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.

13 members like this

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by SpotlightInterviews on October 16, 2011 at 6:43pm

Our latest interview is with Denise K. Rago, author of Immortal Obsession. Please see Denise's Spotlight Interview at the link below. Thanks Denise!

http://www.authors.com/profiles/blogs/spotlight-interview-with-auth...

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Permalink Reply by Marie Symeou on October 19, 2011 at 12:00pm

This is a great idea. Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by SpotlightInterviews on November 2, 2011 at 2:47am

Glad you like it, Marie. :) Thanks to all the new members that are showing interest in this! The more, the merrier and remember, it's free publicity.

Our latest interview is with F.E. Lockyer, author of The Pearl of Avalon. Please see Florence's Spotlight interview at the link below. Thanks Florence!

http://www.authors.com/profiles/blogs/spotlight-interview-with-auth...

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Permalink Reply by G.G. Vandagriff on November 2, 2011 at 3:23pm

I wrote all the answers to all the questions. Does PM mean personal message? I tried to send my replies back by message but it says I have to be a friend first.

Can you advise me what to do?

GG Vandagriff (ggvan1@gmail.com)

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Permalink Reply by Sean Noonan on November 2, 2011 at 8:27pm

Yes GG

you have to ask to be and be accepted as a friend and then PM the answers - maximum 10,000 characters though I only got about 8500 as max for some reason, still its enough to get the message out.

Good luck

Sean

G.G. Vandagriff said:

I wrote all the answers to all the questions. Does PM mean personal message? I tried to send my replies back by message but it says I have to be a friend first.

Can you advise me what to do?

GG Vandagriff (ggvan1@gmail.com)

FF

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Permalink Reply by G.G. Vandagriff on November 2, 2011 at 8:53pm

Thanks, Sean, I finally figured it out!

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Permalink Reply by Sean Noonan on November 2, 2011 at 9:13pm

Good stuff. I look forward to hearing more about you and your tales.

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Permalink Reply by Sheila Hendrix on November 16, 2011 at 5:38am

Hi! I tried to add spotlightinterviews as a friend but apparently I don't know how. Can anyone help?

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Permalink Reply by G.G. Vandagriff on November 16, 2011 at 5:52am

Sheila Hendrix said:

Hi! I tried to add spotlightinterviews as a friend but apparently I don't know how. Can anyone help?

Shiela: Look up a few discussions above here. I had same problem and Sean told me what to do.

GG

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Permalink Reply by Sheila Hendrix on November 16, 2011 at 6:08am

Hey G.G. I figured it out. Thanks though. BTW you know I'm the Sheila reading your book for the Nurture Your Books tour, right? I'm really enjoying The Only Way to Paradise. I've never wanted to go to Italy before until I read your book. LOL!

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Permalink Reply by SpotlightInterviews on November 17, 2011 at 1:04am

Thanks for helping Sheila, GG. :)

Our latest Spotlight Interview is with Nina Mensing, author of A Manic Marriage. Please see Nina's Spotlight interview at the link below. Thanks Nina!

http://www.authors.com/profiles/blogs/spotlight-interview-with-auth...

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Permalink Reply by SpotlightInterviews on December 8, 2011 at 10:39pm

Please find our latest Spotlight Interview with the author of Acceptance: Shadow at the edge of day and night, Andrew Souza, at the link below. Thanks Andrew!

http://www.authors.com/profiles/blogs/spotlight-interview-with-andr...