It's Who You Know

Writers, especially when beginning in the business, are told repeatedly to write "what you know." And while that adage has its perks, I've discovered that it's not always what I know, but WHO I know.

Think about it. More than likely, you have a lot of friends and those friends have friends. At work, you see colleagues daily. They undoubtedly have lives beyond the office, and I bet if you ponder for just a moment, you'll think about a work associate who would make a great feature subject. Plus, you have family, and somewhere in that cast of colorful characters, a story is waiting to take shape.

Think about the possible story ideas begging to be investigated!

I've made a fair amount of money penning feature stories for local, regional, and even national publications. And many of these stories featured people I know. For example,

• Our neighbor's teenage son wrote a rap song and entered a contest. He won! His story made the front page of the local newspaper.
• An 80-year old woman rounded up a group of friends, and together, they send care packages to our troops overseas. She just happened to be a friend of my in-laws. Story printed in a regional newspaper.
• One day while eating lunch in a local cafe, the owner (friend of mine) let me know about a lady who designed and made the Homecoming crowns for the king and queen every year. The story ran in the local paper, a regional publication, and went out on the AP wire. 
• Another friend's daughter conducted a major fundraiser to keep the town's swimming pool afloat. You guessed it! Another sale.

And don't forget to count yourself as an expert. Need an example or two?

• A few years ago, I contracted a severe case of food poisoning - salmonella - that required a hospital stay (three days before my daughter's high school graduation). I told my story to a statewide magazine and received a hefty paycheck.
• When a regional magazine solicited a Christmas story via Twitter, I jumped at the chance. They were looking for Christmas cooking traditions. I parlayed my family tradition into a double page spread that included multiple photos and three original recipes. 

Think about the people you know, their hobbies, offbeat travel destinations, volunteer experiences.

By writing WHO you know, you'll have a plethora of story ideas.

And that means money in the bank.

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4 comments expert resources, feature writing, LuAnn Schindler, Who you know, writing who you know

Are you an expert? Plan to Promote Your Work

You've written a non-fiction book or you freelance and have been published in magazines or newspapers. Are you an expert?

Yes. And you may have a lot to offer others.

How do you connect and get the word out? It's the art of networking, and if you keep at it, you'll find a wealth of opportunities to talk about your work.

One of the obvious methods is to promote your work on your website. But more pieces of the networking puzzle exist!

Build a Database

Make a list of magazines, newspapers, columnists, radio and TV shows, libraries, and book stores that relate to your book or area of expertise. Include addresses and contact information. This is an ongoing process, but you'll soon have a list of contacts that should provide another means of promotion.

Make the Call

Now, go ahead and call. I try to contact one or two individuals on my list every week. Introduce yourself and offer copies of your work. Then, invite the media outlet or individual to contact you and tap your knowledge as a source.

I try to contact one or two of the outlets on my list once a week. And, I've been lucky to be able to give presentations about my writing and areas of interest.

One of the best experiences I had when a CVB from my state asked me to talk on her weekly Blog Talk Radio show. Not only did we discuss freelance writing, we dished about one of my areas of expertise - Nebraska history.

Go ahead, don't be shy. Make a list, make the call, and promote your work.

by LuAnn Schindler. Read more of LuAnn's work at her website.

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Leave a Comment expert resources, LuAnn Schindler, networking, online author promotion, promotion

Sage Advice for Avoiding Interview Mishaps

Mark Twain quipped, "Whenever you give an interviewer a fact give him another fact that will contradict it. Then he'll go away with a jumble he can't use at all."

Twain's humorous take on interview skills leaves freelancers wondering about the craft of conferencing. Do unwritten rules exist about securing an expert interview prior to sending a query? What if an interviewee demands to read - and edit - your piece prior to publication?

Check out these interview scenarios and learn how to avoid interview pitfalls.

The scenario: You devise a brilliant idea for an article and now, you're stuck. Is it best to find an expert first or submit the query and then look for a source?

The advice: In my experience, it depends on the story and the publication I'm pitching. But, I have found that if I approach an expert source and explain that the article is in the query stage, they're more than willing to give me enough information so the pitch stands out. Then, if I need additional information once the query gets the green light, I conduct an in depth interview.

The scenario: What's the best way to conduct the interview? Take notes? Type on my mini laptop? Audio record? Videotape?

The advice: It depends. If I'm on a phone interview and at my desk, I'll transcribe throughout the interview. A digital audio recorder works great, but double check battery levels before beginning. I'll never forget the one time I started an interview and the batteries died within 15 minutes. No backups. A three hour interview. With the increase in multimedia in journalism, a video of the interview can be useful, too. Find what works best for you in each situation, and always get permission to audio or video record.

The scenario: You're on a deadline and want to conduct a phone or live interview. Your source wants you to send an email list of questions and will respond "at her earliest convenience."

The advice: This is a tough one because it depends on the window before the clock strikes deadline and you turn in a late assignment. (Remember what happened in school when you handed in late homework?) If I have most of the legwork completed and just need to plug in quotes, I would go ahead and send the email. Try to accommodate your source. But, if I know time is of the essence, I'll explain my position to the interviewee and try to reach a compromise. If the source wants her name included in the article, she usually finds a way to make the process work in her best interest.

The scenario: You locate a wonderful source and she offers a wealth of insight and fantastic quotes. But, she has a new book/magazine article/TV appearance/radio interview coming out that's not on topic and she's hinting at a free publicity plug in your article.

The advice: Tricky situation. What if I need to contact the source again and I haven't mentioned her work? Or, should I risk my professional integrity by promoting a piece of work or appearance unrelated to the topic? Again, the variables dictate the choice, but I focus on work that relates to my subject. (And I haven't lost a source yet!)

The scenario: You write your article. Now, the expert wants to peruse it.

The advice: Consult your editor. Since I've been freelancing, only once source has requested to read an article prior to print. That publication had a policy against letting a source view the story before it hits the press. Another writer friend will send paragraphs including the source's quotes but not the entire piece.

The scenario: Interview complete. Article submitted and printed. Has my responsibility ended?

The advice: I always send a handwritten thank you note after an interview. It's just a personal touch that I like to add. It's PR that says I care about my career and it makes a great impression. Once an article is printed, I either send a link for online articles or I make a copy and put it in the mail. Like I previously mentioned, you never know when you may need to contact this source again.

Interviewing isn't an exact science. Each situation differs and a seasoned writer knows what methods work best.

And those facts will untangle the jumbled mess Twain humorously described.

by LuAnn Schindler. Find more of LuAnn's writing at http://luannschindler.com.

Photo from Flickr Creative Commons by mrgilles.

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2 comments email interviews, expert resources, find experts, finding sources, interview, interview questions, LuAnn Schindler, phone interviews, recording interviews, thank you notes

Searching the National Archives

by LuAnn Schindler

You're conducting research for a piece about World War I. Along the way, you scour through books, look through microfilmed newspapers, but you want more. You want to glimpse at objects that document the journey of a soldier. Where can you find these objects? Begin at the National Archives.

The National Archives and Record Administration is the nation's record keeper, documenting the business conducted by the U.S. Federal government. According to the Archive's website, only 1 - 3 percent of the documents and materials created in the course of business are kept for legal and historical reasons.

But here, at the archives, you can discover a world of knowledge about a variety of historical topics about ordinary citizens. Established in 1934, the National Archives contain holdings dating as far back as 1775. And in the Internet age, the Archives also maintains electronic records. Imagine the possibilities!

The Archives aren't all housed in Washington, D.C. The nation is divided into nine regions, and these regional facilities house valuable records from the territory it represents. Additionally, each regional facility contains holdings for certain Federal agencies. Documents are stored in temperature-controlled storage areas. Preserving these precious documents is a primary objective. Visitors can observe records, and strict handling regulations are enforced.

Last October, I visited the Southeast Region Archive, located in Morrow, Georgia. Here, records from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee are stored.

While touring the immense facility, I made a personal discovery: all 24 million original WWI draft cards remain in existence at this Archives location. My grandfather served in this war, and I knew I wanted a copy to share with my family.

The process of retrieving the record was simple: I filled out an online form, paid the $5 fee, and within 48 hours, I received a digital copy, complete with my grandfather's signature. It's such a powerful feeling to hold that piece of family history!

In the lobby of the Southeast Archives, learn firsthand about our nation's history. Over 500 quality facsimiles of regional holdings show the paths of the famous and infamous. It's a breathtaking look of the history that defines us as a nation.

The Southeast facility offers these original records:

• Draft cards. All Word War I draft registration cards are here. Word War II , Korea, and Vietnam-era draft cards for the states covered by the Southeast region can be found here.
• Microfilm resources. Census records, passenger arrival, Freedmen's Bureau, Native American records and documents exist on microfilm and can be viewed on site.
• Military Service and Pension Records. A great source for genealogical information, pension applications and payment records are available on microfilm.
• Naturalization Records. Find the records of immigrants who applied for American citizenship. The earliest records date from 1790.
• Slave Manifests. Any ship transporting slaves were required to present a manifest listing the names of slaves on board. Records include a slave's name, sex, age, and height. The person who shipped the slaves and the party purchasing the slaves are also listed on the records. Unfortunately, the last names of the slaves are not included on the manifests.
• Tennessee Valley Authority. Relocation files for families and cemeteries reside here. Want to look at photographs of the agricultural and natural resource practices? You'll find them here.

The possibilities for story ideas from information housed at the Archives is endless. Check out this untapped resource and watch history come to life.

For additional information, check out the Archives site. If you're interested in items stored at the Morrow, Georgia, facility, visit the National Archives Southeast Region website.

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5 comments expert resources, LuAnn Schindler, Morrow Georgia, National Archives, resources, southeast region archives

Finding Inspiration, Part Deux

by LuAnn Schindler

The last time I blogged for The Muffin, I wrote about places to find inspiration. Today, I'm going to offer four more ideas of obvious--but not always utilized--places to find new story ideas.

Consider people you know. Are they an expert on a topic? Make of list of the experts in your life and brainstorm for ideas. A teacher from a neighboring school district is an expert chess player. I asked for his help for a story about teaching chess to kids and--checkmate! I sold a story, along with two sidebars and photos, to an area newspaper.

Take a look at current fads and trends. What's hot in your community? For that matter, what is hot in a particular area you are interested in? A local school funded a 24/7 learning initiative and purchased Apple laptops for all 7 - 12 students. As a former classroom teacher--and a current substitute--I find anything relating to education an interesting topic. I interviewed students, teachers and administrators from the district and had a two-day, four-story feature in an area newspaper.

My daughter works for our state economic development office and she's always giving me good ideas or tips concerning government publications. I checked out the www.info.gov website, and after surfing for a short time, I found a site where you could check out historical buildings in each state. That's when I stumbled upon an early 1900s single-room jailhouse close to where I lived. That article was published in a regional magazine.

I like cheesecake. No, I REALLY like cheesecake. I've made them for fundraisers, for extended family, and sometimes, for us. After making oh-so-many cheesecakes, I've come up with several methods to avoid having the cheesecake top crack. I wrote those methods as a short "how-to" article and sold it to a cooking website.

My favorite way to keep track of ideas is to use Post-It notes. But every writer should have some kind of idea notebook. I have a small memo pad that I keep by my nightstand. In my purse, a notebook with a sturdy cover--purchased from the $1 bin at Target--lets me jot down ideas as they come to me when I'm away from my desk. I keep a small notebook in the glove compartment of the car, too. Because you never when --or where--the inspiration bug will hit!

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2 comments expert resources, Finding Inspiration, LuAnn Schindler