If you're a writer who wants to promote himself or herself you should have a website and a press kit. One cool addition to both of these is a list of questions and answers that help people to see you as an individual. My publisher passed along to me the questionnaire that Waterstones bookshops give to authors so they can link them to their books on the Waterstone's website. I thought you might like to see them and add them (and your own answers, of course) to your promotional materials:
What was your favourite childhood book?
For some reason, the Redwood City (California) Public Library had a set of books by Enid Blyton, and I read and loved the “Famous Five” series. It was the start of my life-long love affair with England (where I now live) and gave me the hope that my real parents were English aristocrats who would come and re-claim me someday (I’m still waiting).
Which book has made you laugh?
Any book by Carl Hiaasen.
Which book has made you cry?
“Great Expectations,” at how Pip failed to appreciate his father and later came to regret it. If my father were still alive, he might not be too surprised by this choice.
Which book would you never have on your bookshelf?
A book that advocated book-burning.
Which book are you reading at the moment?
“Little Children” by Tom Perotta. It’s so good that I’m afraid to see the film.
Which book would you give to a friend as a present?
If they want to write, I’d give them my book, naturally, but also Brenda Euland’s timeless “If You Want to Write,” and Rollo May’s “The Courage to Create.”
Which other writers do you admire?
In no particular order, Elmore Leonard, Charles Dickens, Anthony Burgess, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, David Sedaris, T. E. Lawrence, and many, many others.
Which classic have you always meant to read and never got round it?
Crime and Punishment. The way things are going, I may get to Crime, I’m not sure I’ll have time for Punishment. (I can’t remember, but I may have stolen this joke from Woody Allen.)
What are your top five books of all time, in order or otherwise?
“Great Expectations,” “Earthly Powers,” “The Courage to Create,” “No More Second-Hand Art,” “Seven Pillars of Wisdom.” Those are just five great books that come to mind, I can’t really do a top five, the pressure is too great…
What is the worst book you have ever read?
Even the worst book has some poor soul behind it who put his or her heart and soul into it, so I’d rather not be cruel.
Is there a particular book or author that inspired you to be a writer?
It was more the fact that books were such a wonderful escape that made me want to be a writer.
What is your favourite time of day to write?
Late at night, when there are fewer distractions, and night itself seems a more intimate time to be creative.
Any favourite place?
My home office. I do find cafes good places to brainstorm while people-watching.
Longhand or word processor?
Computer, although I was happy to find on a trans-Atlantic flight that I was still capable of writing pages longhand.
Which fictional character would you most like to have met?
I’m going to cheat and say T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia)—while he was of course a real person, there seems to be agreement that the persona he created was a mix of fact and fiction. If that’s not allowed, I’d say dinner with the Macbeths might be interesting (but I wouldn’t drink the wine).
Who, in your opinion is the greatest writer of all time?
Well, it probably does have to be Shakespeare, but I’d put in a word for Dickens, too.
Which book have you found yourself unable to finish?
Any book by Jeffrey Archer. And “Don Quixote” (for different reasons).
What is your favourite word?
At the moment, it’s “delicious.”
Other than writing, what other jobs or professions have you undertaken or considered?
As a teen-ager I was a terrible clerk in a delicatessen for a couple of weeks (note: never put a vegetarian behind the meat counter); for a couple of years after university, I evaluated how government money was spent in the field of education (not well); and now as well as writing, I teach writing and creativity courses internationally and coach others to be successful with their writing.
What was the first piece you ever had in print?
It was a review of a band, published in the San Francisco Chronicle. Due to a mix-up, the article was attributed to someone else in the early editions. It was a useful foreshadowing of the writer’s life.
What are you working on at the moment?
I have recently finished a book on right-brain time management for writers and other creative people, which I’m selling as an e-book on my www.timetowrite.com website, and now am working on a novel and a book on scriptwriting.
