Questions Could Be Your Marketing Answer.

Why Not? James Schneiter, author of The Last Quarter: A Middle School Story, has posted a list of interesting questions about his book on his website. He did them as what I would call "teaser questions," intended to intrigue the website visitor enough to buy or at least sample the book. This is a smart technique and reminded me that there are at least two other ways to use questions to promote your book.

• Discussion Questions: If you expect your book to get picked up by neighborhood book clubs or classroom teachers, you better have a set of discussion questions available. Put them on your website. Point to them in the back of your book. Note in your publicity that "discussion questions are available."
• Interview Questions: If you want to get interviewed, prepare a set of interview questions. Talk show hosts, especially on the radio, need good interview subjects but they rarely have time to read books. If you get them a set of twenty questions, you'll have a much better chance of getting that interview (not to mention being prepared to answer the questions).

Teaser questions. Discussion questions. Interview questions. Why not do all three?--The Publishing Pro.