This post originally ran July 23, 2010
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).
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?
- 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?
- 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!
Fun!
If I had a super-power I would want to be able to apparate. Nothing like getting anyplace in the world in a split second…unless you get splinched!
I knew I was a writer when I wasn’t ashamed to tell people that I’m a writer.
Liesl, you’ve just taught me a new word and exposed the fact I’ve never read beyond Harry Potter #1.
Hm, any chance you’d like to do my author questionnaire for me? 🙂
Caroline: Thanks for this! I shamelessly stole the questions and answered them over at my writing blog. (http://bit.ly/lLxXCe)
Liesl: That is a fantastic way of learning for yourself that you’re a writer. Thanks for passing that along. (I’ll keep it in mind)
— Tom
Such interesting questions. I’m not sure my answers would be interesting. I’d definitely answer the one about super powers.
Tom, great idea!
Anna, enjoy. 🙂
This is the part of publishing I rarely get to hear about, so it’s fun to see what kinds of questions they do for promoting. I guess I didn’t realize they would be so simple.
I guess to add to that…if I had a super power it would either be turning myself (and objects) invisible, or the stretching power the mom has on INCREDIBLES. I could definitely find uses for those with kids =)
Those are some cool questions. I’ll have to remember some of those when I do my first author interview. I need to get some sleep before answering a single questions because my brain is fried right now. Have a good night!
I have always failed at questions such as these. In short, I have failed at so much of life itself.
You have a rocking web site. Did I ever tell you that?
Beth, I have a hard time believing this. And thank you. I love yours, too.
What a great author questionnaire! When I was an editor (at St. Martin’s, not RH) ours had nothing fun on it like this! My tip: really remember all the places you’ve lived for the section on where you might be “local”. You should include your homeotwn where you grew up and your college town, as well as where you live now. All three of those (at least!) can claim you.
Carin, it was really fun. We’ve been a lot of places the last fourteen years, so I’ve got a lot of communities I hope are interested in me as a former “local” author.