The Online Interview

Writers these days have to be half-creatives and half-marketers. Sometimes that’s a real stretch. After all, it involves the other side of the brain and includes spread sheets, cold calls for book signings and all types of extravert activities that drive us to eat large bowls of chocolate ice cream, looking for comfort.

One of the marketing tools that is becoming more common and effective is the online interview. We are, after all, an internet society now. Few of us can fly to a studio, sit through makeup and try to come up with witty chat until the commercials interrupt us.

But the online interview is simple. Just answer the questions and let the interviewer post a blog.

That happened for me. Several weeks ago, Dawn Alexander of Writer in Waiting contacted me and asked me several questions about my book and the writing process. I answered the questions and sent them to Dawn. This week, she posted the interview on her blog: http://chasingsomeday.blogspot.com/2012/08/rj-thesman.html

When I read the entire interview, I was amazed at how Dawn put my answers together to help me sound succinct and half-way sane. It was another marketing tool that we shared with my publisher, Facebook, Twitter and now here – on my blog.

So…writers take heart. It’s not that hard to answer a few questions, and you never know what might happen. Someone who reads the interview may buy your book and those words you penned so long ago will find a soul spot to land.

Thanks, Dawn. I appreciate your skills and your help.