I was nervous when I found out that one of my duties during my internship was to interview authors. I was almost nauseous before the first interview. But I didn’t vomit. I eventually began to enjoy learning about the authors, their lives, and their writing. I started to look forward to the interviews because the authors were friendly and they gave me the gift of their time, a precious commodity to any writer.
One writer, Rebecca Waters, told a story about her first published work, and it touched my heart. She was in second grade, and her teacher published her story in the school’s newspaper!
Although I wasn’t published that early, I did receive an honorable mention for a story I wrote while I was in grade school. I should have been happy about that accomplishment. But somehow, I believed that if I didn’t win, my writing wasn’t any good. I admit sometimes I would downplay my early accomplishment, but Rebecca taught me, without knowing it, that my honorable mention was an achievement to be proud of.
From Curiosity to Connection
Decades after my honorable mention, a short story I wrote was selected for inclusion in the book By My Side. I knew nothing about marketing. I read a few articles, and one said that all authors needed a website.
I was an author, but I didn’t know what I was going to put on a website. I kept racking my brain, and I couldn’t come up with an idea.
One day, I grabbed By My Side for inspiration. As I flipped through the book, I saw the authors’ names, and I knew that many were from other countries. I was curious and wondered what their lives were like. Perhaps I could interview them.
That’s it! I’ll ask the publisher to see if she can help me reach out to the other authors. I contacted the publisher, and she agreed to help.
I didn’t know what I was doing, but I didn’t let that stop me.
Of course, I wanted to interview the publisher first because I wanted to learn more about the woman who chose my short story to be included in the book. I was excited that she agreed to let me interview her. I loved researching her life online, and I used what I found to create questions to ask her.
At that time, I didn’t realize how valuable interviews could be in helping authors market their books.
But now that I’m nearly finished with my digital marketing degree, I know interviews can be an integral part of an author’s marketing plan.
Beyond the Interview
I published the written interviews on my website without realizing that they were a marketing gold mine.
Through my digital marketing classes, I’ve learned that I can repurpose interviews and share them on other platforms.
I could post an excerpt from an interview on Facebook with a link to the full interview. Or I could feature the interview in an email newsletter.
Today, I can interview authors via Zoom, upload the videos to YouTube, and create Shorts from clips or share complete interviews as long-form videos.
Beyond connecting with authors, another benefit of interviews is that they are evergreen. Years later, they can continue reaching new readers. However, you must check periodically to ensure that links and information remain up to date.
Looking back at my early interviews, I now see that I conducted them because I was curious about the other authors featured in the anthology alongside my short story. Today, I realize interviews can be a wonderful marketing tool that, if used properly, can provide multiple promotional opportunities. Although they take time to conduct, the benefits far outweigh the time invested.
My goal from now on is to help authors promote their books so that they have the time to do what they love — write.
Have you ever discovered a new author through an interview? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments.
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