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Topic: Interviewing Influential/Busy Principals: When?
| Author | Message |
| testing123 | Posted – 5/19/2008 10:36:55 PM | show profile | email poster Hi I think I know the answer, but would welcome suggestions and/or perspective from others. In the course of working on my nonfiction manuscript, I tracked down several very "big" (in their respective industries) resources who are 100% vital to my project's success. Without their stories, I literally have no story. This "tracking down" took place between last October and this January. Once found, very professional letters were mailed to each, outlining my project's scope and purpose, and how I saw each recipient's participation in same. Then, I respectfully asked for the interview. Calls and emails soon began coming in to me from all over the world: "Great letter! Project sounds fascinating! What do you need from me? How can I help?" "Count me in!" GREAT! So....I next sent these men outlines of my proposed interview...the questions I intended to ask. Again, with excruciating care given to the content, the full scope of how i would conduct the interview and how answered questions would be incorporated into my work, and again.......... "Got the outline!" "Great questions!" "Very thorough!" "These questions really bring back great memories!" GREAT II!!!...so....ummm....okay, guys, like, I know you're busy as hell and in demand all around the world, etc...but...and here's my question: When do I, or CAN I, say, "I'm appreciative of your willingness to aid me, but now I am on a deadline of Month, Day, Year and need to schedule this thing with you firm" Can I do that? Or do I just keep sending them polite email reminders? I need to wrap four of these guys up by Sept 1 at latest, and while I have spoken to them all, and swapped emails with all, I don't want to lose them by being too pushy, or lose them by being too passive. But this waiting is killing me! Thoughts on how I handle this circumstance? Ask for more detail if you need it, otherwise, let it rip! Thanks! |
| testing123 | Posted – 5/19/2008 11:27:05 PM | show profile Footnote... I wrote: 'Without their stories, I have no story" This is about 90% accurate. Meaning - with their input, I have info no one has EVER gotten into print regarding my subject, as these men "made" the subject of my manuscript (subject is a person) Without their input, my manuscript is basically still born. Dead. Yeah, i could write it/finish writing it, but would have to alter its entire premise to an entirely new dimension, which quite frankly, I won't do. I'll let it go. So bottom line: I need these guys and cannot let them off my hook come hell or high water. I worked too hard to find them and court them, and get them on board, but they're not yet 100% on board - they're on the pier, walking to the boat's gang plank. I need to get them up onto the deck. Maybe I'm just being too anxious? Okay....that's the footnote. Going to bed. Thanks for reading, for your consideration and input. |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 5/20/2008 2:46:26 AM | show profile I don't get the problem here. It seems like they're all agreed to interviews. Have you specifically asked for a time or suggested a time to do so? I would have done that immediately. |
| Canadiana | Posted – 5/20/2008 9:32:42 AM | show profile Yup. Just start scheduling. Email Mr. Smith and ask: can you do Monday, May 31 at 8:30 am or Tuesday June 2 at 4:30 pm? Give each person two or three potential time slots (use their admin assistant if necessary) and wait for the slots to fill up. |
| snappiness | Posted – 5/20/2008 9:49:57 AM | show profile Yeah, I'm not sure what the issue is here, are you asking how to schedule an interview? Call them (or their assistant), remind them who you are and schedule a time. |
| testing123 | Posted – 5/20/2008 6:01:21 PM | show profile | email poster Thanks, all. Just the kick in the pants/reality check/logic/"Get with the program, loser!" feedback I needed. Thus, my initial line: I think I know the answer. Sorry to clutter this top portion of the board. We can now let this become buried. I'll send them emails tonight with time slots, etc. A % of this is my nerves. These guys are monster-sized important to my story, and I am letting fears (are they still with me?) become facts (they're bailing!). I know better. Sorry for being a wimp. Thank you for your support. |
| snappiness | Posted – 5/20/2008 6:12:58 PM | show profile Don't email them, call them and check their calendar. Much faster than a bunch of email back and forthing. |
| Marie | Posted – 5/21/2008 2:39:17 AM | show profile I don't get your problem, and I'm mystified by this being too pushy stuff. Select the ones you think are the best, and start scheduling your interviews. What is the bloody problem here? Have I missed some subtext? What is is that this profession does to people? Enlighten me. |
| HisGirlFriday | Posted – 5/21/2008 10:39:34 AM | show profile Good for you, testing! Go for it! "The nerves" can rattle the best of us. I think you'll find that, as you get used to it, you might still be rattled, but it will delay you a matter of hours (or minutes) rather than days or weeks. |
| testing123 | Posted – 5/21/2008 8:36:03 PM | show profile | email poster I'm the guy working on that manuscript about the rock and roll concert in 1978. I've posted about it before in this category. The guys I'm referring to here are ex-employees of the artist the manuscript focuses on, and his 78 show they worked on. They are: Live sound designer Lighting designer Theater owner where the show happened There are a couple dozen other people attached to this show i am interviewing now, or have already, but these three are the majors. And, for my purposes, more important than the artist. These three guys are now, thirty years later, as follows: Lighting designer: World famous in his field, totally terrified of the artist's power and influence (he was "fired" in '80) and although today he's got more $, clients, respect and genius than any man should have, he lives in fear of "talking". And he's a basket case. The sound guy is basically a walking computer when it comes to live sound design. He's all over the world working on projects so large it boggles the mind and his interview (the questions) is a massive technological stew of questions relating to instrumentation, acoustics, sonic architecture, etc...I almost hospitalized myself doing the research for this guy's questions as my mind shattered under the weight of this guy's responsibilities and intellect (his client roster is a Hall of Fame of rock and roll). The theater owner ONLY responds to letters on paper - not phone or email, and he's all over the planet weekly also, promoting rock shows. Anyway....they're just super hard to nail down, and the info they are able to supply is priceless. However, it's all good. As stated above by me, it's nerves, 'cause i know I am the only person who has ever asked these guys to talk for a book about this artist and there are hundreds of books, essays, critical studies, etc about this artist published - but not one has ever gone INTO his art as I am doing, and I am so close to being IN his art and ON his stage it's heady...so I'm just having a moment. But! It's a sales job i'm involved in, and so, as offered above in different language, it's time for me to close the sale. I will. Thanks for the feedback. |
