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"I would like to thank E-zee Writer, Freelance Market News and The Writers
Bureau for all the help they have ever given me.
As a child I was the world's worst speller and lacked confidence in my
writing abilities. I always had a massive ambition to write my own
children's picture book and by doing the exercises/modules in The Writers Bureau it really helped increase my confidence!
I now have my own children's book published called 'Shape Land: Trevor
Triangle Loses the Mail'. This would never have happened if it hadn't been for all the advice, help
and information I have received from these three sources I've mentioned."
Helen Cooper, UK.
"I have had two tongue-in-cheek articles published on a mothering website. I also had features published in Waterways World and France Magazine as well as an opinion piece in the Times Educational Supplement. My total earnings this year amount to £830!"
Elspeth Mantzaranis, France.
Helen and Elspeth are both studying our Comprehensive course. If you would like a prospectus for this course, then email us here with your full name and postal address.
Or, to share your success stories with others, just send an email to ezeewriter@writersbureau.com with 'Success Story' in the subject line.
FREELANCE MARKET NEWS
an essential guide for freelance writers
For up-to-date market information, Freelance Market News is invaluable.
Issued 11 times a year it's packed with information on markets in Britain and around the globe, plus you get all the latest news and views on the publishing world.
Every subscription comes with FREE membership of The Association of Freelance Writers. Your membership also entitles you to discounts on books and competitions, a free appraisal worth over £30 and a Membership Card which confirms your status as a Freelance Writer.
FREE sample markets are available to view at the website, along with more details about the magazine and how you can subscribe.
www.freelancemarketnews.com
IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE OF FMN:
WRITING MONTHS AHEAD OF THE GAME
Conducting Professional Interviews
by Phyllis Ring
Most editors today expect freelancers to boost an article’s credibility
with quoted material from one or more expert sources. To find and incorporate
these perspectives successfully, we need a repertoire of effective and
professional interview techniques.
Essentially, the interviewee does the writer a favour, helping us to
write accurately about what we don't know and make it understandable and
interesting to the reader. At best, they also become a point of reference
for other contacts and resources and have even provided me with future
story ideas.
As more things compete for our time and attention, prospective interviewees,
especially experts, can be hard to reach. Contact a potential source as
far ahead of your deadline as possible because even in our instant-communication
age, people go on sabbaticals or get buried under an avalanche of correspondence.
You may need to contact several sources to acquire enough information,
so compile a list of prospects in case some refuse or don't respond. You
can always include several sources, or save some of the input you receive
for a future story or resale.
Show consideration for a source's time by demonstrating that you've done
your homework and will conduct the interview in a professional way. Before
making initial contact, equip yourself with basic information about the
topic and, when possible, the interviewee. Internet search engines make
this easier than ever. One pre-interview search revealed that my potential
source had written a book about raising sons in addition to the one on
adoption I'd already seen. This helped shape the questions I asked her,
as well as the focus and outline of my article.
Knowing more about your source and topic helps you build rapport, recognize
and understand the topic's terminology, and frame open-ended questions
that will be interesting for your source to answer. For experts, especially,
it's troubling to be asked repeatedly to supply the most basic information
by interviewers who haven't bothered to educate themselves first.
Gathering some information ahead of time has another advantage. On first
contact, many sources want to know what you're going to ask about. More
than one busy expert has also told me, “I can give you a few minutes
right now.” If I hadn't done some homework first, I'd have missed
a window of opportunity with someone I might not easily reach again.
Whether you telephone, write, or email, state your interview request
clearly and specifically: “I've been assigned by Magazine X to write
an article about how women with diabetes can prepare for healthy pregnancy.
Are you willing to answer questions for this story?” If you don't
have an assignment from a publication, simply state what you intend to
write and request the interview. If the person asks where a story will
be published, name the publication(s) you plan to query about it (information
you'll need to research and have on hand).
Specify the deadline by which you'll need information and provide an
estimate of how much time you'll need for a face-to-face or telephone
interview. Decide together what the best type of interview format will
be for your mutual convenience. Email interviews have made the whole process
more accessible – and
faster – but
even if this isn't possible, you can still email, fax, or mail questions
for your source to see ahead of time. All contact should be made at your
expense although occasionally sources may prefer to call you back for
personal convenience.
If you make your interview request by mail, email, or voicemail, plan
to follow up by phone or email at least once if you don't receive a reply
within 5-7 business days. State in your initial request that you will
follow up, and when, according to the needs of your deadline.
What if your source asks, “You'll send me a copy of the article
for review before it's published, right?”
Allowing sources to see a manuscript and have control over its content
will usually compromise its integrity and blur the distinction between
unbiased reporting and promotional material. As a writer, your obligation
to the interviewee and to the publication for which you're writing is
to be fair, accurate and unbiased in the way you use the material disclosed
in the interview. Obviously, this means that you’ve got a big job
to do in getting all of the facts right and conveying them in as balanced
a way as you can but unless the sources themselves are contracting your
services to write the piece, you owe them nothing more than that.
My usual response is to say politely and without apology that the publication
I'm writing for doesn't allow this, as indeed most do not. If interviewees
are insistent on seeing what I write before it's published, I offer them
the option of seeing the quoted material I plan to use, but nothing more.
There are times when writers may CHOOSE to accommodate this request in
a modified way. For instance, I've sometimes made an exception when the
topic was a very complex one. I once interviewed a wild-plant specialist
who offered to review the confounding Latin plant names the story would
inevitably include. It was an unobtrusive offer of assistance I accepted
gladly – even though I majored in plant sciences in college – because I wanted the subject, the magazine, and myself to all look professional.
Professionalism – and
courtesy – are
two of the most important things the writer brings to the interview process.
Doing our homework and preparing ourselves thoroughly even before we talk
with sources maximises their time and effectiveness – and
our own. This helps us glean the kind of information and input that put
our manuscript a cut above, and may even gain us a contact we can turn
to for future article ideas, too.
AUTHOR'S BIO
Phyllis Ring is a US-based writer who has previously published pieces
in E-zee Writer and Freelance Market News. She has also published articles
in such publications as American Profile, Bay Area Parent, Christian Science
Monitor, Hope, Ms., Writer’s Digest Forum and Writers Weekly.
TOP TIPS...
for a better writing environment
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Whether you are lucky enough to have a room dedicated to being an office, whether you work in the spare bedroom or whether you have to work at the dining room/kitchen table – keep it tidy. If your desk is clear and free from clutter there's a better chance that your mind will be, too!
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Make sure you have the necessary equipment. You can still write successfully without access to the Internet, but it does make life a lot easier. We haven't yet achieved the 'paperless office' so a filing cabinet – or some form of storage for files – is more or less essential. And don't forget supplies of stationery and any necessary reference books. You might be able to 'Google' any information you need but most writers still build up a library of their favourite reference books.
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Be organised as well as tidy. When you sit down to write have everything you need to hand. There's nothing more distracting than having to jump up every few minutes to get something you've forgotten.
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You also need to be disciplined. Some people write better in the morning when they're fresh. Others can burn the midnight oil when everyone else is in bed. Find what works best for you and then make sure that you fit some time for writing into your busy life. You might not manage this every day but the more regularly you write – just like exercising your body – the stronger your 'writing muscles' will become.
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Don't be afraid to be anti-social. When you're concentrating on your writing let the phone ring and then pick up the call from your answer machine later. Tell family that you want some 'me time' for your writing and make it clear to friends that you are working – so popping round for coffee and a gossip isn't an option.
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Make sure you are comfortable. Are the light levels right? Is your chair at the right height? Are you sitting at the correct distance from your keyboard and screen? Is the temperature right? Is there enough fresh air/ventilation? If you have to work at the kitchen table rather than having your own office these factors can be difficult to control but try your best – it pays dividends for both your creativity and your health.
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We hear so much in the media about ensuring that you drink enough water, but it is true. Nothing saps your concentration and gives you a headache faster than dehydration. You might need a strong coffee to kick-start your brain but then leave the caffeine alone and drink lots of water.
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And the same goes for exercise. Earlier, we said that you should avoid distractions but if you settle down to write for a prolonged period, make sure you get up every thirty minutes or so to stretch your legs and take a few deep breaths.
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You'll find that it really aids your creativity if you are surrounded by things that give you pleasure. It won't be the same for everyone but it can be as simple as a nice view from your window, pictures of people or places that you love, scented candles, something to stimulate your taste buds and even – dare we say it – the odd glass of wine.
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And finally, the easy chair! The previous nine points have concentrated on you working away at your desk, but writing is a bit like an iceberg. There should be plenty of thinking time under the surface of your writing. So, treat yourself to the most comfortable chair you can find, sit back and let those creative thoughts flow...
This site has a mixed bag of resources but the character names database is well worth a look: www.languageisavirus.com
Good writers know to make every word count and this next site is an excellent place to study powerful brevity in action. One Sentence is about, "telling the most interesting or poignant story possible in the least amount of words." Be warned – highly engrossing!
www.onesentence.org
Classic Short Stories does exactly what it says on the tin – it holds a range of classic short stories all avavilable to read, for free, at the click of a mouse.
www.classicshorts.com
Triond say," You create interesting content and submit it to us. We publish your content on appropriate websites. You earn royalties." For full details of how to start submitting go to:
www.triond.com
That brings us to the end of this month's issue. Next month, Lesley Cryer will teach you how to 'Show, Don't Tell'.
As usual, if you've any suggestions or would like to comment on content then please contact Teresa at:
ezeewriter@writersbureau.com
And don't forget – if you've enjoyed this issue of E-zee Writer and found it useful, tell your friends about it so that they can subscribe too!
www.writersbureau.com/resources/ezewriter.htm
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