You've identified the people you'd like to interview for your article. Now it's time to approach them and formally request an interview.
It's imperative that you identify yourself properly. You must also state the name of the publication you are writing for. If there's a chance the interviewee hasn't heard of it, provide some details about the publication, such as the topics it handles, how often its published, where it can be found, and who reads it.
If you're not a member of the publication's staff, describe yourself a "contributing writer," because it sounds better than "freelancer." Include contact details for the editor who commissioned the piece, so the interview subject can check your bona fides.
Outline the article you plan to write. A little flattery can help; tell your subject that he/she is central to the topic you're writing about.
List some of the questions you expect to ask. And by all means state your preferred means of communication (email, telephone or meeting in person), but be sure to ask the other party if he/she has a particular preference. State your preferred date for the interview; do contact potential sources as far in advance as possible, in case they're going on vacation.
Here's how I approach people I'd like to interview:
Dear Mr. Smith,
My name is John Jones. I am a contributing writer for WESTERN WIDGETS, a monthly magazine that follows trends in the widget industry in Canada's West.
Alan Roberts, the magazine's editor (tel: 123-456-789; alanroberts@westernwidgetsmag.com) has commissioned me to write an article about the new XYZ widgets and the impact they are expected to have on the market.
As your company is a leading innovator in this field, I am very much hoping to interview you or another executive in your company.
Given distance and time differences (I am based in Timbucktu) I hope to conduct this interview by email. However, if that's inconvenient, we can do it by telephone. If you'd prefer, I can email my questions to you in advance.
If you would like to know more about the proposed article before committing yourself, please contact me or Alan Roberts at your convenience.
Yours sincerely,
John Jones
Mar 29, 2012
Mar 26, 2012
Interviewing: Why you must quote
Quotes are essential for two reasons. Without them, you're unlikely to convince the reader that the article contains more than your own opinion. And it goes with saying that good quotes greatly enliven an article.
Quotes usually come from living people, but they don't have to. You may well find relevant and engrossing quotes in books, letters, diaries and media reports – and even in studies produced for think tanks and government agencies. In this short article, originally published as a sidebar to a much longer piece, I got all the quotes from previously published (if obscure) sources.
You may even find something useful in a work of fiction. If you've been commissioned to write about something which may happen but hasn't yet, science fiction is likely to provide some insights. If you're writing about how human settlers could survive on the surface of Mars, the obvious source would be Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy.
Quotes usually come from living people, but they don't have to. You may well find relevant and engrossing quotes in books, letters, diaries and media reports – and even in studies produced for think tanks and government agencies. In this short article, originally published as a sidebar to a much longer piece, I got all the quotes from previously published (if obscure) sources.
You may even find something useful in a work of fiction. If you've been commissioned to write about something which may happen but hasn't yet, science fiction is likely to provide some insights. If you're writing about how human settlers could survive on the surface of Mars, the obvious source would be Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy.
Mar 25, 2012
Interviewing: Identifying people you want to interview
Almost all interviewees fall into one of two categories: specialists, and non-specialists with first-hand experience of whatever it is you're writing about. In most situations, your article must quote people in both categories. If you're writing about a natural disaster, for instance, you'll want at least one expert to explain what happened and why, and some victims who can say how it felt and how it's changed their lives.
Typical members of the first category are academics (who can be found by searching for scholarly articles posted or excerpted online); PhD students; professionals such as lawyers, doctors and architects; local and national government officers; and people who work for non-profit organizations.
It makes sense to identify and talk to your specialist sources before approaching those who aren't experts but have personal experience of the issue. Oftentimes, specialists will be able to point you in the direction of individuals who can provide fascinating anecdotes. Also, after talking to a specialist, you'll be better informed and asking more pertinent questions. When I wrote about volunteers serving in Taiwan's national parks, I began by discussing the issues with civil servants responsible for selecting, training and supervising volunteers. All of the actual volunteers I later spoke to were introduced to me by these civil servants.
If you're writing about something that happened long ago, there may well be no living witnesses. That doesn't mean you'll have to depend on academics. Try to interview a descendant of someone who was there. Quote from letters, diaries and newspaper reports written at the time. I think of this last technique as “quasi-interviewing.” I'll talk about it more in my next post.
How do you find interview subjects? Look for their names in the media. Good old-fashioned networking helps a lot when seeking interviewees. If you've a foot in the door of any large organization, be it a college or a company, exploit it. Don't be shy about asking people you barely know for help.
Typical members of the first category are academics (who can be found by searching for scholarly articles posted or excerpted online); PhD students; professionals such as lawyers, doctors and architects; local and national government officers; and people who work for non-profit organizations.
It makes sense to identify and talk to your specialist sources before approaching those who aren't experts but have personal experience of the issue. Oftentimes, specialists will be able to point you in the direction of individuals who can provide fascinating anecdotes. Also, after talking to a specialist, you'll be better informed and asking more pertinent questions. When I wrote about volunteers serving in Taiwan's national parks, I began by discussing the issues with civil servants responsible for selecting, training and supervising volunteers. All of the actual volunteers I later spoke to were introduced to me by these civil servants.
If you're writing about something that happened long ago, there may well be no living witnesses. That doesn't mean you'll have to depend on academics. Try to interview a descendant of someone who was there. Quote from letters, diaries and newspaper reports written at the time. I think of this last technique as “quasi-interviewing.” I'll talk about it more in my next post.
How do you find interview subjects? Look for their names in the media. Good old-fashioned networking helps a lot when seeking interviewees. If you've a foot in the door of any large organization, be it a college or a company, exploit it. Don't be shy about asking people you barely know for help.
Mar 21, 2012
Interviews: How many are needed?
For almost any type of feature, interviewing people with specialist knowledge or first-hand experience is essential. A few times I've been asked this: "I'm writing a feature article. How many people should I interview?"
Of course, the answer depends on the type of article and how long the finished piece needs to be. For a profile - even if it's hagiographic - you need sources in addition to the subject himself/herself, to provide some context and perspective on the subject's achievements. If you're writing about a sports team, it would make sense to interview several of the players, the coach or manager, and perhaps one or two of the fans. Likewise, if you're covering an industry, talk to some of the leaders and perhaps a minor company or startup that's trying to break into the market.
For a 500-word article, I would try to get three or more sources. For 1,000 words, at least four. (This example, 978 words in length, quotes three people and paraphrases a fourth.) For 2,000 words, aim for eight or nine – because at least one will turn out to be useless, or merely repeating what someone else has already told you.
Over the next several weeks, I'll look at various aspects of interviewing, including:
How to identify suitable interview subjects
How to approach those people
How to draw up questions ahead of the interview
Of course, the answer depends on the type of article and how long the finished piece needs to be. For a profile - even if it's hagiographic - you need sources in addition to the subject himself/herself, to provide some context and perspective on the subject's achievements. If you're writing about a sports team, it would make sense to interview several of the players, the coach or manager, and perhaps one or two of the fans. Likewise, if you're covering an industry, talk to some of the leaders and perhaps a minor company or startup that's trying to break into the market.
For a 500-word article, I would try to get three or more sources. For 1,000 words, at least four. (This example, 978 words in length, quotes three people and paraphrases a fourth.) For 2,000 words, aim for eight or nine – because at least one will turn out to be useless, or merely repeating what someone else has already told you.
Over the next several weeks, I'll look at various aspects of interviewing, including:
How to identify suitable interview subjects
How to approach those people
How to draw up questions ahead of the interview
Mar 11, 2012
Word count
Some writers – I'm one of them – habitually overwrite, and provide editors with more words than requested. Generally, I deliver up to 10% over the agreed word count. I would advise against sending in much more than that. It might look like vanity, or that you've misunderstand the commission. The editor will likely send the piece back and ask you to cut it down to size.
If you find yourself with a surfeit of good information and you're loath to make cuts, explain this to the editor. Ask him if he can set aside more space for your article or run it as a two-part feature. In my experience, there's a good chance he'll agree. He may, however, explain that the additional content won't earn you any extra money. If that's the case, two courses of action are open to you. One is to give the editor everything you've written and enjoy seeing a meaty piece of work appear with your byline; the other is to cut the article down to size and use the scraps elsewhere.
On the subject of word count, this intriguing site "presents the 86,800 most frequently used English words, ranked in order of commonness."
If you find yourself with a surfeit of good information and you're loath to make cuts, explain this to the editor. Ask him if he can set aside more space for your article or run it as a two-part feature. In my experience, there's a good chance he'll agree. He may, however, explain that the additional content won't earn you any extra money. If that's the case, two courses of action are open to you. One is to give the editor everything you've written and enjoy seeing a meaty piece of work appear with your byline; the other is to cut the article down to size and use the scraps elsewhere.
On the subject of word count, this intriguing site "presents the 86,800 most frequently used English words, ranked in order of commonness."
Mar 5, 2012
Editing work: A crutch for writers, or a distraction?
A crutch, for sure.
Sometimes writers ask me whether I think taking on editing work is a good idea. The answer - unless you're making a lot of money from your own writing - is a resounding "Yes."
Researching and writing an article is almost always more satisfying than polishing another person's work. Producing a book is better still. Nevertheless, there are good reasons – over and above any desire to pay bills and put food on the table – why you should accept editing assignments.
Each year for the last eight, I've devoted a good part of the late autumn and winter to a well-paid but awfully dull editing job. Doing lots of editing has taught me some useful skills. I've learned how to say the same thing in a dozen different ways. I've gotten much better at spotting phrases which, while not bad English, could be made more elegant. I can pare any text without losing substance. As I've said before, any kind of language work will make you a better writer.
Also, editing sometimes leads to article ideas. Even if, in terms of subject matter, there's almost no overlap between the editing cases you get and what you like to write about, you're sure to have a number of “I didn't know that” moments. When you start to think like a writer, ideas will come thick and fast.
Sometimes writers ask me whether I think taking on editing work is a good idea. The answer - unless you're making a lot of money from your own writing - is a resounding "Yes."
Researching and writing an article is almost always more satisfying than polishing another person's work. Producing a book is better still. Nevertheless, there are good reasons – over and above any desire to pay bills and put food on the table – why you should accept editing assignments.
Each year for the last eight, I've devoted a good part of the late autumn and winter to a well-paid but awfully dull editing job. Doing lots of editing has taught me some useful skills. I've learned how to say the same thing in a dozen different ways. I've gotten much better at spotting phrases which, while not bad English, could be made more elegant. I can pare any text without losing substance. As I've said before, any kind of language work will make you a better writer.
Also, editing sometimes leads to article ideas. Even if, in terms of subject matter, there's almost no overlap between the editing cases you get and what you like to write about, you're sure to have a number of “I didn't know that” moments. When you start to think like a writer, ideas will come thick and fast.
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