post-interview-thankyou-writer

Post-Interview Thank-You Writer

What This Skill Does

Drafts a brief, professionally warm thank-you email to send to an interview subject after a recorded or on-the-record conversation, keeping the relationship open for future contact.

When To Use This Skill

• You have just finished an interview — on camera, on the phone, or in person — and want to follow up promptly and professionally.
• You need to acknowledge a source who gave significant time or who shared sensitive or personal information.
• You want to leave a positive impression that makes the source willing to be contacted again, without overpromising editorial outcomes.

What You Need To Provide

Required:

• The interviewee's name and, if relevant, their role or title
• A short description of the interview subject or topic (one sentence is enough)
• Your name and outlet or production
• Approximate interview date or context (e.g., "this morning's call," "yesterday's on-camera session")

Optional:

• One specific thing that stood out from the conversation — a particular insight, story, or quote you found especially valuable
• Any agreed next step (e.g., you will send a fact-check, they offered to share a document)
• Whether you want the email to leave the door open for follow-up contact

How the Assistant Approaches This

1. Opens with a direct, specific thank-you — names the interview, not a generic "thanks for your time."
2. References one concrete detail from the conversation to signal genuine engagement, not a form letter.
3. Sets clear, honest expectations about next steps and publication timeline without making editorial promises the journalist cannot keep.
4. Closes with an open invitation for follow-up, worded so the source knows they can reach out if they think of something they want to add or correct.

Output Format

• Length: 120–200 words
• Structure: Greeting → specific thank-you → one notable detail → next steps (if any) → open-door close → sign-off
• Tone: warm but professional; collegial, not effusive; never sycophantic
• Language register: conversational formal — the kind of email you would send to a respected professional you have just met
• Formatting: plain prose paragraphs, no bullet points, ready to paste into an email client

Quality Criteria

• The email references the specific topic or interview context — not a generic template that could apply to anyone.
• The tone is warm without using hollow phrases like "it was truly an honour" or "I was blown away."
• Any mention of publication does not promise a specific angle, outcome, or editorial decision.
• Next steps, if included, are concrete and realistic.
• The email is short enough to be read in under a minute.

Example

Input

Interviewee: Dr. Amara Nwosu, urban planning researcher Topic: Rising ground-floor vacancy rates in mid-sized city centres Interview context: 45-minute phone call this morning My name: Rosa Lindqvist, reporter at a regional news network One standout detail: Her point that vacancy rate data is routinely undercounted because it excludes units held off-market by speculative landlords Next step: I will send her the relevant section of the article for fact-checking before publication

Output

Subject: Thank you — urban vacancy conversation

Dear Dr. Nwosu,

Thank you for making time for our call this morning. The conversation was genuinely useful for the piece I am working on.

Your point about speculative holdings skewing the official vacancy data stuck with me — it reframes a number that most readers (and most city officials) take at face value. I will make sure that context comes through clearly in the final article.

Before publication, I will send you the section where I draw on your research so you can flag any factual errors. That is purely a factual accuracy check — editorial decisions rest with the newsroom — but I want to make sure I have represented your work correctly.

Please do reach out if anything comes to mind that you would like to clarify or add.

Best, Rosa Lindqvist Regional News Network

Known Limitations

• The email intentionally avoids making editorial promises (specific quotes used, angle taken, publication date). If your source is expecting those details, you will need to add them manually.
• Not suitable for sources who are also subjects of an adversarial investigation — a thank-you email in that context could be legally or ethically complicated. Consult your editor or legal team.
• If the interview involved a formal on-the-record/off-the-record negotiation, the email does not address or re-confirm those terms — add that language yourself if needed.

Related Skills

• interview-transcript-editor
• interview-question-builder
• interview-question-generator