If you’re a freelance writer with a magazine assignment, you’ll want to interview experts and other sources. But, do you telephone, visit, or simply email? Here are some tips on interviewing experts for articles…

But before these tips, a quip from Italian dramatist Luigi Pirandello:

“A fact is like a sack – it won’t stand up if it’s empty. To make it stand up, first you have to put in it all the reasons and feelings that caused it in the first place.”  

To bring your articles to life, you have to add spice…and your spice comes from your experts’ opinions and sources’ stories! To learn how to incorporate more valuable storytelling into your writing, click on The Story Factor by Annette Simmons. Anecdotes – real people’s stories – are crucial to writing a gripping article.

And, here’s how to know when to interview experts and other sources by phone, in person, or via email for that juicy article.

Interviewing Experts for Articles, for Freelance Articles

The Benefits of Email Interviews

As busy a freelance writer, I love email interviews because:

• They’re efficient, effective, and easy.
• The expert writes the exact words, which means there’s rarely room for misunderstanding or misinterpreting information.
• I can interview far more experts via email than in person or over the phone, because email is so fast.
• I discover far more possibilities because I have more time and energy.

It’s appropriate for writers to interview experts via email when:

1. The info you require isn’t deep or complicated. If you only need a few (less than 10, say) straightforward questions answered, then an email interview should be sufficient for freelance writers. Many round up articles perfectly suit email interviews.

2. You’re conducting an opinion poll or survey of experts. The simple “yes or no” , “true or false”, or “choose A, B, or C” questions rarely require telephone calls or visits to experts. You can survey many, many more experts via email than telephone.

3. Your expert is in Bora Bora without telephone access. In most cases, editors won’t pick up the tab for a flight to Bora Bora – but of course it depends on your experience, the subject matter, and the expert. However, my point is that sometimes you simply can’t interview any other way. (fellow scribes, did anyone notice that if you don’t have telephone access, then you probably don’t have internet access?)

When is it NOT appropriate to interview via email?

Interviewing an expert in person can be tough, especially if you don’t connect with him or her, can’t find a mutually satisfactory time to meet, or if your recording device fails. However, in-person interviews gives you a much more accurate sense of the person, which is especially helpful if you’re working on a profile.

It’s inappropriate for freelance writers to interview experts via email when:

1. You’re writing a profile. If you’re interviewing Stephen King or JK Rowling for their writing tips, then you’ll need to do an in-person interview. You want to include their nuances, style, facial expressions, and environment in your article or book.

2. You need in-depth, complicated information that requires explanations or even visits to certain places. For instance, the freelance writer who wrote about New York’s Bellevue Hospital would need to visit the actual site.

3. The expert digs her heels in. Some experts I’ve approached for my articles said they’d prefer telephone interviews, not email. In all cases, I’ve moved on to the next expert. Though I have conducted both in-person and telephone interviews, I really prefer the convenience of email – especially because I love writing roundups. They rarely require the personal touch.

4. You’re writing an exposé. If you’re a freelance writer or columnist exposing the next Richard Nixon or Jim Bakker, then you’re gonna wanna to talk to all your sources in person. Trust me. I’ve never written an exposé.

What tips have I missed for interviewing experts for articles? Please, feel free to post your comments below…