Tips for Article Source Success

It's one thing to research and outline an article idea and pitch it to an editor--but finding the appropriate sources to complete the piece once you've landed the assignment can be a different story. Over the years, through much trial and error, I've learned a thing or two about finding the perfect experts and anecdotal material necessary for turning in a polished article. Here are some tips to help you do the same.

Dig Deep to Find the Right Sources
Profnet.com is a great resource to find experts on any number of subjects, as is Peter Shankman’s “Help a Reporter Out” (HARO) service. Search Amazon.com in your subject heading and see if you can find any recently published non-fiction books whose authors might make great experts. Keep contact information for every source you interview (and make a note of whether you had a positive or negative experience) so you can contact these subjects for any future articles where they could be a good fit. You can also find specific experts and research for your related topic by contacting the communications departments of places such as the American Cancer Society or Autism Speaks.

Always Double Check Quotes and Obtain Permission from Article Sources.
When you conduct an e-mail or phone interview, always double check your source is okay with her personal information and anecdotes going into print. Send your source any quotes you plan to use (not necessarily the whole article) from the interview for verification and clarification and keep all e-mail correspondence. Sources do sometimes have a change of heart, later, and may tell your editor they no longer wish to be quoted. You may need to have evidence to back yourself up.

Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute to Find Experts and Anecdotes.
Always find two to three more sources than you’ll actually need for the article. Once, I had planned to interview an obstetrician-gynecologist for an article and she had to cancel at the last minute. The public relations agency she worked with provided me with another source, in a time zone three hours behind me. I stayed up late the night before the article was due to interview the source on the phone, only to find out she really didn’t think my article topic had merit and refused to give me any pertinent information. I hadn’t lined up enough sources to cover off that bomb of an interview and struggled to complete the piece on time.

Make Sure the Source is a Good Fit For Your Subject Matter.
When a source or public relations firm contacts you, make sure they have the proper expertise to act as an expert source and aren’t just promoting their latest book, blog, or website. For example, a personal trainer with an exercise blog may not be the best expert for an article on children’s nutrition. I find experts who will include facts, anecdotes and research in their initial correspondence with you particularly promising. Over the years, I’ve learned how to comb through “dud” sources and spot which experts and anecdotal subjects will be the best fit for my articles.

What tips do you have for finding the right sources to interview for assignments? Please share in the comments below!

Renee Roberson is an award-winning writer and editor who also works as a Blog Tour Manager for WOW! Women on Writing. Her work has appeared in magazines such as Charlotte Parent, Lake Norman Currents, The Charlotte Observer, The Writer and more. When she’s not working on client projects, she enjoys spending time with her family and writing young adult and middle grade fiction. Visit her website at www.FinishedPages.com.

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2 comments finding sources for articles and blog posts, freelance writing advice, HARO, Profnet, Renee Roberson

Find Experts for Your Article or Book

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.

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1 comment Eric Friedeim National Journalism Library, find experts, find sources, HARO, Newswise, Pam Baker, Profnet

HARO - A Great Resource

Today, I want to share a great resource with you. Some of you may be familiar with Profnet, a service reporters use to post their calls for expert sources and a service that sources pay for to receive these calls.

As an author, you are the expert they want to connect with. It gives you the opportunity to be quoted in articles or even featured in stories. However, it's rather pricey to sign up for this service.

But there is a new service in town (play appropriate Western music here).

You'll want to tell the PR people, marketers, publicists, editors, and journalists you work with about it too, because it's all about them and their needs.

If you're not already using www.helpareporter.com, check it out. It's a service much like ProfNet, but it's free. Yes, F*R*E*E. It used to be on Facebook, but grew too large for it. Once you subscribe, you receive about three to four emails a day with reporter, editor and freelance writer queries compiled in it, written so you can quickly and easily scan the topics for relevance.

If the topics do not apply to you, just hit delete. If they do, you may contact the reporter or editor directly, as instructed.

Note that Peter Shankman, the list facilitator, is very strict about helping out these reporters. Respond only if your information is relevant and on target. If not, you'll get bumped off the list. Quickly. I've seen it happen. So, don't pitch off topic to the media journalists. It's a great resource and you don't want to risk blowing the opportunity to use it.

Peter's a big believer in good Karma, and he’s also quite funny, and tends to also include a link to a fun site, or a funny story about his day in the emails. It's a nice refreshing change from the boring, non-funny emails we usually deal with daily.

Not only can you sign up to receive these source calls, but if you are writing a book or freelance article and need expert sources, you can submit a call to the HARO members. Peter just announced this week that membership hit 11,000.

Reporters/source seekers can post queries at www.helpareporter.com/press. Sources can sign up at www.helpareporter.com to receive the calls for submissions. As I said, it's free. Peter asks that if you find it useful, then you make a donation to any animal rescue charity or animal hospital.

You can forward the queries to others who are a fit, but do not post any queries (or the editor/reporter contact info) on any blogs or public websites. I received permission from Peter to blog about this, since this is a private group and I'm helping to spread the word to both subscribers and media to sign up.

The more people who use HARO, the better it becomes. Sign up, check it out, use it responsibly, and spread the word.

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6 comments Annette Fix, expert source service, HARO, Help A Reporter Out, pr lead service