New York's Tips for Freelancers: 'Try to Listen When Your Interviewee is Talking'

since Dan Kois is no longer editing Vulture, and since Carl Swanson doesn't need to see every single party file, could you please remove their email addresses from the list of editors that you send your party reports to? From now on the round-up of people you file to should look like this:

[Redacted addresses of editors]

Thanks a lot,

Andrew

Party Reporting Instructions

Preparation

1. Double-check with editor to make sure you are RSVP-ed and have all the proper logistical information. A plus-one is not guaranteed.

*You should under NO circumstances RSVP for a party or request tickets to an event using your New York Magazine affiliation without express permission from your editor. Doing so risks never getting an assignment from us again.

2. Discuss with editor the type of coverage desired: Daily Intelligencer item, Vulture item, or Online Slideshow. Daily Intelligencer items are celebrity news/scenes. Vulture items are strictly cultural. Online Slideshows are entirely quotes based. Look at nymag.com under Party Lines to see DI items, see Vulture's News Reel for their items, and look at the Slideshows on home page.

3. Look over tip sheet and come up with possible questions—some general questions and some for individual attendees. Run them by your editor. Ask if there are any particular subjects/questions your editor wants answered. E-mail questions, but it's always better to discuss by phone.

4. You MUST bring your own tape recorder (keep recordings for legal backup). The magazine will not provide one.

Reporting

1. When you arrive at an event, check in with the publicist and the Patrick McMullan photographer. You should check back with them periodically to make sure you haven't missed any potential interviews. It is imperative that the photographer shoot everyone important in the room, particularly those whom you've talked to. Make sure this happens.

2. ALWAYS identify yourself as a reporter. If your reporting ends up in the magazine, we will need recordings, transcripts, and notes for fact-checking purposes. If a subject asks you not to print something, politely say that you'll try but you have to talk to your editor. Make no promises you cannot keep.

3. Talk to the most famous people first, since they're the most likely to leave early. If, for instance, the event is honoring Bill Clinton, it is unacceptable to not at least attempt to talk to Bill Clinton. Order your questions in a way that you do not waste time with chit-chat or throwaway questions (like "What are you wearing?"… NEVER ask that question), but also don't offend them right away.

4. Try to listen when your interviewee is talking. Ask follow-up questions ("Really? Why?" "Explain." "How so?"). When something interesting is said, especially if it sounds like news or something that could turn into an item for the magazine's "Intelligencer" ("Printel"), stay on the subject and get as much information as possible. Again, a recording or thorough notes are essential in such a case.

5. If you are attempting an Online Slideshow, you MUST turn in a total of at least six good quotes, gathered from six different notable people.

6. If your event has a stage program, make sure to take down accurate quotes of what is said onstage. Try to avoid paraphrasing stage banter.

Filing

1. Party reports are due at 10 a.m. the day after the party. Fast turn-around is essential.

2. Reports should include the name and purpose of the event, the location, the date, a publicist contact, and your name.

3. Include both an item and a transcript in every report you hand in. For Online Slideshows, include a list of celebs interviewed and other notables who attended.

4. If submitting a transcript for an Online Slideshow, please make sure the questions are completed in Q&A format. We should not have to interpret what you asked.

5. Make sure to paste your report into the body of your email. We prefer to get a Word attachment as well, but please do not submit an attachment alone.

6. Your item should be comprehensible and polished and include the best quotes from your transcript. Try to come up with some unifying element or theme. Try to make it newsy and funny. Again, see past the Web for past examples.

7. Flag anything else in the transcript you think works well as a DI item, a Vulture item, or a possible New York Magazine "Intelligencer" (Printel) item.

8. Please e-mail your report to ALL of the following:

[Redacted editors' addresses]

Invoicing

1. You must submit your own invoices. Ask your editor for a blank invoice.

2. Submit invoices to [Redacted]

3. Rates are the following, and are based on what is PUBLISHED:

Items: $50 each (if your reporting leads to more than one item, you may invoice for each item published)

Online Slideshow: $75 (This includes an item AND a transcript. Fee depends on receipt of both elements.)

Killed party: $25 (If you submit a report and nothing gets published, or we send you out and you put in a good effort and the party is simply a bust, we will pay you for your time. There is a reasonable limit to killed party payments.)

Magazine party quote: $50 (If and only if you have not been paid for that night's reporting otherwise.)

Magazine item: Rates vary; contact your editor.

We do not reimburse for transportation, except under pre-arranged circumstances.