You’ve probably noticed the banners for blog tours in the left column of the blog. I’ve been busily scheduling guest authors to blog here as well as asking our own Black Velvet Seductions authors to guest blog here. I think adding the voices of guest authors brings a lot of interest to the blog. It gives you something new to read when you stop by the blog…and I think that’s always nice.
One of the things I’m asked when I schedule a stop for a blog tour is whether I would like to interview the author or whether I would like the author to write a guest blog post. If I opt for a guest blog post then I’m asked to suggest three topics that the readers of this blog would be interested in hearing about. So far I’ve come up with topics, often asking the authors to blog about topics that I’ve enjoyed blogging about on some of my own tour stops (as Alyssa Aaron).
However…in the interest of keeping the blog interesting, engaging, and the kind of place you like to come and spend your time I’m asking all of you…what kinds of things you’d like our guest bloggers to blog about? What kind of questions would you like to ask your favorite authors or new authors you are meeting for the first time? Are the questions you’d like to ask different for new authors you’re meeting for the first time or are they the same questions you’d ask your favorite author? What are you most curious about?
Do you prefer to read guest blogs or do you prefer to read interviews?
I’m looking forward to hearing your opinions. I will keep them in mind as I schedule upcoming guest bloggers and/or interviews and as I offer up topics for our guest bloggers.
Hi Winnie and Tia,
Yes, both of your comments help. I agree with Winnie, a lot of the interview questions seem similar from interview to interview, blog to blog.
My goal here is to pull something different and unique out of the author…something that you won’t hear about in every interview or that they won’t blog about at every blog stop.
As you all know from the posts here, I’ve been blog touring myself (as Alyssa Aaron) the past week and a half. As I was preparing for the tour I found that the topics which asked something different were the most fun for me to write.
I want to give the authors wide latitude…but I also want posts here to be kind of unique.
I agree…asking the authors about characters or interviewing the characters is a good idea.
Here’s a follow up question for you. If I’m interviewing characters — which character would you like me to interview? The hero, the heroine, or the villain?
I enjoy reading interviews for new-to-me authors and usually guest posts for authors I’m already familiar with because sometimes, interviews tend to ask similar questions so I’m definitely looking for something new with authors I already know about. Of course, this is definitely subjective to the individual reader and it’s hard to please everyone with one blog post…
Whether it’s interview questions or blog posts, I find that I am interested in getting to know a bit about what first inspired the stories they write, how the whole book eventually came to be in terms of building upon their ideas and their writing process. Then I also enjoy reading about certain tidbits in their book that make it interesting and can grab my attention with (sometimes this can be like a whole concept of their worldbuilding within the book that can be a whole guest post itself!).
I also agree with Tia that character interviews are fun to read as well. It’s a great way to get to know a character or two of the story, see how he/she/they interact and get some of their perspectives on things as well.
This is one long comment, lol, I hope it helps
I enjoy it when the blog host interviews a character from the book or we get a few lines about what’s going on with a character. And finding out how the author comes up with ideas or what the writing process is like. Also, just random things make for good reading. So, I guess I’m more on the side of the guest blogging.