You’re at an author event or a conference panel, listening
to an author speak. They’re funny, smart, compassionate, interesting. You feel
a connection. You’ve read their book, or you plan to. The panel opens up for
audience questions. You’d like to ask one, because there’s so much you’d like
to know, and more, because you’d like to have a human interaction with this
person with whom you’ve had, or will have, a literary interaction.
What should you ask them?
The mind goes blank.
It does for me, and I’m an author, for Pete’s sake. In that
moment, I want to give the author the small gift of my genuine interest in what
they think, and I hope they’ll return to me the gift of a genuine answer. But
what to ask?
photo by Tom Rivers, OrleansHub.com |
It’s a little bit of a love thing. And Love, as we know, is
not always close companion to Brain. Not when it’s put on the spot, and others
are watching.
What should you ask
an author? What kinds of questions do authors want to be asked?
I can only speak for myself, of course, but that won’t stop
me from sharing my firehose of opinions on the subject. But along the way, let’s
also look at major league author questioning: moderating panels.
Moderating an Author Panel: What
Authors Wish All Moderators Knew
Panel moderators, those intrepid souls, MUST ask authors
questions. Several in succession, before a public audience, in real time,
without embarrassing themselves.
Dear moderators—We love you. Truly. Panel authors are
grateful for the opportunity to present their books to new audiences. We’re indebted to moderators for giving us that chance. Always.
Why Panels, Anyway?
Authors accept invitations to speak, often gratis,
leave their kids, hire sitters and dogwalkers, travel—often at their own
expense, chew through precious vacation time, and do otherwise difficult things
to present their latest book to new readers. The publicity behind the
conference, and the speaking opportunities, are what accomplish that objective.
Thus an ideal panel gives authors the best chance to present their new books
to new readers in an interesting, engaging way. Anything else that comes of
it (meeting new people, having fun conversations, yummy food, scenery) is
welcome but secondary. Without the promotional bang for the buck, most of us
would rather stay home and work on our books.
The general public comes to panels because they like books,
they like reading, they want to learn about new books, and they think that
authors are interesting people. They’re curious and hope to get inside the mind
of an author to understand how and why they write. They’re fans of one of the
authors on the panel. There’s a bit of a mystique, maybe, surrounding the
author’s work, and some audience members hope to learn how to become authors
themselves. So, a panel will be successful for its audience if it gives them
the chance to learn interesting things about new books and about the people
who create them.
Too often, panels fall short on both counts.
photo by Bill Greene, Boston Globe |
Sometimes moderators step in at the eleventh hour because
someone cancelled or dropped a ball. In that case, reading three or four books
just isn’t possible. But reading even a portion of them, even a first chapter, or
a first few pages, still helps convey a feel for character, setting, situation,
and tone.
Then what? The
moderator has read the book. (Or hasn’t.) What should they ask?
Generic Questions: The questions we hear most often
go something like this:
- Where do you get your ideas?
- Tell us your writing schedule.
- Do you write on a computer or by hand?
- Do you have quirky writing habits? Routines?
- What time of day do you write?
- How do you balance writing with family/work/etc?
- Who designs the cover; do you get to choose?
- How did you find your agent / sell your book / find a publisher?
- Do you use outlines? Or do you plan your stories in advance, or see what comes to you?
These questions turn the discussion into either a
How-to-Publish conversation, or a When-to-Write session, or some sort of
therapy session about work/life balance. That’s definitely not what we came to
talk about (and not what we paid a sitter for). As for the quirks, we’re not exhibits in a zoo
with fascinating daily feeding/sleeping/mating schedules; we’re people who make
books, so let’s talk about the books. We only get 45 minutes; let’s
devote every one of them to books.
The Same Panel As
Every Other Panel: Generic questions turn Any Author into Every Author, and
every panel into The Same Panel As Every Other Panel. What a missed opportunity!
Authors, in theory, think interesting creative thoughts, or do interesting
research, and then write books about it. That’s the glittering gem each author
brought with them: all that they – and only they – learned or discovered
in the process of making this one specific book. It stinks to leave a
panel or signing not having had a chance to share it.
The Perils of Process: Panels quickly devolve into the
Same Panel as Every Other Panel because these are chiefly process questions
(when do you write, what do you write on, how long do you write each day, etc),
they elicit a sort of unintended (or superabundant!) narcissism. Why, yes, I
am a fascinating subject! Let me tell you how often I sharpen my pencils,
because naturally, you’re dying to know! And there goes the hour, and all
the audience has gotten is self-importance from the panelists. If the questions
are unflinchingly about the books, everyone will be better fed.
My Dream Question
Wishlist: Here are the kinds of questions I wish people would ask me, aside
from the kinds of questions that arise naturally from a reading of the book:
- Tell us about the journey that led to you writing this book.
- Tell us about one of the people at the center of this book, and what makes them interesting.
- Why does this book (or this subject) matter to you? Why was it worth spending a year (or five, etc.) of your life on it?
- What do you love about this book? What makes this book special to you? Is there a part that makes you cry? Makes you laugh? Is there a part you’re secretly most proud of? What is it?
- Tell us about any literary influences that went into this work, OR, tell us what other books this book joins in conversation.
- Who else should love this book? Describe the reader who ought to know about this title.
- What do you hope this book can impart to its readers?
- How did your work on this book change you?
Paradoxically, these questions about my books will help you
get to know me better, too. We learn
more about people when they talk about work they love than when they talk about
themselves. (Snoozer!) Besides, when we talk about ourselves we’re
untrustworthy witnesses, but when we talk about our expertise, something of value
comes through.
Developing questions that elicit the most interesting, meaty
discussions is by no means an obvious or intuitive process. It takes skill and agility
for a moderator to keep turning the conversation back to the books. Even
authors can need redirection in that way. But that’s what does the most for
everyone involved.
Now, again, just to be clear, I’m always glad to be on any panel, anywhere (well, preferably if
there’s an audience), and I don’t fault anyone for asking any question. A
sincere question is always welcome. Audience members don’t know how many times
I’ve already been asked about jacket art. Each time is the first time for them.
Any question asked by a young audience member becomes Priority A1, and I’ll
answer with my utmost seriousness and respect. I hope I give all questions that
same courtesy.
With practice, moderators and book lovers can learn to ask
questions that elicit an author’s meaningful expertise and heartfelt opinions. This
is the Brain + Heart input that you’ll remember long after the panel ends. We’ll
remember it, too, along with the warmth of your kindness when you greet us in the
signing line. Knock on wood, we’ll also remember a happy bookseller loving what
the panel did for today’s, and tomorrow’s, sales.
Appendix: Other Pleas for Panel
Moderators
I couldn’t help listing a few other items in my Dream Moderator
How-To Guide.
Introducing the author: When searching for bio
details, please don’t just go with Wikipedia. I see that all the time. Don’t
just google a bio and go with the one you find online from a conference from
four years ago. A stale bio omits the most important information about recent
titles and recent accolades. Ask the author in advance to provide their most
current bio, and start with that. In a perfect world, bolster that with how you feel about the author’s work. (If it’s
positive! J)
Accolades: The author can’t toot their own horn and
list their own achievements. It’s nauseating and unbecoming. But we do still
need those details shared. So please, do make sure to mention awards and
accolades in the introduction. For better and for worse, people sit up and pay
attention when they hear “bestseller” or “award-winning” or “debut” or “shortlisted
for…” So in order to make the audience more interested in hearing what we have
to say, we need the moderator to toot our horns for us. I often see panels
where the introductions are omitted altogether, or done in a cursory way (“John
Doe is the author of Cool Title, Jane Smith is the author of Another
Cool Title”), or done carelessly, as though it’s just an embarrassing obligation
that the moderator is anxious to put behind them. We need those introducing us
to prime the pump and let the audience know, Here is someone worth hearing.
It makes us look good and it makes you look good (look at the luminaries you
managed to attract!).
Balance: Oftentimes one author on a panel is much
better known than the others. Be careful not to lob most of the questions at
that person. Audience questions, when one author is a big name, are likely to
go solely to the big name. A moderator ought to run interference to prevent lopsidedness.
Otherwise it’s a Q&A with Bigshot, as though he/she were doing a lone
signing, with three embarrassed sidekicks wishing they could slink away and
disappear. Or feeling the need to barge in so as to be heard. Having the
audience submit questions in writing, for the moderator to select, rather than
passing around the microphone, may help, though admittedly that can be
logistically complicated.
Join the Conversation
Authors: What
would you add to the Dream Question Wishlist? What other Panel Pitfalls do you
wish could be avoided? Moderators: What
questions do you find most effective? What’s the hardest part about steering a
panel conversation? How could authors make the job easier for you?
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