When writing a book, incorporating insights from experts and other contacts can add depth, authenticity, and authority to your narrative. Conducting effective interviews is a crucial skill, allowing authors to gather valuable information and perspectives. Here’s a guide to essential interview questions that can help you get the most out of your conversations.
Understanding the Expert’s Background
You want your readers to trust your experts. So, you need to present your experts’ credentials. To do that, ask these essential interview questions.
- Tell me about your background. What kind of education did you receive, and what did you do outside of the classroom to become an expert in your field?
- What inspired you to pursue this line of work, and how long did it take you to move from novice to expert?
- How has your career evolved over the years? Were there missteps along the way? If so, do you see how those missteps actually helped you become who you are now? Explain.
Essential Questions that Explore Core Concepts and Theories
Unless you’re writing a biography or memoir, your readers expect more than biographical information. They want to climb inside your expert’s brain. To get to that, you’ll need to ask more interview questions, such as:
- What key concepts or theories are critical for readers to understand if they’re going to understand or contribute to your field?
- Can you explain those critical concepts in simple terms for those who aren’t familiar with them? State what they are as if speaking to a fifth grader or kindergartner.
- What common misconceptions do people have about your area of expertise? How do these misperceptions affect their view of what you do? Do these misperceptions affect your perception of what you do? If so, please explain.
Addressing Current and Future Trends
Your expert should have a solid handle on where her field is now and what the future has in hold. Dig into that with these interview questions.
- What do you find most exciting or concerning within your field at this moment? How do you fear or hope this will affect the field overall in the coming months or years?
- How do you anticipate your field will continue to evolve in the next five or ten years? (Note: This may be a continuation of the previous question, a new trend altogether, or previously unseen progress.)
- All fields are constantly growing and changing. What emerging technologies or methodologies are you particularly interested in, and why? If this technology or methodology takes hold, how big an effect can it have on your field and those served by your field?
Gaining Practical Insights with the Right Interview Questions
Many experts are open with their knowledge, because they want to recruit new blood. These interview questions take advantage of that and allow your story to plant seeds of interest in readers.
- What practical advice would you give a person who is interested in your field? What is a good first step to get started toward a career in your field?
- What challenges do people in your field face? Can you share a particularly challenging problem you faced and how you overcame it?
- What resources—books, websites, or online or in-person courses—do you recommend for further learning?
By asking these questions, you can uncover rich, detailed responses that bring you book to life. During interviews, listen actively, follow up on interesting points, and create a conversational atmosphere. Do this, and your expert will feel comfortable sharing.
Prefer someone else to do the interviewing? I’m here to serve. Contact me, the Southern Ghostwriter, to find out how I can help with your interviewing and writing projects.