Questions to ask about books

Where did things turn, the point after which nothing could go back?

Locating the hinge is a better test of attention than naming a favorite scene, and people often pick different moments for good reasons worth hearing.

From: Questions to Ask About a Story

Do you push through a book you are not enjoying, or put it down?

The finishers are usually carrying guilt from school. The abandoners often read more overall. Either way, the answer tells you whether a six hundred page novel would be a gift or a burden.

From: Questions to Ask a Reader

What do you do when an actor keeps stumbling on the same line?

Working playwrights treat a repeatedly fumbled line as evidence rather than as the actor's problem. Whether they cut it, rewrite it, or defend it is a real window into how they collaborate.

From: Questions to Ask a Playwright

Which editors and imprints would you take this to, and in what order?

Named editors show real thinking; a general answer about the big houses does not. Their ordering also tells you how they see the book, whether as literary, commercial or something being positioned across both.

From: Questions to Ask Literary Agents

What is the book actually about, as opposed to what happens in it?

Forces a separation between plot and subject that most summaries collapse. Disagreement here is the most productive kind a book club gets, because two defensible answers usually means the book is doing more than one thing.

From: Deep Questions to Ask About a Book

For a book at this level, what does the marketing actually consist of?

Ask for the list of activities rather than the intention. Catalogue placement, review copies, a publicist, a co-op budget for retail placement, and paid advertising are all separate line items, and some are only assigned to lead titles. Enthusiasm is not a budget.

From: Questions to Ask a Publisher