interviews
Do you read reviews left by readers? If so, how
do you deal with the good, the bad, and the ugly?
AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
WITH AMERICA’S #1 BEST-
SELLING AUTHOR, R.L. STINE
In case you’ve been living under a rock and
haven’t heard of the legendary R.L. Stine,
I’ll give you a very brief rundown. Robert
Lawrence Stine is one of, if not the most
famous author of children’s literature in the
entire world. Often called America’s #1
Bestselling Author, R.L. Stine created the
iconic children’s horror series Goosebumps,
and hundreds of bestselling books for kids,
teens, and adults alike––including the wildly
successful teen series Fear Street, which has
sold over 80-million copies worldwide.
Now, with that out of the way, let’s dive
right into my discussion with R.L. Stine:
You’re so well known and beloved around the
world. What would you like our readers to know
about you that perhaps isn’t so well-known?
People think if you’re a horror writer, your
whole life involves horror. I think many
would be surprised to know that I have a
subscription to the Metropolitan Opera and
also am a big ballet and theater fan. You
can’t be scary ALL the time!
Of all the series you’ve created (Goosebumps,
Fear Street, The Haunting Hour, Mostly
Ghostly, Nightmare Room, etc.) which has
been your personal favorite to write?
Goosebumps. Because the seven-twelve-year-old
audience is the best audience in the world. I
get my readers the last time in their lives they
will ever be enthusiastic about an author.
Do you still go on book tours? If yes, how might
an independent bookstore participate in one?
I’ll be touring a lot this year because it is the
25th anniversary of Goosebumps. Do you
believe it—25 years of these books? In
September, I have a picture book—Mary
McScary—that I did with Marc Brown of
Arthur fame, and Marc and I will be touring
for that. To arrange an author appearance,
it’s best to contact the publicity dept. at
Scholastic in NYC or the Simon & Schuster
speakers bureau, also in NYC.
Do you have a favorite conference that you
attend? If so, which one?
I go to ThrillerFest in NYC every summer.
I’m on the board of the International
Thriller Writers, the only board I’ve ever
been on in my life. I also try to do a lot of
book festivals. The annual one in Tucson is
a favorite of mine, and I love the Texas
Book Festival in Austin.
In a January ‘16 interview with thisweeknews.com,
you said, “I think anyone who opens a new
independent bookstore these days is a hero.” I You have this fantastic writing program for
couldn’t agree more. How do you feel about the teachers and librarians. Could you please take a
moment to explain a little about the program?
future of the independent bookstore industry?
I’m optimistic about the book industry
altogether. Despite all the entertainment
distractions, more people are reading these
www.TopShelfMagazine.net
This is a 16-page writing program with all
my writing tips and secrets. It can be
downloaded from rlstine.com for free and
Rainy Night Theater. How cool... Can you
tell us a little about this feature on your
website and what inspired you to start it?
I’ve been a fan of radio drama all my
life. I still listen to the great shows of
the 40s and 50s. I thought it would be
fun to do some short, creepy radio plays
and have them dramatized by New
York actors. These are for kids and
adults to listen to in the dark. My son
Matt is a sound designer for theater
productions, and he produced the ten
short scary plays at rlstine.com.
Here’s the best review I ever got on
Amazon: A 5-star Review— “The
packaging was very good. And it was very
easy to open.” My favorite review!
used in classrooms or by anyone who
thinks it might be useful. Some of the
questions covered: How to get ideas?
How to avoid writer’s block? How to
revise? There are many writing projects
for students included. I hope a lot of
people try it out.
days, especially young people. Trade book
sales actually went up in 2016. When I
started in children’s publishing, it was a tiny
little business, a few desks at the back of a
publishing house. Now it’s a billion-dollar
industry. Someone has got to be reading all
those books. I’m so happy to see new
independent stores opening all the time.
INTERVIEWS
Switching gears. Our readership is primarily
booksellers, librarians, and authors. My next
few questions are focused on how you, as an
experienced author, could help them. How much
work is required, even for an author as yourself,
to maintain your current level of success?
I spend a lot of time on social media, mainly
because I enjoy it. Twitter is a wonderful
medium for keeping in touch with my original
90s readers. I hear from them all the time, and
it’s very rewarding. I also do a lot of
marketing on Twitter and Facebook, telling
people about my new books. I think it’s smart
to be where your readers are.
Are there any marketing strategies you've seen
bookstores use that stand out as successful?
Bookstores who build good relationships with
nearby schools have led to very successful
appearances for me. So many bookstores
have good mailing lists now, so they can alert
their customers when an author is visiting.
What’s the most important thing a bookstore can
do for an author to promote sales? Obviously,
every book cannot be front and center.
I think the key is knowledgeable salespeople
who can guide readers to books they will
enjoy and help them make new discoveries.
Read more of our interview with R.L. Stine at:
www.TopShelfMagazine.net
TOPShelf magazine
JUNE2017 17