“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”
Here at What We Reading, speaking to authors is one of the best ways we’ve found to learn more about our industry and be inspired by our craft. Over on our Author Spotlight tab, we’ve been fortunate enough to interview some incredible authors, delving into everything from what influences them to what infuriates them about the writing world. This is why we thought we would look back and offer a comprehensive guide on some of the best questions to ask an author. If you’ve ever asked how you became a writer, wondered how book ideas are developed or how to publish a book once it’s been written, these are some of the best and most popular questions to ask in an interview with an author!
10 Best Questions To Ask An Author
If you ever find yourself with an upcoming interview or book event to attend, these questions are open and interesting enough to generate responses that are interesting, insightful and actionable.
1. How do you find time to write?
Our daily lives are so hectic with work, home and social commitments the greatest enemy of any budding writer is often time. This question will allow an author to explain how they find the time to write, and they are sure to impart some handy tips for you to take away with you i.e. blocking out an hour every day where you commit to writing something.
2. How long does it take to write a book?
Asking how long it takes an author to write a book will give you a good insight into the writing industry, and open the door to understanding word counts, publisher guidelines etc. Naturally, the time it takes to write a short story compared to a novel will vary significantly, so having more responses will give you a better insight.
3. How do you know what to write?
This question can give you a lot of insight into how an author’s mind works when they are writing. A writer will likely give you a good amount of tips on how they structure chapters and plan their work, ensuring that all of their ideas make it onto the page in a coherent manner. They may also explain the role of editors and the importance of having eyes on a story before it is submitted for publishing.
4. Did you self-publish or go into traditional publishing?
Self-publishing versus traditional publishing is still one of the hot topics in the writing world, so your interviewee is sure to have an opinion on this one! Self-publishing means a writer retains all of the profits they make from the sales of their books. However, they are also forced to bear all the costs of getting a book published. Traditional publishing sees a publisher taking on most of the costs, with authors being paid royalties on a percentage of the sales. Publishers will likely have a wider visibility net and significant distribution network that could help reach buyers.
There are pros and cons to either approach, making it one of the best questions to ask an author you find yourself in front of.
5. How did you get a book deal?
Undoubtedly one of the most burning questions budding writers have, asking this question to an author will likely lead to a discussion about creating and submitting book proposals and negotiating with publishers, all of which is great information on learning how the industry works.
6. How did you negotiate your book deal?
An author will likely explain that each of their works comes with its book contracts that they had to negotiate separately. When discussing book deals, an author will likely highlight these key areas they pay close attention to:
- Their book rights
- The book advance
- Royalties (domestic and global)
- An audiobook inclusion
Separate negotiations allow writers to leverage their work individually and ensure they aren’t locked into a long-term deal that turns out to be undervalued against their skill. Another important author interview question to ask here focuses on one-time book advances against royalties. Advances are great for new writers, but royalties are ongoing based on the percentage of sales.
7. What is the best time of day to write?
Everyone is different when it comes to the best time for writing, so some of the answers you get from your interview with an author may surprise you! Sometimes inspiration strikes at the most unusual of hours. Typically, most writers feel at their most creative in the mornings or later into the evening, however.
8. What is the hardest part of writing a book?
Any question about the hardest part of writing is sure to lead to a discussion about writer’s block. It’s an inevitable part of the writing process, and even the most successful of bestselling authors can find themselves going days or even weeks with very little progress on the page. What makes this one of the best questions to ask an author is the practical wisdom they will give you in how they tackle these obstacles. You’re sure to pick up some handy tips to take with you into your writing.
9. What advice would you give to a new author?
Another one of the best questions to ask authors is what advice they would give to a new writer in the industry. You could even frame it in a different way e.g. ‘What advice would you give to yourself if you could go back in time?’
The experiences these writers have picked up in the industry are invaluable to people starting out looking to make a success out of their writing, and this question gets to the most commonly made mistakes and obstacles, as well as how to conquer them.
10. Other useful questions
If you still find you have time left for some other questions for your author interview, here are some more options you could consider:
- If you could go back in time and read one book again for the first time, what would it be?
- How important are book reviews?
- What are your favourite parts of being a writer?
- What are your favourite/least favourite writing tropes?
- How much do your stories change as you write them?
- If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?
- What are your favourite parts of a story?
When it comes to interviewing writers, you must ask them about their work. It’s what they are most passionate about and therefore the thing they want to talk about most. Questions about their work, what inspires them, how they write etc. are sure to yield more detailed answers that are more interesting and useful.
Tips For Interviewing An Author
Test your equipment
From the pen you’re taking notes with to the recording software documenting their answers, it’s important to ensure that all your equipment is working properly ahead of time. Whilst most of these are features on your smartphone or laptop, equipment not working is a time drainer, makes you look bad and could lead to you losing material.
Ask intentional questions
The best interviews are the ones that feel the most natural. Like a conversation between two engaged and interested individuals. We’ve prepared some of the best questions to ask authors here as a guideline but feel free to veer off with any branching questions that feel natural based on the responses an author gives.
Do research
Finally, it’s essential to come to your interview prepared with research on the author and books you’re going to be asking about. Take the time to read their work at least once, take notes on the themes and messages they are attempting to create and explore other interviews they have done in the past to gauge some of the most unique angles to lead with.
Also, keep in mind your audience and what sorts of questions they would have for the author.
How To Prepare For An Author Interview
One of the best tips we can offer for how to prepare for an author interview is to start by planning your questions. Visualise the order in which you want to ask them, and how they lead into one another so that the interview feels more like a conversation than any interview.
Don’t be afraid to inject yourself into the interview. Authenticity helps you stand out and makes for a far more compelling interview for yourself, the author and your audience. Think about what you liked about the author’s work, and what points you picked up naturally whilst reading and have fun with it. It’s important to serve up soundbites and ensure everything is left open, giving the author plenty of room to respond.
And always remember to thank them for their time!
Good Questions To Ask An Author On Limited Time
Sometimes either you or an author will be pressed for time. If they don’t have the time to go into their life story and ways of finding inspiration, here are three of the best questions to ask an author:
- What are your favourite books?
- What advice would you give to an aspiring writer?
- What’s your number one goal with your work?
Questions To Ask Non-Fiction Authors
Non-fiction authors naturally differ from fiction writers. Rather than focusing on creative themes and imagination, questions for non-fiction writers typically focus on the inspirations and lessons readers can take away from their work. Some of the best questions to ask non-fiction authors include:
- What experiences influenced your decision to write about this topic?
- What made you move into non-fiction writing as opposed to fiction?
- What publishing tips do you have for non-fiction books?
Acing The Interview
Authors like questions that focus on their writing process, what inspires them to write, and what other works inspire them. Every author has a love for reading, so be sure to allow them to talk about their books, favourite authors and artists and what goes into their writing.
An interview with an author is all about preparation. Familiarise yourself with the person as well as the material, prepare your questions in advance and structure them in a way that flows naturally and allows all your pressing queries to be answered. Remember, your end goal is to find things out that you and countless others want to know!
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
