"I Know Joy Lives 'Round the Corner" - Getting Interviews

Bear with me; I am operating on a few hours of sleep. Last Friday, I finally resumed sending queries to a list of people whom I want to interview right now. Frequently, I don't hear anything back. After all, a lot of people affiliated with Prince have signed non-disclosure agreements. However, I was surprised to get responses over the last several days, even if they weren't exactly what I was looking for. Here is what I heard this past week:

1. "I don't think I can help." My subject matter is very specific. Some people will not be able to speak about Prince's religious journey or the spiritual content in his music. Still, it's valuable to interview them  to confirm general facts about Prince's life and career, so it's always a bummer when they say no right away.


2. "I charge for interviews." This is the second time I've heard this since I started the project. Some people want a lot of money, too. In order to remain as objective as possible, I do not pay for interviews.


3. "Call me back." This is always exciting to hear, but you really can't get your hopes up. Sometimes, the person just doesn't pick up. In fact, I called the person today and that is exactly what happened. However, there is always tomorrow.

The silver lining is that for every handful of "no's," there is someone who is willing to talk. Hopefully, I will have another interview to share with everyone soon.