As an independently published author who has taken on the task of managing my own branding and marketing efforts, I understand how time-consuming it can be. As someone who works a full time job, writes, and still needs some down time to maintain a sense of balance, I definitely come up short in my effort towards self-promotion. I don’t dedicate much time to it, and that certainly plays a role in limiting my opportunities, but I do try to pick and choose the options that give me the most “bang for the buck,” so to speak. And for me, author spotlight interviews are one of those options.
Author Spotlight Interviews
Author spotlight interviews are great because they are another wonderful addition to your branding strategy, and they don’t require a substantial amount of effort. You automatically gain exposure you might not get through your own marketing efforts because you are reaching the audience of the person who is conducting the interview, and any opportunity to plug into a network of new followers is beneficial. The audience may not even be your target audience, but that’s not a bad thing. Those reading the interview may have their own social media platforms and may also be looking for content. The exposure you receive from one spotlight interview may gain you a handful of others down the road.
These types of interviews are also good if you are the type of person who isn’t comfortable doing live or recorded audio or video interviews. There’s no camera and no recorder. It’s just you writing out answers to the questions posed.
But the best reason to do a spotlight interview is that readers love to read about authors. There’s no substitute for giving readers a window into an author’s world, and many find this intriguing. When readers feel a sense of a personal connection to an author, they are more apt to become fans, and that in turn will boost your social media presence, drive traffic to your website, and generate sales.
An author spotlight interview is somewhat unique in that most of the questions focus on the “real you” behind that author veil. It’s all about getting to know you as a person. It allows you to tell your story, and show your human side. Some of the questions you may be asked may be as simple as, “What is your favorite snack food,” to something as complex as “What was your motivation to begin writing, and how did you come up with the idea for your book?” You can elaborate as much as you’d like and can showcase the parts of your personality you’d like to share with the world. You can talk about your interests, likes, dislikes, and the things that you are passionate about, all in as few or as many words as you’d like. Have fun with it but most importantly, be yourself.
How To Get Author Spotlight Interviews
So how do you go about procuring an author spotlight interview? First and foremost, build personal relationships. I’ve only done four author spotlight interviews thus far, but in each case, I’ve built a personal relationship with my interviewer. All were either other authors or bloggers with whom I was personally connected. Of these connections, three of four are with folks I have connected online via Twitter. And only one of the four either blogs or writes in the same genre in which I write, so that has given me an opportunity to tap into new reader bases. Granted, my experience might be different than yours, but building personal connections with other authors and bloggers has been a strategy that has worked for me.
When specifically seeking out these opportunities for interviews, perform searches within your genre on social media to find other bloggers and authors who share similar content. Also do some searching outside your genre for content providers that you find personally interesting. Many are willing to interview authors regardless of genre. Once you have identified those you find of interest, be sure to become familiar with their platform before contacting them. And when you do take that step to make contact, be sure to let them know that it’s not just a one-way street. Offer up your support and see if there is anything you can do for them to further their exposure by promoting them over your social media channels.
Finally, don’t leave out your local connections. When pounding the pavement, attending author book fairs, readings, launch events, or author socials, make some connections. There may be some in your local community who are interested in including an author spotlight interview with their social media content. Remember, it never hurts to take the initiative and ask.
Wrap Up
In summation, author spotlight interviews are great because they are a wonderful addition to your branding strategy, and they don’t take up much of your time or effort. They give you an opportunity to increase your exposure because you are given access to a built-in audience, one in which you may not have had an opportunity to realize through your own marketing strategy. But most of all, remember that readers (and authors) love to read about authors. An author spotlight interview lifts the veil of mystery on you as an author, and gives readers the opportunity to learn about the person behind the writing.
To ensure success when your author spotlight interview goes live, be sure your social media profiles are current, and you are easy to find online. Make sure all your links are current and readers know exactly how they can contact you. Provide a free giveaway in link or on your website so those who are interested in learning more are more apt to follow you and take an interest in your for sale works. And finally, don’t forget to share the interview across your social media channels when it goes live.
The author spotlight interview is a wonderful addition to your branding strategy because, after all, what’s more interesting than reading an author than reading about an author.
Vince Guaglione is a guy who asks lots of questions, not only of himself, but of his society and the world around him. Although he claims he’s found no real answers, that hasn’t stopped him in his quest to gain perspective on a little something we call life. The core of Vince’s work lives in the personal transformation genre, but he also writes short fiction and dark poetry. His Narratives collection of works can best be described as his unique brand of personal journaling focusing on humanism, consciousness and thought, philosophy, and self-discovery.