Interviewing American Artists for International Publications

One of the major complaints freelance writers have about American markets is that it's almost impossible to get the story before a nationally syndicated news agency does. This is especially true for interviewing American artists about recent accomplishments. For example, it would be very difficult for Joe Freelancer to score an interview with an American Idol contestant before every news agency in America has already done it.

The answer to this problem is simple, however, if you know how International markets work. If you're a freelance writer and are interested in interviewing American artists, your work can become hot property for international publications. This is especially true when it comes to interviewing writers because there is a several-month wait for translations of books to be presented in foreign countries.

Of course, you are still presented with a few problems even after you've decided to interview American artists for international publications. Just because other news agencies have gotten their interviews doesn't mean you will be granted one later, and you'll have to interview artists who are known internationally. There are a few ways to accomplish this task even if you don't have the necessary contacts.

First of all, you're going to have to learn the patterns of American artists if you want to interview them for international publications. You need to know their publicists' names, where they live, how often they give interviews and when to contact them. In some cases, you can write their publicists and request an interview if you can name the publication for which you will be writing the article.

Knowing this, your first step is to contact international publications and ask about openings for interviews of American artists. Let them know that you are willing to write a specific number of articles each month, complete with interviews, but that you'll need an assignment if you're going to be granted an interview. It's usually best to target the lesser-known publications first until you have built up a portfolio full of interviews with American artists.

Once you have earned an assignment, your next step is to start your research. Begin looking up names of American artists and determine whether or not they are internationally known. Just because someone is famous in the US doesn't mean the UK has ever heard of them, so refer to UK publications as references and look for mentions in various articles. Keep a running list of celebrities you'd like to interview at some time so you can jump on the opportunity when it arises.

In many cases, freelance writers can increase their chances of landing interviews with American artists by specializing in a specific area. For example, many UK publications enjoy purchasing articles about American novelists, particularly science fiction and fantasy writers. This is a lucky piece of information because sci-fi and fantasy authors are easier to track down than most other novelists.

If, for example, you wanted to use sci-fi and fantasy writers as your niche, you could begin to attend conventions for these types of writers as well as visiting their websites and obtaining their publicists' contact information.

Interviewing American artists for international publications can easily become a boon to your freelancing career, but don't get ahead of yourself. Research the market, make contact with editors and conduct a few practice interviews to make sure you're ready for this kind of journalism.