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Topic: Use one interview for two different articles?
| Author | Message |
| swensen5 | Posted – 5/6/2008 10:50:42 PM | show profile | email poster I'm writing an article for a small regional magazine: they asked me to write about a type of person, and I chose the specific person to profile. After the interview, I realize this person and their work are fascinating and timely and worth more than just a short piece in a regional mag. So, can I legally write the first article, then write pitch a different article to a different pub based on the same interview? It sounds like people on the forum have done this before, but I don't understand how. Please advice! |
| snappiness | Posted – 5/7/2008 9:11:55 AM | show profile I have done that a few times, but I always go back to the source for another interview because when it's a different story I'm looking for different things. Your second story should be different, if for no other reason than that you can sell first rights again. But also you probably want to focus the idea more toward the publication you're pitching. You probably have enough in the original interview to do the pitch (dont use the same quotes though) and if you sell the story you can go back to the person for another interview. |
| mkelly | Posted – 5/7/2008 10:20:21 AM | show profile There's nothing ethically or legally wrong with this, but for the sake of good relations with your source, tell him or her that you'd also like to use some of his comments for an article in Magazine No. 2. You should also be sure that the two magazines are entirely separate and non-competitors, and try to avoid any duplication of quotes in both articles. If I found one of my writers did this for a non-competitor, I couldn't care less. If they did double-dip for a competing magazine, however, I'd skin them alive. |
| recovering_jersey_girl | Posted – 5/7/2008 10:55:15 AM | show profile I concur with the advice given here. You'll definitely want to reach out to the source, let him know you're interested in using his story for another pub, and augment your existing interview/notes. It's not necessary to literally ask him the same questions twice. What I would do is say, "Jim, you mentioned in our previous chat that your career choice was influenced by your grandfather's experience as an immigrant. Tell me more about that - what part of his experience had the most impact in bringing you to where you are today?" Or whatever, of course. The gist is that you want to allude to your previous conversation and build on that. Even if you technically could write the second story with your existing notes, go back and talk to him again anyway. I guarantee it'll give you material for a better story. |
| sophiesMOM | Posted – 5/7/2008 11:24:07 AM | show profile i've done this and concur with the other posters. this is def the way to approach. |
