We are delighted to welcome John Raab to Omnimystery News today.
John is the publisher of Suspense Magazine as well as the host of several radio shows. We recently had the opportunity to spend some time with him talking about his role as an interviewer of some of the best and brightest authors of crime fiction.
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Omnimystery News: What do you typically do to prepare for an author interview? How much do you know about the author's work before the interview takes place?
Photo provided courtesy of
John Raab
John Raab: This is a good question. If I've not read the book, which I normally don't have a lot time to do because I interview so many authors, I visit their website and do a lot of background work on the author. Now of course if the author is a debut, there isn't much to go on besides their professional background. If I'm interviewing an author like Jeffery Deaver who has written so many books, it takes a lot of time to research all their books. With a more established author I've read at least one or two of their titles so I'm familiar with their work already, but when interviewing a debut author I rely more on their journey for publishing and the creation of the book to be the bulk of the interview.
OMN: What kinds of topics do you like to cover during an interview?
JR: Unlike many interviewers I do things a little different. The first question is always the same "Tell us about your book and the characters." After that I don't script the interview. I don't like to have every interview all sound the same. I want the interview to be more organic. I think being a good listener makes a good interviewer. By listening to the answers that generally gives me more questions to ask. I want the author to make sure they know that the interview should be about them, not me. I tell them always that this is their time. If I wanted to talk more I wouldn't have guests and just talk, but how boring is that? I like to know more about the characters of the book then the plot. Characters to me are the most important part of the story. I want the interview to be as well rounded as possible, giving the listeners a sense of not just the book, but who the author is as well.
OMN: How do you strike the balance between getting information from an author about their work without it becoming overly promotional?
JR: I think if you get off the topic of the book and talk also about the journey they took to get the book done, that helps out readers and fans to understand just how long and hard it is to write a book. Now of course some authors are very bad interviews, so I have to push them a little to get the conversation moving. But remember they are on my show to talk about their work, in most cases that includes past work unless it's a debut author, so most of the conversation will be promotional, but can still be fun. And that is the most important thing, have fun when interviewing someone and put the guest at ease.
OMN: Speaking of putting the guest at ease, some authors are undoubtedly nervous about appearing on a live radio show. How do you make them feel more comfortable?
JR: You can tell when I get them on the phone and talk to them off air before they go on if they are nervous or not. Mainly I know after the first question. If an author is nervous two things happen and I listen for them. Either they won't talk very much at all, or they will ramble on talking about nothing. In either case I have to change gears with the second question. I try and get off the actual book topic and get more into themselves. Most people love to talk about themselves and that generally helps to remember that it's just two people talking on the phone and not to think about other people listening. I always tell the guests, just act like we are at a bar talking.
OMN: Have you ever felt like you've lost control of an interview? How do you get back on track?
JR: Yep. One time I actually had to cut the interview short by 10 minutes or so. I was getting a lot of very short answers and felt like the author was answering questions on the witness stand. Sometimes you just have to know how to cut the rope and let them go. I'll try to find a topic that simulates the conversation, but that is not always possible.
OMN: Describe the ideal radio interview with an author.
JR: I just mentioned this after I interviewed Jeffery Deaver on one of my shows "Beyond The Cover". It was probably the best author interview I ever did. But it was all him. I've interviewed him several times, but this time was perfect. He was engaging. He knows exactly what he writes and how to talk about it. It really funny how someone can spend one or two years writing a book, spending countless hours perfecting it and then not know how to talk about it. Jeffery can tell you his characters favorite color, favorite food, exactly what they would say in any situation that is what makes a great interview. Really understanding what you write and able to talk about it. My advice for any author is be passionate, be entertaining, crack some jokes and have some fun. I remind them that they want to sell books and since they write, suspense / mystery / thriller and horror make sure that you are not boring. If the listener thinks the author is boring, they might then think so is the book and pass on it.
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John Raab founded Suspense Magazine in 2007. He is also the host of three radio shows on Suspense Radio Network ("Inside Edition", "One on One" and "Beyond The Cover") and the producer for two more shows, "Crime and Science Radio" and "The Story Blender".
For more information about the author, please visit the magazine's website at SuspenseMagazine.com, or find it on Facebook and Twitter.
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Suspense Magazine John Raab, Publisher
Suspense, Mystery, Horror and Thriller Fiction
Suspense Magazine was founded in 2007 on the premise that every author in the genre needed a platform to have a voice.
From that original concept, Suspense Publishing was born in 2010 to publish high quality books in the suspense/mystery/horror/thriller genre. Suspense Publishing now represents over twenty authors and has published over fifty books. Suspense Publishing’s goal is to be a leader in producing the highest quality books in the genre.
— Suspense Magazine
