamie, if it is a book I have been enjoying and as I go along I have questions and wish to do an author interview, I start by contactting the author and let them know I would be interested in an interview. In some cases I am in communication with the author throughout my reading - but in most cases as I am nearing the end of the book I will email out questions.

I love talking with the authors and I enjoy hearing their idea that was behind the book. I keep a tab on my blog so readers can click on anytime and see all the author reviews I have completed.

I just interviewed Cami Checketts, author of The Sister Pact. You can see that interview here

[Gina (BookDragon)]

I have a feature on Thursday that I call, for lack of an imagination, Introducing... (http://mybookdragon.blogspot.com/2009/08/introducing.html. )Basically, I post the author's bio when I've been sent a book to review. Sometimes the author will have something else to post (http://mybookdragon.blogspot.com/2009/07/sent-for-review.html) and I'll use that or will already have a Q&A sheet that I can use. I haven't done anything too formal yet but hope to expand on my introducing... feature.