Are you working on an article and need to find experts to quote? Or perhaps you're working on a nonfiction book and need sources to back up your facts?
Many of us have heard of HARO, and The Muffin readers may remember Annette's June '08 post HARO - A Great Resource, but it's not the only place for writers to find experts. Pam Baker, veteran freelance journalist, suggests alternative resources that may prove to be a better fit for your needs. In her article, Where to Find Best Sources for Your Article or Book, Pam reviews the pros and cons of other sites so you can "map your own path and thus stand out from the herd."
Pam's suggestions include:
The Eric Friedeim National Journalism Library
She writes, "$89 annual fee for just library services; no extra charge for National Press Club members. Owned/operated by the prestigious National Press Club. Probably the BIGGEST best kept secret in the sourcing/research game."
Profnet
She writes, "Free to journalists but not to sources. Owned/Operated by PR Newswire."
NewsWise
She writes, "Free to journalists, sources pay a fee. Newswise is great for university and research institution sources (over 500 of them!) for knowledge-based news. It was created in 1991 by Roger Johnson, Ph.D., a biochemist who became a science writer and freelance reporter in the Washington, DC area in 1978."
Thank you, Pam, for the great suggestions!
Be sure to check out Pam's post for more info, including the pros and cons of using each resource.
For my fiction writing I often have questions that are not of the journalistic sort. For example, I had a character who had a profession I was not very familiar with and I needed some type of characteristic details of his work experience. So I went to www.AllExperts.com and found exactly what I needed. It is free and fast. You find the "expert" by choosing first the category (real etate, cultures, religion/spritiuality, hobbies, etc. A list of "experts" then comes up with a dicription of their expertise and background, and e-mail contact.
ReplyDeleteI've found this site helpful for fiction, and for some non-fiction as well.
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