Do Guidebooks Include Author Interviews And Extras?

Yes — in my experience guidebooks frequently include author interviews and extras, but it’s not guaranteed. Art-of books and deluxe companion guides are the likeliest culprits; they’ll pack interviews, concept sketches, galleries, and behind-the-scenes essays. Standard walkthroughs or episode guides, though, might only give you summaries and charts.

If you care about extras, look for words like ‘limited edition’, ‘collector’, ‘making of’, or ‘interview’ in the description. I usually skim previews and read a few reviews before buying; that’s how I spotted a gorgeous volume once that came with a handwritten author note and a glossy character sheet. It made the price feel totally worth it.

I get excited every time I see a new guidebook hit my feed, because yes—many of them do include author interviews and extras, but it really depends on the type and edition. Art books and ‘making of’ volumes often go the extra mile: you’ll find creator interviews, concept sketches, commentary on design choices, and sometimes essays by editors or scholars. I own a few that even have fold-out maps, timeline spreads, and character dossiers that feel like tiny treasure chests.

On the other hand, slim companion guides or basic strategy guides might skip long interviews and stick to stats, walkthroughs, or episode summaries. Limited or anniversary editions are where the good stuff usually lives—publishers will throw in interviews, behind-the-scenes photos, and sometimes postcards or posters. If you want interviews specifically, look for keywords like ‘interview’, ‘afterword’, ‘commentary’, or ‘making of’ in the table of contents or product descriptions.

My usual habit is to check previews on retailer sites or publisher pages before buying. Fan forums and unboxing videos are lifesavers too—people point out whether the translated editions trimmed content or kept everything intact. It’s a little bit hunter’s fun and a lot of satisfying reading when you finally crack one open.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no—I’ve learned that the presence of interviews and extras in guidebooks follows a pattern but isn’t guaranteed. Guidebooks tied to big franchises or popular creators often include interviews with authors or directors, plus extras like annotated scripts, production notes, and art galleries. I’ve seen impressive companion volumes like 'The Art of …' series or 'The World of …' books that are practically coffee-table treasures and full of creator commentary.

Smaller publishers or straight-up walkthrough guides will focus on utility: maps, item lists, and boss strategies. If you’re hunting for interviews, check the publisher’s site, read the editorial blurb, and skim sample pages when possible. Used-book descriptions sometimes mention whether a special insert (poster, interview leaflet) is included, which is handy for collectors like me who don’t always want to gamble on a blind buy. In short, do your homework and you’ll usually find whether a guidebook is just practical or gloriously supplemental.

I’m the kind of person who opens every guidebook looking for something unexpected—an interview, a deleted scene, an illustrated timeline—and more often than not I find at least one nice extra. For novels and manga, author interviews or afterwords are common in companion books and special editions; publishers sometimes compile several interviews into a single volume around anniversaries. For video games, developer interviews and concept art are frequent in deluxe strategy guides or ‘the art of’ books, and I recall a collector’s edition that came with a developer Q&A booklet and a huge fold-out map.

What changes everything is the edition and the market. Japanese releases sometimes include long interviews that get cut down in translations, whereas Western special editions might add essays from critics or extra artwork. Kickstarter-backed projects are especially generous—stretch goals often mean extra interview pages, signed notes, or bonus zines. My tip: check publisher previews, Amazon's Look Inside, or YouTube unboxings before committing. That saved me from buying a thin compendium that promised a retrospective but only delivered a short author note. When you find a guidebook that truly leans into extras, it becomes more than a reference—it becomes a narrative companion.