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Transcripts

"Turning Interviews Into Sales" with Art O'Neil

Thursday, August 17, 2000

MODERATOR is Kristi Holl, author of 23 middle grade/teen novels and more than 100 articles for adults and children. Kristi is also the web editor for this site.

Art is Art O'Neil, whose work has appeared in such publications as *NASCAR Racing For Teens Magazine* and *Racing Milestones Magazine*. He is currently working on a book featuring a collection of biographies of auto racing personalities.

Names color coded in blue are viewers who had questions.

Interviews are held 9-11 p.m. Atlantic/Canada, 8-10 p.m. Eastern, 7-9 Central, 6-8 Mountain, and 5-7 Pacific.

MODERATOR: Good evening, everyone! Welcome to tonight's interview with Art O'Neil, here to discuss "Turning Interviews Into Sales!" I'm Kristi Holl, your moderator and the web editor for this web site. Tonight Art is going to share with us how he has built a career on finding good people to interview, then turning those interviews into publishable personality profiles. Welcome, Art!

Art: Thank you. I'm glad you invited me and I hope I can help.

MODERATOR: First of all, Art, I think it would encourage our viewers to hear how you got started writing. So to get acquainted, could you tell us about that?

Art: Well it started with a book I ordered in the mail. Inside was an application to the Institute of Children's Literature. So I filled it out to see if I could in get in. I did and thought it would be fun to take the course. I had a great instructor Teri Martini, who gave me a lot of encouragement. So I sent a few assignments out, they got published and as they say, the rest is history.

MODERATOR: Do you write full-time, or do you have a "day job" to help pay the bills?

Art: Depends on the season. In the summer and fall during racing season I do write full time. For winter and spring I usually take a temporary job. I have a degree in engineering. So I will take a 3-6 month break to pay for the bills in the summer.

MODERATOR: Art, you've built your career in part by turning interviews into sales. Just what do you look for in determining who would be a good interview?

Art: Someone I find interesting and I want to know more about. Someone who I think others should hear about. When writing for kids and teens, I look for role models: anyone with a positive influence, someone who has overcome adversity or broken a stereotype. These are good. There are many people who have these qualities but for whatever reason their story has never made it into print. Those are great subjects because editors like new topics and these people tend to be appreciative and helpful. I tend to stay away from famous people because their story has already been told.

MODERATOR: What makes a person a good interview?

Art: Many people fall into the trap of thinking that only someone with "personality" who is talkative can be good. Some are, but I have spoken to people who were not talkative, but they gave me all the information I wanted and answered all my questions. So those are still good interviews. One time I interviewed someone who wasn't too talkative, but later his publicist told me he'd never heard Brad so talkative and open. During that interview I felt like I was pulling teeth. Yet that was a good interview because I knew he gave me information he had never given anyone else. A good interview is getting the info you want and maybe some more. It's what they say, not necessarily how they say it.

AnneKelly: How do you find these people you interview?

Art: All kinds of ways. First, write about what you like. Go where those people are, and keep your name and face out there. Give an editor what he wants. Go to where the stories are, and don't underestimate those around you.

Karen: How do you "go where the stories are"?

Art: In my case, I write about racing, and where do you find race car drivers? At the racetrack. So I head there. This is really helpful because I may have only one or two ideas when I go, but when you are in a group of people you will hear about other stories and meet more people. Once when I did that, a person next to me started a conversion about my hat. We spoke some more and he said he was Head of Public Relations for TNN television. So I "fell into" quite a few stories with him. The point? If you go where the people are and just listen, I guarantee you will fall into stories. Sort of like making your own luck.

MODERATOR: You said to give the editors what they want. How exactly do you know what the editors want?

Art: Actually the best idea I got was from a rejection letter. I sent an article about a race I saw in Canada to Racing For Teens Magazine. The editor sent it back saying he didn't cover that type of racing, but he was in North Carolina and I was in New Hampshire. He said he needed material from the northeast, so if I wanted to interview the owner of the speedway he would be interested. So that's what I did. And when I sent the article in I wrote in my cover letter that he had wanted this see this, so here it was. He called, bought it, and said "keep sending stories about the northeast." That's what I've done and now when he hears about people up here, he calls me. So if an editor wants a certain topic, send it in.

AnneKelly: How do you know where the stories are, especially if you stay away from people who are already well known?

Art: This is why I recommend writing about what you like. Chances are you will stay involved with subjects you like, and up-to-date with what's going on. This could be by way of TV, magazines, the web, and just talking to people. One time I just happened to be watching a race and the announcer mentioned how one of the drivers had just beaten cancer. I wanted to hear more about that, so I contacted that driver and we ended up with a published article out of it. So if you're watching and listening you will find those people and make contacts. Once when I went to the track I happened to meet the reporter from the local paper. He'd done a story in his column and I wanted to interview that person. I called the reporter, he gave me the contact info, and I did the story. So keep your eyes and ears open.

MODERATOR: How do you approach or contact these people?

Art: Just being around them is a good way. Go up and introduce yourself and explain what you are doing. Another way to contact people is through a web site. If they have a web site and there is a place that says "contact us," I do. A lot of these people have PR people too, and they're always interested in setting up interviews. If you see something in the newspaper, call the reporter and get the contact info, and if it's a local person pick up the phone.

Maudy: Can you list some of the things that are considered good manners when setting up an interview?

Art: Sure. First, introduce yourself, tell them you're a freelance writer and how you heard about them. Say that you think they have a great story and would it be possible to talk about it? If you can go through a PR person, do it because they know the person's schedule. Try to accommodate them. If they want to speak at a certain location or at a certain time, then go with that. The more comfortable and the less of an inconvenience it is, the more receptive and talkative they will be.

Tweaker: When you contact people, do you find that your having published "cuts any ice" with them?

Art: If they have heard of the magazine it does. It adds credibility. But don't let being unpublished stop you. This is why lesser known people are good to start with. They themselves might just be starting out and understand your position. If you don't have any published credits, when you approach them, just tell them what magazine you have in mind. Usually once they hear you are with some magazine they are cooperative.

DebO: How do you get a busy professional to agree to an interview when you can't guarantee that the article you write will end up in print?

Art: I thought that might be a problem but it never has been. And that case has happened to me. Once I had a magazine agree to buy a story, so I did the interview and sent the article in. The magazine then changed their format and so were no longer interested. So I'm in the process of finding other magazines. Everyone has always been understanding. They know it's not guaranteed that the article will make it into print.

AnneKelly: Can you give us some good, basic interview questions to start out with? Ones that could be used with most people?

Art: Let's start with the approach first. Don't ask questions that will tend to give yes or no answers. Never ask, "Do you like being a whatever?" Try something like, "WHY do you like being a whatever? And what don't you like about it?" Keep your questions short. The longer the question, the shorter the answer because your interview subject loses concentration. So be brief. Now when you start the interview, don't go with the controversial or sensitive questions right off the bat. You want them to be comfortable, so go for something that includes facts instead of opinions, like, "How did you get started in whatever?" This is a great line because most people will go way back. They give you everything which, if you're listening, will give you ideas for other questions. It also gets them talking and that's what you want. Finding out their background and leading with questions that deal with facts is a good place to start.

Maudy: How can an interviewer overcome feelings of shyness when they have to interview someone who is well known?

Art: Everyone goes through this, so don't think you're alone. Remember: all you are doing is talking to the person, and it's what you do every day. If they are willing to take the time to sit with you it's because they WANT to talk to you. So try to build a rapport with them. People are more comfortable talking to friends. Try to create that feeling early on. That's why asking easy questions is good because the person will start talking and you can pick up from that to keep talking. A lot of times the person you are interviewing is shy too, so it might hard for them also. It's okay to be nervous; just don't become a wreck. Remember why you want to talk to this person and focus on it. By the way, if the person is famous, they have done a lot interviews AND seen every mistake that can be made. So if you make a mistake they've seen it before. It's not a big deal to them. I've had that happen and the person told me some of the stuff that had happened before and I didn't feel quite as bad.

MODERATOR: Excellent tips, Art! Next, how do you find appropriate magazines for your subjects?

Art: Well, decide on the main reason you are talking to this person. Then look to see what magazines feature that subject. You can also check your market listings, and of course the magazine rack. There are also some writing web sites that list magazines, so check them out.

MODERATOR: Do you have a specific magazine in mind when you do an interview?

Art: Usually. At the track, almost everything is headed towards Racing For Teens or Racing Milestones. If I hear something that doesn't fit them then I'll check out some other listings. That way when I approach the person I can at least give them a magazine name. But sometimes you only have one chance at a person, so just tell them you think they are a great story and later you try to find a home for it.

MODERATOR: Do you query an editor and have them accept the idea before approaching a potential interview?

Art: If it's a new magazine I'm trying to break into, yes I do. I always send clips of my work too. But for Racing For Teens I know what they want, so I just go ahead with it. That's something you will develop over time.

MODERATOR: How do you prepare for an interview?

Art: Find out as much about the person as you can. Check their web site. If they belong to a group or organization, check out their web site too because it could give more information. Most public figures also have media kits. They're free and available to any writer, so just ask the PR person. Many times I'll check these out to see if the person is worth interviewing. I will pick up media kids and maybe save them for later. Then schedule a time when the person is free. I've had people say, "I have 15 minutes now or all day tomorrow." Take the "all day" because they won't be rushed. If they know they are squeezing you in, they tend to give short answers. Then prepare yourself from the background you have and try to put a flow to the questions you have. Ask the simple ones first, then the harder ones, and try to group them into categories that focus on a certain topic. You probably won't go in that order because the person will actually answer some of them without being asked, but at least you can jump to that section of questions when they do and while their mind is on it.

AnneKelly: Do you use a tape recorder or take notes?

Art: Both, but they are mostly back up, especially the tape. The best thing to do is to listen to what they are saying. Once I was doing an interview and halfway through noticed that I had pressed the wrong button on the recorder. So it wasn't taping anything. But fortunately I had been paying attention. So as soon as the interview ended I immediately started writing down all the quotes I could remember. If you can take notes during the interview, great!!! But if I do that, I tend to block out what the person is saying. So instead I listen to them talk, then write down everything as soon as I can while it's still fresh.

Maudy: Is it a good idea to set a time limit for the interview, or just go with the flow?

Art: I go with the flow. If anything, they will set the time limit. If not, then ask all your questions and whatever more come up. It cuts down on having to go back later. If they want to give you all that time, take it!

Gail: Do you write multiple articles from one interview?

Art: Yes. This is an example of something that just happened. I interviewed a female motorcycle racer. So I sent one article off to a motorcycle magazine and another off to a women's magazine. They are entirely different stories, and the magazines are not really competing for the same reader. But yes, use an idea as many times as you can.

AnneKelly: I'd just be worried that I wouldn't get the quotes exactly as the person had said them if I relied on just my memory. Do you try and write the interview as soon as possible while it's fresh in your memory?

Art: You bring up something here that all writers should know concerning quotes. You don't necessarily have to get it word for word. What's important is the idea of what they said. So you might not hit it verbatim, but as long as the meaning is the same it's okay. I'm not saying change a lot of words, but changing one here or there is okay. Sometimes they use the same word repeatedly and it doesn't sound good when writing it, so you might want to change some words to equivalent ones. But I do go back over the tapes and my notes just to be sure. What I meant before is your mind is more reliable than a tape, so you shouldn't rely strictly on the tape.

hermione: Before you send the interview to market, do you need to get permission specifically for the quotes you use?

Art: Good question!! What I like to do is have the person see the article before I send it in. Or least give them the option of seeing it. That way we can work things out beforehand. If you tell someone "this is off the record," then don't use what they said Also, if they tell you it's off the record, it is. But in an interview they understand that what they are saying is going into print. What I've found is that if you're fair to them, that's all they want. Even if what they said is controversial, as long as it's actually what they said, they don't have a problem.

MODERATOR: Do you have a long list of specific questions prepared ahead of time?

Art: I have maybe 10-20 questions ready. Then I pick up on things the person says. I like to have an idea of what I am going to say, but I also want to allow some flexibility. Sometimes the person brings up some little known fact that's interesting, so you want to pursue it. You don't want the person to feel as if this is an interrogation, but more like two friends talking, so it's best to go with their flow and use your questions as guidelines.

MODERATOR: What is the most important part of an interview?

Art: Listening to what the person is saying. There are many reasons for this. For one thing, the tape might not work. But chances are they are going to say something that will surprise you and is not part of your questions. If you're more interested in just running through your questions you'll miss a lot. One time I was talking to a teenage driver and he just happened to mention he was going to be sponsored by Hall-of-Fame baseball player Ted Williams. Now that's something you don't hear often. So I pursued that and the editor got all excited because he was going to get to use Ted Williams in his magazine. The benefit to me, in addition to getting that story, was that I ended up getting to know people who are involved with the Red Sox and could get me interviews with today's players. All that started because of one offhand comment. One writer summed it up best: "I never got an award for writing a great question, but I got plenty for writing great answers." You don't need a great question to get a great answer.

Karen: Did your interviews ever take unexpected turns that you didn't want?

Art: Some have gone off on tangents. Sometimes that can be good, if it's more interesting than your original idea. But sometimes they tend to ramble and that's why talkative people aren't always good interviews. Anytime the interview goes off course, don't blame yourself. They just got some idea in their head and off they went. So now you have to bring them back. See if there is anything they are saying that can get them back on course. If they are talking about 1995 and you want to discuss 1998 then say, "But after that, didn't you whatever?" Sometimes you have to go to an intermediate question that brings them back a little, then you can tie it in. That's something that you learn the more interviews you do. I know it sound hard but the more you develop your skills the easier it is. Sometimes I still resort to just going to the next question on my list. You risk losing the flow, but sometimes it's the only way to get the interview moving again.

Blue Phantom: Are you as a writer expected to share, in any form, proceeds from your published articles? What about legal contracts? Do you just hope that the person being interviewed doesn't seek legal action if he doesn't like your article?

Art: I've never had anyone ask for compensation for an article. The free publicity is enough for them. Once I did have PR person want the interview accepted for licensing by the sanctioning body of NASCAR, so I said forget it. As far as legal action goes . . . if what you said is accurate, there is not much they can do. If they don't like the writing but the quotes are accurate and the facts are correct, they really don't have any recourse. That is another reason I give them the opportunity to see the work before it goes in.

MODERATOR: Do you interview online or by telephone? What are some pluses and minuses of this?

Art: I've done telephone interviews, but that's only when I can't get the interview any other way. I always like to go face to face. So the plus of a phone interview is that you are getting an interview you otherwise wouldn't get and are saving travel. I find them difficult because I'm trying to write notes, listen to what the person is saying and see what the next question is. That's a lot for me! You are forced to listen though. But if you can go face to face, it's better and they remember you.

MODERATOR: For some nuts and bolts here: How do you build the article from the quotes?

Art: First I list the quotes that cover the main idea. Then the ones that cover something unexpected and the ones that really exemplify their personality or attitude. Then I kind of outline the story, this is usually in my head but it's fine to write it out, whatever works for you. Then it's a matter of seeing which quotes will support the facts and tone of the story. Then you combine it the background and the story you want to tell.

MODERATOR: How do you mix factual information with the quotes?

Art: Factual info for me would be career highlights, or lowlights, plus any personal background. So I'll usually begin with the facts, then put the quotes in. You do have to determine if there are too many quotes. If so, it might be better to change the spoken words to fact. For example, if the person says, "Then I did this and this," you may want to change it to something like "Then he accomplished this." You need a balance and it doesn't have to be 50/50, but you want a smooth sounding article that transitions well.

MODERATOR: Last, Art, how did you develop working relationships with editors?

Art: Get your work out there. That's the only way the editors know you exist. If I can continue with the Racing For Teens example, after I gave the story on the track owner, the editor said they were starving for material from up here. So I kept feeding him. If an editor likes your work keep giving it to them. What this did for me was it kept my name visible. So when he heard of someone up here he wanted in his magazine, he called me. Now I'm his exclusive writer up here. Also send out clips. I had an idea for Racing Milestones. They liked the idea, but wanted to see clips. So I sent them in and they liked one of the clips better and asked for a rewrite. You can also make up business cards and send them in to editors and offer to write any upcoming articles. Just keep plugging and trying. You have nothing to lose.

MODERATOR: I'm sorry to have to stop here, since we have so many questions left, but we're out of time. Thank you so much, Art, for sharing such practical help in the area of finding and conducting interviews, then turning them into sales. It's often overlooked as a pathway to publication for new writers. Art, we appreciate the time you spent with us this evening!

Art: Thank you for your time! I wish you all success.

MODERATOR: Do come back to the Scheduled Events Room in two weeks. Our topic for the evening at that time will be "Moral Choices" with Sandra Humphrey. Sandy is a retired clinical psychologist who now spends her time writing children's values books (If You Had to Choose, What Would You Do? and It's Up to You...What Do You Do?). You can read more about Sandy and her work at www.kidscandoit.com. And now, good night, everybody!

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