Basic Interviewing Advice from KJ's Editors

Preparation:

Do the basic reading and research. Find out whatever you reasonably can about the person you are going to interview. Give yourself time to think over what you’ve learned, and to see how you might approach them through their particular interests.

List your questions. Keep them concise. Consider how they would flow best as a sequence. But don’t simply fixate on working methodically through that list. Be ready to extemporize, to play it by ear.

If you plan to record the exchange, do a 5-10 second test recording & sound check with your interviewee before starting. Listen to the results before you get underway. Far too many recordings turn out to be nearly inaudible. And check occasionally that the equipment is actually recording. Few things are more embarrassing and frustrating than wrapping up a fascinating dialog – only to find the Pause button still on, or the battery dead.

Good photos (clear, well-lit, high-resolution digital or sharp print) are a valuable addition to an interview, but portraiture is not an easy art to master. Contextual images may also be useful.

If possible, take back issues with you to show KJ’s style and approach.

Within the Interview:

1. Pay attention to the person you are interviewing, not your question list and notes. An interview is a conversation too. Above all, listen carefully and follow up on things you hear, especially if something comes up that is different from what you expected. Find links, and try not to change the subject abruptly. A good interviewer engages with the subject in an interactive process that should draw out ideas (in both questions and answers) that neither the interviewer nor the interviewee has articulated in quite that form before.

2. One must be sure that one's interviewee has really said what he/she has to say on a given subject before one goes on to the next topic or question. It's often the case that interviewees have a sort of canned response which they offer initially, but that if the interviewer allows for a brief (and even slightly awkward) silence to elapse following that reply, then the richer, living, breathing, thinking-in-the-moment response comes forth. As long as you have your list of questions with you your interviewee will know that you're prepared. Give him/her time to think. Just look a bit expectantly into their eyes when they pause and see if they don’t have more to say.

3. Likewise, it is essential to listen intently to each specific reply with the aim of drawing the interviewee out more with a "Why?" or a "How?" or whatever may be appropriate. Too many questioners are so eager to cover their whole list that they almost never hook a fish worth landing. Many of their interviewee's answers seem truncated somehow, and that's because in essence they are. Naturally, time constraints vary depending on whom one is interviewing, but if you have adequate time, use it to gently "walk" along with the interview all the way out to the edges of their mental turf. They may make a fresh discovery along the way and share it with you right then and there.

4. If you have reason to disagree with something, do so — succinctly but unequivocally. No sacred cows. Then let the interviewee respond fully.

5. Try to encourage the interviewee to offer anecdotes that illuminate the points he/she wishes to make. These are often the flesh and blood of a good interview. When listening to these look for little gaps if any and get him/her to fill them in (the setting, season, time of day, etc., as relevant). Do so unobtrusively, supportively, and enthusiastically.

6. Take notes about key ideas and facts even if you record the interview. These will help you to distinguish (and locate) the more significant and useful parts of your recording. Especially, if names are mentioned, confirm spelling if possible. You may need those details.

7. Writing an intro to an interview is generally best done after the interview has been completed, so that its focus and tone will match the body of the piece. Also, the interviewee is likely to tell you things that belong in the intro more than the body of the piece. But on the other hand, by the time you have researched the subject and are ready to do the interview, you should have a good general idea of your approach, and drafting a provisional intro may be helpful in clarifying that.

8. Trust between the interviewee and the interviewer (and by extension, KJ) is vital. After transcription and basic editing, the interviewee should be given the opportunity to fact-check the final draft and give feedback. And yes, editing is important: for clarity, focus, and flow. Some sections may be re-sequenced, and where necessary, later follow-ups may be inserted.

Make sure you have the interviewee's postal address for the actual magazine to be mailed out to.