Calling All Authors!... Help?
So... I've been asked to do a little research on the best sites online, whether it be blogs, magazines, or anyplace else that conduct great author interviews. Google has been a bit of a dead end, and then I realized that I've got the best resource on the web - you!
If you wouldn't mind sending me an email or leaving me a comment, I'd really like to hear the places on the web that you were interviewed when you were promoting your books. We're looking for ways to help our authors reach new audiences and sell new books, so any suggestions you might have will be enormously helpful.
Thank you all for making Red Room the best literary community anyplace! Every day, it's a joy to read what you all are writing, and if I don't get a chance to say it, let me just say: Thanks for writing.
-Max
- Login Or register To Post Comments
- Send To A Friend
- Share With:
June Casagrande says:
Hmmm?
You mean like any form of media that posts the interviews online? Or sites that do the interviews primarily for online readers/listeners?
For example, NPR's "Day to Day" interviewed me and put the audio file online (so the whole world could hear that my first instinct in a grammatical conundrum was to say "Beer me.")
Ooh. Powell's Books up in Portland. They do lots of author Q&A's. Here's the one with yours truly.
Red Room member and friend o' mine Deanna Cameron has been doing a really good author interview series at her blog, focused especially on book promotion.
Oh, and here's a fun one: Dallas Book Diva does audio interviews for podcasts.
My friend Nancy Mills of Spirited Woman does 'em, too.
How's that for starters?
Marilyn Kallet says:
terrific list, June!
I'm impressed--this is very useful! Marilyn Kallet
Marilyn Kallet says:
Great topic, Max!
I've found that the Kansas City newspaper (The Kansas City Star), the radio station there that does "New Letters on the Air" really do a fabulous job of interviewing. The book editor at the Star, John Mark Eberhart, is a poet himself. His interviews are stunningly good.
Kansas City seems to really value books, authors--and barbeque.
Tania Hershman says:
Short Review author interviews
Hi Max,
well, if you are interested in short stories, The Short Review reviews short story collections and interviews as many of the authors as possible. We have around fifty interviews so far, and over a hundred book reviews and other short story-related links etc.. Pop in and have a look around! Nice to meet you on Red Room.
Tania
Susan Henderson says:
My blog, LitPark.com,
My blog, LitPark.com, features interviews with Neil Gaiman (we did a photo history of his hair), Buck Lewis (the creator of movies like Over the Hedge and Cars), Red Room's Xujun Eberlein (we talked about the impact of China's Cultural Revolution on her writing), and so on. The best thing about LitPark is the community. Long after the interview is over, we're still talking about books and careers in the comments section.
Other good spots: Powell's, Laila Lalami, Backspace (they have guest speakers, and it's another committed and engaged community), Dear Reader, and M.J. Rose's BackStory.
Nice to meet you!
Max Sindell says:
Thanks!
Thank you June, Marilyn, Tania and Susan! These are very helpful. I just know that there are tons of both national and local venues for authors to be interviewed, but no one has a great directory of them. Yet...
Anyone has any more ideas?
-Max Sindell, Red Room
Jennifer Gibbons says:
Max, try Karin Gillespie's blog...
she always has good pub info and interviews with up and coming writers.
Max Sindell says:
Thanks Jennifer
Another good suggestion, her blog also led me to this list.
-Max Sindell, Red Room
Bob Levin says:
The Comics Reporter
The Comics Reporter intervied me for my most recent book and Suicide Girls for the one before that.
Marilyn Kallet says:
I was asked to do an interview just today--
Max, This site looks interesting. It's international. We'll see how they do with my interview, but I'm hopeful.
The site is http://www.public-republic.net
All cheers and thanks, Marilyn Kallet
Michele Ulriksen says:
Promotion: Local Papers, Radio stations, Indie Mags...
Hey Max,
On the promotional track, I've hit alternative magazines, newspapers and radio stations. I got an interview recently on KBOO-FM in Portland, Oregon, and I was also interviewed by Barry Lynn (also a Red Room author!) on his show Culture Shocks. The links are at my web site under the media link: www.ReformAtVictory.com I need to post them at my Red Room page but haven't had a chance to do that yet.
Small local independent and cultural magazines are a GREAT way to get exposure. They always support local writers.
I have an author event on January 27 at Powell's Books in Portland. They already have a bunch of stuff on their site about my book, Reform at Victory. I didn't even know they were going to post all that online! I went there to check to see how many books have sold and I was quite surprised.
Oh, also, Community Colleges love local writers. I landed a book event and a feature story at Linn-Benton Community College, and I've been invited to speak at another Community College near Portland sometime during the winter term. Portland State University has also invited me to do a reading in March. English departments are always supportive, especially if you are a student, which I am!
By the way, I am just about done with your book, The Bright Side. I love it! I think the 'voice' you use to speak to kids and teens is very effective and soothing. Nice job, Max.
Michele Ulriksen