I was asked to write an article on a short deadline. No problem, I thought. Then I got the article specifications which included quoting several experts in the article.
Instead of giving up, I got online and within 12 hours had more experts than I needed and a finished article.
Breaking into a new writing niche is both exciting and stressful. Old contacts may not be able to help you out when you switch from parenting to nutrition, or from health to health foods. There are several options you can try, depending on the time you have to write your article.
- Ask your editor for contacts. Many times they can refer you to someone they know is available for interviews.
- Check out listservs. Do searches on Yahoogroups, Topica, and SmartGroups. Visit Google and use their "groups" search function. Join groups that seem to have professional members. Read past messages, post some questions, and see what happens.
- Email or call members of writer's groups you're associated with. While some writer's keep their contacts under wraps, nearly all the writer's I've worked with online and in person are happy to share professional contacts.
- Visit Profnet to find experts to interview in all areas imaginable. profnet.com is an online venue that connects journalists with sources. There is no fee to journalists, but the site is used heavily by publicity firms and my experience has been that the PR pros are more excited about their clients getting press than their clients are. In other words, I've been left with a phone bill of unreturned calls. Conversely, if you want to promote your business, book or self, you can sign up (for a fee) to receive the journalists' requests for information. There is also a speaker's bureau online.
- Pull out your yellow pages and look up physicians, attorneys, dietitians, hospital administrators, and accountants to call for information and quotes.
- Read magazines. If you find a name and job title that fits what you need, call the firm where your potential interviewee works. One thing you know already: he is willing to be interviewed.
- Do a search at online bookstores for books that speak to your article's topic. Authors need to get their names in print to sell their books. Many have websites with contact information for members of the press.
- Use public relations firms and departments. Call the public relations department at a hospital to find a nutritionist, cardiologist, administrator, emergency technician. The PR department will know which staff members make good subjects for interviews and may be able to suggest related topics to include in your article or as a sidebar. The PR department at a culinary institute may be able to connect you with a celebrity chef alumna.
- There are other places to look for help. profnet.com sends out press releases, and has them accessible on the website. profnet.com is only one place where writers can place articles for publishers to read. Both of these sources allow writers to look for experts through their press releases and articles.
It may take a while for any of these methods to work. You may get calls and emails from experts that don't fit a particular article. Save their contact information anyway, along with all experts you interview and quote. Build your own database of experts for future articles and each new assignment will find you better connected to the experts you need to reach.
******
Please keep resource box at end intact. You may publish freely in ezines, newsletters, print publications that do not charge a fee for the publication.
About The Author
Pamela White is editor of Food Writing, an online newsletter for food writers and author of profnet.com's Becoming a Food Writing. Visit profnet.com for the most recent newsletter, how to subscribe for fr^e, and current writing contests.
efficient cleaning crew Northbrook ..Article distribution is currently booming on the internet. Authors do... Read More
Everyone focuses their web marketing efforts on search engines, and... Read More
You're Invited... Visualize your article going out like a party... Read More
If you have submitted your articles to EzineArticles.com you have... Read More
Are you looking for a better way to promote your... Read More
Last month, I began promoting Jason Potash's "Article Announcer." I... Read More
It is a well-known fact that a key to obtaining... Read More
By default, Microsoft Word automatically changes straight quotation marks (... Read More
All writers aspire to recognition, but are we dedicated? Ambition... Read More
Are you short of ideas? There are times when we... Read More
If you want to really make your article "SELL" then... Read More
So you've decided to market your home-based copywriting business through... Read More
Writers talk about rejection all the time ? just part... Read More
You've written this wonderful (no question about it) piece of... Read More
Find definitions from Q to Z... ~~~~~~~~~~~ Q ~~~~~~~~~~~ Query... Read More
Often all the Web Surfer will see is your title,... Read More
As a follow up to my previous article on the... Read More
Many internet home business owners today have learnt that one... Read More
IntroductionThere are two ways to submit to magazine editors.One is... Read More
How to write an informative article?The following tips can help... Read More
Writing for web content is one of the easiest ways... Read More
Good technical articles are challenging to write. They're time-consuming, demanding... Read More
I have a confession to make.I think in "articles."As a... Read More
Writing dozens, hundreds or even thousands of articles and making... Read More
Most all ezine publishers need fresh content. Article writing is... Read More
cleaning lady near Wilmette ..Publishers and webmasters can spend massive amounts of time just... Read More
One of the best ways to promote your website is... Read More
How would you like to have your name and web... Read More
MS: John, you must be one of the most prolific... Read More
If you've spent any time online trying to promote your... Read More
People who have an idea for a website sometimes require... Read More
The Most Economical Way to Advertise online is to Submit... Read More
A recent debate started me thinking about how some marketing... Read More
Writing articles is by far the most effective online promotion... Read More
Many successful authors close their mind to learning HTML because... Read More
Whether you own your own affiliate website, or subscription website,... Read More
Every field or discipline has its own specialized vocabulary and... Read More
Publicity?you're business can survive without it, but it certainly won't... Read More
A true test for many writers that will require your... Read More
The first twenty-five words of your article are the most... Read More
Your author bio is a vital part of your article... Read More
You've got to start somewhere, but once you've created your... Read More
Most business owners are overwhelmed with the day to day... Read More
IntroductionThere are two ways to submit to magazine editors.One is... Read More
Writing and distributing articles on the internet is one of... Read More
How to write an informative article?The following tips can help... Read More
Writing effectively on the internet is the most effective way... Read More
Recently I interviewed Kevin Bidwell of All-In-One-Business.com on some of... Read More
Write articles, be recognized as an expert, drive a surge... Read More
What's the quickest, easiest way to get exposure for your... Read More
Article Writing |