Celebrity Chasing
Monday, September 28, 2009 Question of the day: I've written several articles for local/regional magazines and I've been trying for some time now to write for national magazines. I would love to articles write about people/celebrities and get a chance to write for magazines such as Rolling Stone, Allure, etc. What advice could you give me to try to break into that market? I know it's extremely competitive and some magazines don't use freelancers. What could I do to get a chance to write for some of those magazines? If it's almost impossible, just tell me! I can take it...
I'll be honest with you: celebrity profiling is tricky. I'm super-fortunate in that I get to do it, but if I had to tell someone whether or not to pour a lot of energy into pursuing this outlet as a money-maker for her career, I'd probably say no. Here's why: booking celebrities is a bit of a catch-22. Their publicists act as their gate-keepers (understandably), controlling who gets access, and when and why. Often times, you need to already have a relationship with said publicist to gain access, or if you don't have a relationship, you need to have proven that you have the chops to interview a big-time celeb...and how do you do that without having actually interviewed one? Furthermore, you also encounter the problem of landing an assignment without proving to your editor that you can, indeed, land the celeb in question. Publicists aren't going to give you a carte blanche to pitch their client to magazines, and magazines might not want to assign you a piece if you don't already have access.
See why this can be tricky?
That said, I've been doing celebrity interviews for many years now, and yes, I do love doing them. If you're determined to break in, I suggest that you start small: pitch an editor with whom you already have a relationship so if the publicist passes, your editor knows that it's not you, it's them. Furthermore, ensure that the celebrity in question has a project to peg to the piece. Matt Damon isn't going to grant you an interview just because you feel like interviewing him - he'll need to be promoting something. Additionally, because you'll just be trying to get a toe in the door, I'd recommend starting with less high-wattage stars. Build your clips, prove to the publicist (and editors) that you won't turn into a stammering idiot when you get your favorite star on the phone, that you can ask tricky questions and that you can put together a well-paced piece without sounding like you're writing fan fiction.
If you've gotten the go-ahead from your editor, you email the publicist with all of the criteria you require: how long you'll need for the interview, the deadline, if you'll need a photo shoot, etc. Again, this is where relationships can really come into play. For example, I covered a lot of supporting players for a publicist - pushing them through to an editor when they might not normally have gone through, and so, when it came time for me to request a big A-list cover, I got a "yes" when a random interviewer might not have.
Like just about everything in this industry, establishing your celebrity interviewing cred takes time. It's not particularly lucrative, simply because there aren't a TON of outlets who are willing to take a chance on a new writer with something as sensitive as this - you often only have one shot to interview the celeb, and you better get it right - and even though it IS a lot of fun to chat with people whose work you admire, the logistics behind landing these interviews are often complicated. From the scheduling to the publicists to the occasional nerves. So that's sort of the nitty-gritty, honest truth behind the glam.
I love it, love it. But it's not for everyone, that's for sure. Anyone else out there interview celebrities and have anything to add/disagree/agree on?
Magazines
Reader Comments (5)
How about dealing with HORRIFIC CELEBRITY PUBLICISTS??? just been asked to interview huge sleb for huge magazine, but frankly, dealing with the PR is such a headache, honestly think it's not worth the hassle. Writing books much more fun...
And another thing (while I'm ranting...): most slebs are a HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT. Be very careful who you end up meeting because your dreams can very easily be shattered. Nothing like a movie star who seems charming and self-deprecating ending up being a cold, arrogant arse to put you off for life... (just for the record, EVERYONE says Tom Hanks is the NICEST MAN IN HOLLYWOOD. Just sayin'...)
LOL, Jane! (Everyone - it's the fabulous Jane Green!)
Well, hmmm, ya know, I want to be diplomatic, so I WILL say that there are actually some great publicists out there who I personally and honestly truly enjoy BUT yes, some are, um...difficult? :) These days, I just try to work with the ones whom I already know and who know me...because, er, occasionally things can get tricky. In fairness, I totally understand that they're all about protecting their clients, but yeah, sometimes it's a headache. I think this is 10000x more so when you're not used to their style - i.e., their abruptness in terms of protecting their client - so the reader who sent in this question should definitely keep that in mind.
I see the challenge as a double edged sword of sorts: you could meet a celeb you love, only to discover that s/he is duller than cardboard in person, or you could realize they're even more wonderful than you expected, only to disappoint them with your article if you want to make it more than a puff piece of adoration. Allison, you're brave to do this (and your years of work show in your interviews)...I think I'll stick with books :)
I'm an aspiring freelancer and novelist, however, the fact that Jane Green commenting on your blog gave me butterflies in my tummy makes me think that I might just need to stick with beauty and brides!