Seven Tips for Writing E-Mail Interviews

Nailing an interview with a prominent individual can be a full-time job in and of itself, so some writers prefer to request e-mail interviews for the convenience of the subject. It doesn't take as long and the interview subject can answer your questions at three o'clock in the morning if he or she wishes.

If you are planning an e-mail interview, here are ten tips to get you started:

Ask About Questions in Advance

Before you send your e-mail interview subject the questions you've planned in advance, ask if he or she has any restrictions on the number or content of those questions. The worst thing would be to receive an e-mail back with seven out of your ten questions unanswered, which would require you to submit a new e-mail interview or perhaps lose it altogether.

Use Correct Grammar and Spelling

When you submit an e-mail interview to your subject, make sure that each question is grammatically correct and that every word is spelled correctly (especially his or her name!) It would be embarrassing for the subject to shoot you an e-mail back asking you to clarify a question because he or she couldn't understand your writing.

Ask If You Can Edit

Just because you are a writer doesn't mean that the subject of your e-mail interview is, as well. Ask the subject in advance if you can edit his or her answers for spelling and grammar before you publish. If the answer is "no", you might want to consider requesting a phone interview instead.

Form Open-Ended Questions

In a face-to-face or phone interview, you can prod your subject along if he or she gives scant or incomplete answers to your questions, but that isn't the case with an e-mail interview. To make sure that you get enough information, ask probing open-ended questions that require a full and complete response. You can also ask multiple questions on one line.

EX: How did you start your business? When did it first start turning a profit? And how did you know that your business was a good idea?

Give the Subject Room to Respond