After reading parts one and two, you'll know what a feature is, who your readers and editor are, the importance of research, and why you need to get every word just right for your opening. Now what?
What's in a quote?
Quotes breathe features to life. The writer's job is to make sure they get great quotes by asking exacting, well researched questions. Open questions are the best way to approach a subject (never closed questions that result in a ‘yes' or a ‘no'). But don't attempt to tackle too much with one question – you don't want to confuse your interviewee or make it difficult for them. If you have any prickly questions, save them till last, that way if your interviewee takes umbrage, at least you'll have the majority of the interview down first! You are not out to be Jeremy Paxman. Feature writers don't need the straight for the jugular approach, but should see themselves more like priests enticing a confession.
Best foot forward
Once you have a fantastic transcript, you need to ascertain what quotes really work. Choose one of the best, if not the best to put in the first top paragraphs of your feature. This has to be provocative, thoughtful, emotional or revelatory. It needs to grab the reader to encourage them to keep reading. Quotes can also be good to close on if it's a conclusive, meditative or a thought-provoking line. Always ensure all quotes are clearly attributable. Launch straight into the quote, rather than pre-fixing it with an ‘According to..,' or any other intro. The quote is the power; you can choose a natural break after the first sentence or so to introduce to speaker.
Labour of love
Writing the body of your feature should be a labour of love. You need to draft, re-draft and ensure all the research, additional quotes or unanswered questions are all fully answered. Don't feel like you have to add every bit of information or quote you've gathered; you need to choose the bits that inform, enlighten or entertain. The bits you miss out will add power to the bits you choose. Refine your sentences, cut out clutter, have a compelling narrative and ensure you don't turn your reporting into a monologue – keep your readers on their toes. News stories often just end on a random fact. Features need to feel as if you've just read a short story – there should be a definite conclusive full stop. The final farewell should be meaningful, not random. Many readers often read the first line of a story, jump to the pictures and captions and scan the last line. If the last line isn't compelling, they'll turn to the next page because let's face it, what's in it for them?
Don't plug or promote
If you are writing a feature to plug a product or company, remember to make sure that company or product is organic to your story. Don't just drop in brands or plugs – it's brash. You can always end with a link such as, ‘to find out more, visit this website or call this number'. Always avoid jargon. The feature itself should help strengthen your brand – not act as an advertisement, and it should be transparently objective and fair.
It's in the detail
Side panels are great ways for editors to fill or cut space. Bullet points or lists of key facts for example offer ways to expand or contract without having to chop the main feature. Explaining a process, outlining an example, or adding a case study or biographical information are all ways to help readers grasp the topic as well as help the editor fit the story to her page availability and space. And remember, always keep your targeted publication's readership in mind when it comes to statistics or facts – e.g. if it's an American publication, are they really interested in European figures?
It's a wrap
Once you're happy with your idea, quotes and writing, you need to pitch it to the editor. Before doing so, find out if there are guidelines or if the editor prefers to pitch by phone, email or letter. Never send the whole article – they won't read it and it looks unprofessional. A pitch will tell them all they need in a couple of paragraphs. Include your key idea and who you are interviewing. Give yourself some credentials; it's unlikely an editor will pick up an unknown writer or one who has no specialist expertise in their chosen field. There are numerous websites dedicated to freelancers advising on how to pitch to particular publications. Your pitch needs to be powerful, brief and authoritative. The editor doesn't want to use someone they don't trust, so you need to assure them otherwise. If you're feature is aimed at a particular time of the year, make sure you pitch it well in advance. Some publications plan their pages months in advance; newspapers tend to work three weeks ahead. It may sound obvious, but if it's pitched at a regional newspaper, it has to be relevant to that locality. Don't give up; remember there are thousands of publications out there from in-flight magazines to business to business trade magazines. If your feature and idea are good, well researched and relevant, persist. One actor who rose up from an Australian soap opera to break into Hollywood movies (and succeeded) stuck Winston Churchill's phrase on his fridge, "Never never never give up."