What’s on the iPod: More Than a Feeling by Boston
Yesterday was one of those days where I thought I’d get so much work done. I had plans. I was marketing. I was writing. I was lining up sources for an article. Instead, I lined up pillows on the bed and took a long nap. After a few weeks of hard, physical work and four late nights in a row, I couldn’t stay awake. I knew I’d crash after the last wedding was over, but I didn’t realize how hard.
I crashed with a raging sinus headache. Not ideal.
So everything I had to do yesterday I’ll be doing today. That includes lining up interviews for my next article. Coincidentally, Ashley just asked the question the other day: How and where does one find expert sources, and do they need to be lined up before one even queries an editor?
The answer to that last question: no. I don’t even mention it to my sources before I query. The reason is simple: you’re not always going to get the assignment. No reason to get sources all hopeful (or have them or their PR agents emailing all the time) if the assignment never comes.
And yes, that’s okay. Unless you’re promising a superstar interview, you can offer up the names of potential interview sources that you may or may not use. Chances are, though, if you’re talking about them in your query, you’re going to use them.
The first question is almost as easy to answer — where do you find sources? Let’s take any topic — skin cancer, for example. Your query could be about how to protect against skin cancer all year. Where are the experts? Easy — American Cancer Society, American Association for Cancer Research, American Academy of Dermatology, researchers, authors, etc. There is an endless list of potential interview sources.
Let’s try a harder one: Internet scams. Your query could be about how to spot a scam before getting ripped off. Where are your experts?
Almost as easy — your experts are the FBI, the Internet Crime Complaint Center, and a bevy of authors who have written or spoken on the topic. An Amazon search will locate authors, and an Internet search will locate plenty of experts.
No matter what topic you choose, you can locate expert sources without too much difficulty. Here are some favorite places for me to find my experts:
ProfNet. Still my favorite source, ProfNet is a massive database of sources and their PR contacts. Other writers use Help A Reporter Out (HARO) with good results, though I’ve yet to find anyone that way.
LinkedIn. That’s what it’s there for, after all. LinkedIn allows you to search for specific industries, which can lead you to your experts. Also, use the Groups to connect directly with your sources.
Internet searches. You needn’t know their names — just the topic. I’ve been known to type in the subject I’m writing about and hit the “News” tab before searching. The results are usually filled with people being quoted. I don’t use more than one of these sources, if I can help it. It’s better to mix it up just to keep your content fresh.
Companies. Plenty of companies offer their executives up as experts, and their marketing and PR departments are only too happy to connect you. Look for companies doing business or research in the area in which you’re writing, then reach out to their marketing/PR team.
Personal network. It’s why we connect with people at trade shows, on Twitter and LinkedIn, and through past work. Someone somewhere is just right for your article, and it could be someone you’ve interviewed in the past. Reach out to your favorite PR people, send a Twitter request, or pick up the phone.
Associations. I love associations, especially the trade associations. Where else will you come across so many potential experts from so many different companies in one location? If there’s a talked-about or emerging topic, there’s an association or organization that deals with it in some way — even the obscure angle contains one similarity you can work with. Reach out to the media contact with your request. Just let them know you need one or two or you could be inundated.
Amazon. Oh, the books you’ll find on that topic you’ve chosen. Type the topic into the search box and look through the results. Locate a few authors, then do a cursory search for their websites and contact info.
Research and studies. I’ve interviewed countless sources whose companies have published surveys, studies, or other statistics that are relevant to my article. For example, my last article on the anti-vaccine movement was actually triggered by a news release an editor had seen on the insurance costs associated with not vaccinating. That study became the basis of the article, and the company that released it became one of my sources. To locate studies, try typing “[topic name] statistics” into your Internet search.
Writers, how do you find sources? What is your go-to method for locating sources?
Do you tell sources about the article pitch before you get the assignment? If so, do you do this with every pitch?
Glad you're feeling better now 🙂 After all that, I probably would have needed another week off just to recover!!
I'm bookmarking this list- great suggestions. I've mainly used social media (Twitter & Facebook) and HARO in the past. Not much luck with social media, but I've always found good sources on HARO. I'd like to have more options, though. I like the idea of looking for authors on Amazon!
Much better, KeriLynn! Thanks. I needed to reset my internal clock. A good nap always does the trick.
I'd love to hear how you use HARO. The two times I've tried, I've gained nothing. Maybe not enough people there who are in my specialty area? Not sure, but in two searches, I garnered exactly one source total, and it wasn't a good match at all.
Great ideas… I also use forums… I've been known to search for the kind of forum I need.
And I don't have much luck with Haro either… would love some pointers.
I haven't had any luck with HARO, either, Lori.
I use all of the other methods you mentioned, plus colleges and universities. They can be a great source for experts and current research data.
Even with superstar type interviews, if the intended market is a top publication within their industry and if they have something to promote, you probably don't need to confirm their willingness to be interviewed (unless they're notorious for avoiding interviews). If I pitch a piece involving a specific producer or actor who's career is on fire at the moment, I'll usually add a qualifier like, "if possible" or "if their schedule allows…" Otherwise I'll say, "Sources would include a major director, such as so-and-so and at least one cast member, perhaps ActorX, ActorY or ActorZ."
Good call, Paula. I don't promise unless I know I can deliver. The words "such as" come into play a lot in my queries because it's saying "These are the types of sources I'm considering using."
Anne, I would love to know how it works for others, as well. My limited experience says otherwise, but too many people love it as a resource to discount it.
Great ideas here Lori. I was going to suggest colleges, but Paula beat me to it. I've had a lot of success finding expert sources from faculties.
Colleges are good, Jenn and Paula. I've had a few really key interviews that came from college staff.
Hi all.
Interesting that you're not having success with HARO. It's pretty much my first line for sources. I sometimes have to supplement that with my own Internet research, but I usually get at least some sources there.
How do I make it work? I don't know that I'm doing anything you aren't/wouldn't be doing. I mostly look for real estate and legal sources, so I hit both the "business and finance" and then "general" categories. Maybe my categories are more widely used than for the topics you're searching?
I also include a paragraph telling what I need an expert on. "Need real estate company owners to discuss the steps they're taking to track their social media efforts." I can't imagine that's much different than what you're doing/would do?
Anyway, I get a bunch of dreck. No question. But I usually get a good baseline of sources.
What are you all doing differently?
Gabriella, I'm not sure what I'm doing differently. I send out a query (honestly can't remember how I did it), and only one query netted one source who didn't quite fit.
I'm not sure how to use HARO effectively, to be honest. It's not as user-friendly as ProfNet (to me, anyway).
My problem with HARO was that they wouldn't approve my requests. Why? they were for articles that would run on a subscription website.
The HARO person cited some policy against providing leads for pay-only websites.
I never understood how or why they feel subscription websites differ from subscription magazines or newspapers, but hey. It's a rule. (Never mind that the site the articles are for often grants free access upon request.)
Those career planning articles are usually the only ones I ever use ProfNet for, so I just gave up on HARO.
[…] Some not-so-obvious pros of living and freelancing in Greece (compared to Italy) 7 Simple ways to build your freelance business in 2014 90% of freelancers specialize to get more clients Finding Expert Sources […]
[…] Some not-so-obvious pros of living and freelancing in Greece (compared to Italy) 7 Simple ways to build your freelance business in 2014 90% of freelancers specialize to get more clients Finding Expert Sources […]