Authors, Writers, Publishers, and Book Readers

Be interviewed for the new Authors.com Spotlight Interviews series and featured on the homepage!

Good news! As a special feature for Authors.com members, we at Authors.com would like to give all you authors the chance to be interviewed. It will be a simple process and the questions are provided below. We created the SpotlightInterviews handle for this. Here's how it works:

Add SpotlightInterviews as a friend so you can send a PM (private message) to that handle.
PM your answers to the interview questions (see below) to SpotlightInterviews through your Inbox.
Add any single small image of your book you wish included to your PM.

We'll do our very best to feature you all in rotation on the front page of the site as time allows. Your interview Q & A will be included permanently on the Spotlight Interviews blog where we'll build a series of interviews. You can always promote it from that link.

It's easy! Simply copy/paste the questions into the PM and respond to them below each one as clearly and as in as much detail as you like. Take your time. Remember, the more interesting you make it, the more readers and comments you'll get. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to promote yourself and your book(s) free! All we ask is that you monitor your interview thread for any questions or comments and respond if necessary.

All of them can be found on the Spotlight Interview Blog here.

It's your responsibility to check the blog regularly for updates. We don't always have time to notify each and every one of you individually. And it's nice to read and comment on others. The more you do so, the more likely they will return the favor when yours is published.

DO NOT ADD YOUR COMPLETED Q & A TO THIS THREAD OR POST IT ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE SITE. This thread is for any general questions or feedback about the interview process only. We are using the private messaging system to gather interviews together in a structured fashion and to ensure that it's first come, first served. Please comply with that. Responses to the interview questions in this thread will be deleted. Send a PM only. Publicly displayed ones that have not been posted by a staff member on the Spotlight Interviews Blog will be removed. We do not want duplicate content nor queue jumping.

Here are the interview questions. Copy them, answer them and return them by PM.

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Q1: Thanks for participating in our Authors.com Spotlight Interview series! Please introduce yourself and your book to help our readers get to know you.
A:

Q2: Please explain how you came to be a writer, what inspired you to write your book(s) and how long it took.
A:

Q3: What did you enjoy most about creating this book?
A.

Q4: What facets of your life, both personal and professional, are woven into your book, if any?
A.

Q5. How did you get published?

Q6: Did you have any surprises or hiccups along the way during the book writing and/or publishing process?
A.

Q7: What one thing did you wish you'd known before you started this project?
A.

Q8: You're a fly on the wall when readers are discussing your book. What would you hope to hear them say about it?
A.

Q9: Tell us one thing about you that most people don't know or would surprise them.
A.

Q10: What single piece of advice would you give new authors?
A.

Q11: Share a short summary of a typical day in your life with us please.
A.

Q12: Describe where you do most of your writing. What would I see if I was sitting beside you?
A.

Q13: What's your motto or favorite quote you like to live by?

Q14: Is there anything else you'd like to share with us in closing such as your website, an imminent book launch or what you're working on presently?
A.

Authors.com profile:

Thanks for your time! Please share this Authors.com Spotlight Interview with friends and fans by linking to it, Tweeting it, Digging it, sharing it on Facebook and generally shouting about it anywhere you can. We'd ask fellow members to support you by doing the same.

Members, want to be interviewed too? It's free! Instructions are here: http://www.authors.com/forum/topics/be-interviewed-for-the-new

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Hope that's all clear! We look forward to helping you all shine a spotlight on your books. :)

IMPORTANT: PLEASE KEEP YOUR CHARACTER COUNT, INCLUSIVE OF THE FINAL PARAGRAPH WE ADD, UNDER 10,000 CHARACTERS. ANYTHING LARGER WON'T FIT IN A TEXT BOX.

ANY INTERVIEWS THAT DO NOT FOLLOW ALL THE ABOVE GUIDELINES WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED. THAT INCLUDES FORMATTING ISSUES CAUSED BY YOUR LAYOUT AND TYPO-RIDDEN CONTENT. WE DO NOT HAVE THE TIME TO PROOFREAD AND CORRECT YOUR INTERVIEW! COPY THE QUESTIONS INTO A SIMPLE PROGRAM LIKE NOTEPAD WHEN ANSWERING THEM AND DOUBLE CHECK IT PRIOR TO SUBMISSION. PUBLICATION DATES WILL VARY. INTERVIEWS ARE PUBLISHED ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED BASIS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sally Pomeroy on March 23, 2011 at 2:03am

Thank you for this opportunity!

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Permalink Reply by SpotlightInterviews on March 23, 2011 at 5:22pm

We're glad you like the idea, Sally. :) Please share it with any other writers you know! All they need do is join Authors.com to be able to take part in this. It's completely free as stated.

There's links at the bottom of the thread so people can Tweet this to their followers or share it on Facebook with their friends. It would be very helpful if members would do that too and help us spread the word! :)

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Permalink Reply by Kay Elizabeth on March 23, 2011 at 6:20pm

I love this idea! I'm looking forward to reading the interviews and will share this feature and the interviews best I can.

I Tweeted it here if anyone would like to Retweet it: http://twitter.com/#!/CuckleburrTimes/status/50609076694036480

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Permalink Reply by scribbler on March 27, 2011 at 7:44pm

Another excellent feature from Authors.com. Keep up the good work! :)

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Permalink Reply by judith barrow on April 4, 2011 at 2:42pm

Many thanks for this opportunity. Will spread the word

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Permalink Reply by halim abdelrahman on April 4, 2011 at 3:35pm

i don't get it, how does it work? can i still answer even though i haven't published a book? how old do yo have to be?

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Permalink Reply by Lisa R.Brereton on April 4, 2011 at 3:47pm

I am so looking forward to this wonderful opportunity and sharing my books in hopes that it will benefit others

Thanks so much

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Permalink Reply by Rusty Blackwood on April 4, 2011 at 6:24pm

I think this is a wonderful opportunity, and an excellent venture for all concerned. I can't wait to take part and take my turn. It might be a few days before I can have my answers in as I am swamped at the moment with revision and business but you shall hear from me soon. Thanks again!!

Rusty Blackwood.

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Permalink Reply by SpotlightInterviews on April 4, 2011 at 8:02pm

It's designed to give published authors the opportunity to promote their books, halim. The questions revolve around that and therefore are unsuitable if you haven't done so. Age doesn't matter but being published, or on the verge of your book being published soon (ie you have a publisher and a release date), does. :)

halim abdelrahman said:

i don't get it, how does it work? can i still answer even though i haven't published a book? how old do yo have to be?

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Permalink Reply by SpotlightInterviews on April 4, 2011 at 8:03pm

Thank you all for your interest! It's nice to see them dropping in my inbox. :)

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Permalink Reply by SpotlightInterviews on April 4, 2011 at 8:04pm

No rush, Rusty. They will be spread out over time anyway. Thanks for your kind words!

Rusty Blackwood said:

I think this is a wonderful opportunity, and an excellent venture for all concerned. I can't wait to take part and take my turn. It might be a few days before I can have my answers in as I am swamped at the moment with revision and business but you shall hear from me soon. Thanks again!!

Rusty Blackwood.