For the last three weeks, I’ve been plugging away at my author questionnaire. The packet I received started with a note from my editor which included this:
What you tell us here will serve as the foundation of our marketing, sales, subsidiary rights, and publicity efforts for your book, so your responses are very important.
I was grateful to have spent some time last winter thinking through things like my target audience, comp. titles, and institutions/organizations that might be interested in MAY B. (such as prairie museums).
For those of you who missed my series on Marketing Plans, click here to see the first post.
It’s surprising to find out how interesting this aspect of publishing is to me. I never expected to find promotion fun, but I’m telling you, there is something very satisfying about discovering a person or organization that might connect with your book. Think matchmaking and treasure hunting combined.
My questionnaire ends with something I especially fun:
As you may have gathered by now, we want readers to get to know you. This short list of questions-and-answers will be featured on our website. If you’d like to participate, please choose five questions from the list below and compose five brief (a few sentences are fine) answers. If you have something amusing to share that’s not covered below, feel free to invent your own question(s). If you submit more than five sets of questions/answers we will select five to appear on the site.
Can you share any funny, strange, or wonderful stories about how your book came to be?
What are you reading now?
Other than your own, what is your favorite Tricycle Press book?
What are you working on now?
Do you eat your vegetables?
If you had a superpower, what would it be?
How long did it take you to write this book?
What was the hardest thing about writing a book?
When did you know you were a writer?
What was your inspiration for writing this book?
Who is your favorite author?
What’s the history of your first or last name?
What was your favorite food when you were little?
What is your favorite food now?
Do you have any unusual or special family traditions?
Do you have any hobbies?
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
How do you cheer yourself up when you’re feeling down?
What is your favorite birthday memory?
What is your favorite sandwich?
If you owned a horse, what would you name it?
How do you spend a rainy Saturday morning?
What was the first book you can remember reading?
What’s your favorite snack food?
If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
Where were you when you found out Tricycle Press would publish your book?
What is your favorite thing about being an author/illustrator?
How long does it take you to write a book or create a piece of art?
What book do you re-read every few years?
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I ended up answering ten. We’ll see what’s selected for Random House’s site.
What would you pick to answer about yourself? Share your answers in the comment section!
These are fanatastic questions. I would have had trouble picking 5 too. I think my faovorite question is — If you owned a horse what would you name it?
Monster Baby and I were just talking about this the other night. She said Rose Petal for her horse and I said Wallace for mine.
It’d be hard to pick. I’d try to pick something fun that kids would like such as a favorite birthday memory or what animal I’d like to be–a unicorn.
Cool Questions! I think the “Do you eat your vegetables?” could lead to some interesting stories.
Thanks for sharing. I’ve always wondered what the author questionaire would be like.
Wow, that’s a ton of questions to choose from Caroline! But so exciting.
The first question that jumps out at me is of course dealing with my favorite food – MEXICAN.
Speaking of that, hope that you are settling in your new in New Mexico.
Have a great weekend.
Rainy Saturday morning! Hot breakfast all by myself with a good book, or writing with the television on in the background! Ahhhh!!! That sounds like it must have been fun, Caroline!
Those are such cool questions! Obviously someone in their publicity department knows kids really well.
And of course I eat my veggies. Is there another option?
Every step on the publishing journey is such fun to read about. Good luck.
Well, I’ve owned horses and I never got to name them because they already had them when I bought them, but maybe…Fruit Tingle. Just because.
And I was named after Jade Jagger. My mum is a big Rolling Stones fan.
Hi, hope it’s OK to contact you here. We would love to include your blog on our giveaway search engine: Giveaway Scout (http://www.giveawayscout.com). Have a look and if interested, use our online form to add your blog (http://www.giveawayscout.com/addblog/ ). thanks, Josh
Great post. I’m waiting for my editorial letter right now and it’s wonderful to be following your journey and learning so much about the road-to-publication process for you. Thanks so much for sharing! – Stasia
Ooo, I can’t wait to see all of your answers! What a fun way to get to know an author.
Caroline, do you know Ginger Rue? She’s also a Tricycle author– her second book comes out in Sept… and she and I went to the same high school! You should “meet”! http://www.gingerrue.com
What a fun list of questions! No wonder you are loving this part of the process!
I would like to be a dog of course. Belly rubs!!