Interviewing Someone for Your Book or Article Part 1

In 1 Corinthians 10:31, Paul prompts believers to do everything for the glory of God. So, it makes sense our research for writing should also be done for God’s praise.

Perfecting our skills means being intentional and strategic with our stories. In this first of a two-part article, we will look at planning your interview.

Being Strategic
To clarify your vision, always ask yourself who is your audience and what is that one thing to which you want to bring their attention? What do you want your audience to feel or understand?

When deciding on the best person to interview, ask yourself:

• Who has the story I need for my book or article?
• Who is the easiest to access?
• Who had the biggest hurdles to overcome? Is their story impactful?
• Is the person willing to have the story published widely?
• Is your publisher willing to distribute it widely?

Preplanning
When arranging for the interview, remember to communicate why you want to interview them. Make sure they understand the particular story you want. Let them know if you prefer a free-form conversational style or a very structured interview. Think twice about giving people questions ahead of time. You may get rehearsed or sterilized responses.

If you’re bringing along a camera person, ask them how long it usually takes them to set up and tear down cameras, lighting, and other equipment. Add that time into your schedule, making sure setup is done before the interview time.

Other elements to nail down with your guest are:

• How you will meet (video conference, by phone, or in-person).
• How long you need for the interview. (Typically, an hour is all you need but allow 90 minutes for mistakes or retakes.)
• What date/time you will meet. (The sooner the better if the story is fresh.)
• What vision you have for how the interview will be used.

Before the Interview
A day or two before you meet, remind the interviewee of the appointment. Ask for a digital head shot if you need it for the article. Make sure the interviewee has the proper Internet connections if it’s a video call. You may want to do a test call.

If you’re using a recorder, make sure it has fresh batteries—bring paper/pen as backup.

Verify where the interview will occur. Will it be in a quiet living room? Busy hotel lobby? A well-lit room? Does it have noisy ceiling fans? Try to avoid outdoors where wind and traffic can overpower the audio. Help anticipate and eliminate ambient noise.

These simple tips will help you be more confident and your guest more comfortable. Our next post will explore how to successfully conduct the actual interview.