A podcast where the host has a series of book discussion questions is a place where avid readers, book writers, and podcast listeners meet.

If you find some difficulties with your interviewing skills, consume our material on Podcast Interviewing the Right Way to put these questions to good use.

Perks of Book Club Podcasts

These shows can be so entertaining and have enormous value, they can share some similarities with literary criticism sessions and has the same pleasures of a book club experience to the audience, allowing them to enjoy the thrill of an intense discussion between the voices on the show clashing with contrasting contributions on a book, journal, or magazine.

Flexible book podcasts give room for a free flow of ideas and theories. On the other hand, some book shows lead with defined questions to structure the discussion around the book. The latter kind of shows requires deep questions that would attack the most intriguing philosophies in a book or subject under discussion.

Book Podcast Sample Questions

Having a personal interest in books, especially the one reviewed, determines the quality of your questions. If composing questions is giving you a hard time, take a look at these questions we have compiled that are sure to deliver a kick:

Questions for an Author

Asking your guest author cliche questions will wear them out before the interview even starts, or worse, piss them off and cut your interview short. Ask inspiring questions that stimulate your guests, giving your audience a good show to enjoy.

• What were the main themes of the book? How did those themes relate to life as we know it?

• What is the most unethical practice in the publishing industry?

• What is your work schedule like when you are writing?

• Do you think of your readers while writing, or do you strive to be as original as possible?
• Can you describe your ideal reader? (the specific person you wrote the book for)

• How old were you when you started writing? or wrote your first book?

• What other authors are you friends with? Do any of them inspire your work?

• What’s the most surprising thing you learned in creating your books?

• If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

• What was an early experience where you learned that words are powerful?

• What’s the biggest challenge with writing characters from the opposite sex?

Podcast Questions for Book Readers

Ask good questions to open an interesting discussion about a book.

• How do you feel about how the story was told?

• What is the significance of the title? Did you find it meaningful?

• What do you think about the main characters?

• How would the book have played out in a different time setting?

• What was the most emotional part of the story for you?

• Have you read other books by the same author? Are they similar to this selection in any way?

• What was the biggest takeaway from this book?

Tips for Book Podcasts

Study the material you’d be presenting on the show. Running an appealing book show requires some preparation. Knowledge of the material you will be putting a giant microscope on is essential. You would be in a better position to interview the author and ask profound questions concerning the book.

Conclusion

With the arsenal of questions on this article, you’re set to produce inspiring shows for your book loving listeners.

As a bonus tip, check out our article on The Ultimate Guide to Narrative Podcasting. Find out how professionals create and edit interviews to deliver a riveting story mode podcast.