As a freelance writer sooner or later you’re going to have to conduct an interview. Maybe it’s because you’re hoping to score a lucrative commission from a top-notch editor. Perhaps it’s because one of your clients has asked you to interview people as part of a writing or ghost-writing project.

Whatever your reason for doing an interview you want to do it right. That means having the right preparation, the right tools and the right questions.

#1 - Prepare!

To prepare for an interview you need to know what you know and what you don’t know about the interview subject. That means doing background research about the person, product, company or service. There are a number of useful research tools, both on line and off-line. These include:

• Newspaper and magazine archives (many of them accessible through sites such as Lexis Nexis)
• Libraries
• Company records such as annual reports
• Directories such as Who’s Who
• Press releases

Using these resources will help you to assemble a list of the known facts about your interview subject. You will also be able to identify the gaps which will help you to formulate questions.

#2 - Ask the Right Questions

Your writing often begins with the who, what, where, why, when and how. Your interview questions should help you to establish these things.

It’s always handy to have a prepared list of questions before starting an interview, even if you don’t stick rigidly to that list.

Most interviews consist of two types of questions. Fact-checking questions are closed questions that require a yes or no answer. The rest of the questions should be open-ended questions that encourage the interview subject to talk.

#3 - Have the Right Equipment

Another key part of interview preparation is having the right equipment. This can be as simple as a notebook and pencil. However, I prefer to use a recording device so that I can be sure that I quote my sources accurately.

Always make sure that you have a back-up power supply for your recording device. I learned the hard way to take notes and tape just to be sure that I had some record of the interview afterwards.

#4 - Watch Your Time

How you conduct an interview depends on your subject’s comfort level and the time you have available. If there’s no rush you can take the time to relax your subject by asking the fact-checking questions first.

However, if time is limited, you may need to go directly to the most important questions. Don’t be afraid to follow a tangent and ask questions that weren’t on your original list. The list is a guide to remind you of the essential information you need to collect.

#5 - Know When to Stop Talking

One tip for a successful interview is to know when to keep quiet. A good interviewer spends more time listening that talking.

Once your subjects relax they may go off topic, but go with the flow. You’ll get a more interesting interview that way.

When you’re ready to go, check that you’ve asked the most important questions and ask if your subject has anything to add. People often say the most interesting things when they think the interview is over.

#6 - Begin Writing, Pronto

I often find it useful to start writing up an interview as soon as it’s over. That’s because the information is still fresh in my mind. Doing a rough draft at this stage could help you to craft an excellent article, blog entry or page of your white paper.

About the author: Sharon Hurley Hall is a born again blogger who has been writing for more than 20 years. She is a freelance writer and ghostwriter who specializes in ebooks, SEO articles and blog posts. Sharon runs the freelance mentoring blog, Get Paid To Write Online.

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