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The Art of The Interview

© Sue Reichard

If a writer is going to write non-fiction articles or books, sooner or later an interview with someone will be necessary. Publishers like the fact that what you have written or propose to write will have first-hand information. Your query letter may draw the attention of an editor if you are able to state that you have interviewed experts in any particular field.

It is vital to develop solid interviewing skills. Every interview you do will be unique. Everything will depend on the personality of the subject you want to interview, and on the interviewing technique itself.

There are basic interviewing techniques a writer must master. The writer needs to know how to prepare for an interview, how to hold the interview and, finally, how to use all the information and quotes in an article or book.

A good writer must prepare questions for the interview ahead of time. Do research into the particular area so you will be able to ask insightful questions. Read books and articles, and watch videos on the topic so you will be able to make a list of relevant questions. It is also a good idea to find as much information as possible about the person you are going to interview. Try to find out their educational background, professional background and any other information about them. If they have written articles, read them.

The people you interview will appreciate the work you have done and will possibly be willing to share more information with you. Doing research ahead of time also makes a statement that you are a professional and respect the subject's time.

The questions you prepare ahead of time should be open-ended and targeted.

A targeted question is narrow and is to discover very specific information.

An open-ended question will present options to the interviewee. These can be opinion questions such as the following: describe your work, describe new discoveries, etc. Do not ask questions that will elicit only yes or no responses.

Ask the interviewee for anecdotal stories. These will work well in any article or book.

There are also many ways to conduct an interview. An interview can be face-to-face, over the phone or via e-mail. Suggest these various methods to your subject and mention approximately how long you think the interview will take. Decide mutually on an acceptable method and time. If you are going to use a tape recorder during a face-to-face interview, always get permission from your subject beforehand. One advantage to taping is that you can be sure your quotes will be 100 per cent accurate.