3 min read

One Interview, Many Paychecks

One Interview, Many Paychecks

If you’ve ever wondered how pro writers squeeze maximum mileage out of a single interview, this issue’s for you. With the right questions, even a 30-minute chat can deliver headline-ready quotes, B-roll for Reels, and insights strong enough to anchor a white paper. Too often, writers treat assignments as one-and-done, but a repurposing mindset can turn one piece of work into many. It saves time, strengthens your pitches, and yes, it will even help you get paid more.

Must Read

From Interview to Everywhere: 5 Tips for How to Ask Content-Rich Questions That Work for Video, Social, and Articles

This week’s blog post takes a look at how, exactly, to structure interviews so you can repurpose them into multiple formats, e.g. articles, video scripts, social snippets, and more. I share lessons from my early writing days all the way through to the 200+ interviews I’ve conducted on my podcast. If you want to stop leaving content (and money) on the table, have a read.

Resource Roundup

  • Tool: Descript — I use this to transcribe interviews in seconds, pull quotes, and even cut short social clips.
  • Podcast: The Content ByteHow to repurpose and reuse content (ListenNotes). In this 19-minute episode, writers Rachel Smith and Lynne Testoni share practical tips on updating old work, mining interviews for fresh angles, and building systems to avoid content repetition. (Also available on Apple Podcasts).
  • Read: “11 Ways to Repurpose Content [with Real Examples]”: Tabitha Whiting breaks down creative, real-world ways to turn long-form assets into multiple formats, from blog-to-video to podcasts-to-infographics. Warning ... it's long, but the examples are good, so make yourself a cuppa and give yourself time to soak all that information in.
Woman in red dress against a grey background pointing

Mini Tip

I used to keep a paper file of unused ideas I got from interviews. Years later, I flipped through it (it took awhile) and realized I’d forgotten almost every single one. Now, I digitize everything into a searchable system. That means when I need a fresh pitch or story angle, I can type in a keyword and instantly pull up a goldmine of material.


Quick Win vs. Pro Move

  • Quick Win (for newer writers): Before your next interview, prep 3 “What else?” follow-up questions. You’ll be surprised at what your subject will tell you when you give them "permission" to talk more.
  • Pro Move (for experienced freelancers): Build a searchable archive of past interviews and client stories. It’s like having an endless library of pitch-ready ideas.

Your Turn

Know another freelance writer who wants to get more mileage from their work? Forward this newsletter and share the wealth.

Wrap Up

And that's it for this week. Hope you have a lovely weekend, wherever you are in the world.

💡
Have you checked out this week's post on recent project opportunities? It's not too late!

Please note that as an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.  That means that if you click on one of our affiliate links (these are clearly identified) then we will receive a small commission, for which we thank you.  It helps us keep on providing informative posts that help you build your freelance writing career and business.