Interviewing the Expert

Problem:  people with knowledge don't always know how to share it.

Anyone who has taken a class in college knows the type:  professors that know their subject cold, but have absolutely no skill at education or communication.  Students have to cut through overly technical jargon to find the core of knowledge hidden within.  It happens because colleges want some of the finest minds teaching in their classrooms, and having a fine mind is not the same as being a gifted teacher.

The same can be said of writing.  Experts of all types are expected to be able to write down their ideas with ease - in fact, it's much easier to be considered an expert if you can boil down what you know to a few bullet points.  But a lifetime of training in heart surgery, financial planning, IT support or organic cooking isn't going to leave a lot of time for learning how to write really well.

Solution:  be the expert in your field; let me be the expert on writing about it.

Many experts don't know how to explain what they know to other people.  When I interview an expert like I did with Dr. Terrence Fox, I get as much information as I can out of each question, and then sift through the information to find the gems.  I tailor an interview to the needs of my subject, and I focus on bringing out all the interesting bits I can about it.  I have to listen to the answers intently, because they often lead me to even better questions.

Free interview available

I frequently interview my clients as I work on writing projects, but I am also willing to conduct interviews for free from time to time.  If you are an expert in a field but just don't know how to explain what you do, I might be interested in interviewing you.  I will use my interview to develop articles and blog posts about your specialty, and I will give you credit where it is due.  Contact me if you'd like to have your knowledge put to the test.