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Topic: How to connect with expert sources?
| Author | Message |
| ubitiq | Posted – 2/5/2007 4:06:47 PM | show profile | email poster Hi there, I am looking for other databases besides Profnet.com..Anyone aware of others? Thanks ahead. |
| Linda F | Posted – 2/5/2007 4:34:12 PM | show profile Try experts.com. Also, the Newswise Contact Directory: www.newswise.com/resources/ncd/. This is a database of universities, colleges, and other research organizations that's designed to help journalists find media contacts. Linda -- New: E-books from the Renegade Writers: http://therenegadewriter.com/?page_id=230 |
| ubitiq | Posted – 2/5/2007 4:38:20 PM | show profile | email poster thank you! |
| fourfold | Posted – 2/5/2007 4:39:56 PM | show profile | email poster I'm not crazy about Profnet. The experts aren't necessarily experts. They're people who are looking to market themselves and who have paid a couple of thousand dollars to be listed. I try to connect with industry groups and analysts. There is no single database that lists these, but it really is worth the effort to find out who an association's elected officers are--they are likely to be prominent in their field. Ditto for analysts. You just call the firm and ask who covers companies your field. Most are happy to talk to you. |
| fourfold | Posted – 2/5/2007 4:41:21 PM | show profile | email poster oops. meant "in your field." |
| Cyrus | Posted – 2/5/2007 5:24:13 PM | show profile Try Expert Click at www.expertclick.com. It's a service of Broadcast Interview Source based in D.C. It's small compared to ProfNet's database, but you may find some decent people in it. Former clients of mine in the legal field used it and were happy. ------ Cyrus Afzali Astoria Communications www.astoriacomm.com |
| D_S | Posted – 2/5/2007 5:50:56 PM | show profile You might also try sending requests to the PR departments of various universities outlinging the scope of your story. They can help set up interviews with experts for you. |
| inkgirl | Posted – 2/14/2007 12:24:23 AM | show profile I like to ask the people at book stores for popular authors. So if you needed, say, and expert in rock and roll, you could ask the help at the store which music books are the hottest ones right now. |
| Linda F | Posted – 2/14/2007 11:09:10 AM | show profile Inkgirl, that reminds me...I like to search on my article topic on Amazon.com, then sort the results by publication date instead of relevance. You'll find new and upcoming books on your topic, and those authors are sure to be eager to be interviewed. Linda -- E-books from the Renegade Writers http://therenegadewriter.com/?page_id=230 |
| DHernandez | Posted – 2/14/2007 1:50:34 PM | show profile I don't think of all authors as experts; they researched their books, but relied on other experts for the material. Forget "experts" Web sites. People pay to be listed as experts on them. It is a form of p.r./promotion. Instead, use Google, Yahoo or any other search engine to find true experts in your field. Use ProQuest or LexisNexis to see which experts other writers have dug up. Use other databases to see who's cited in research. Work the telephone to contact professional associations, universities, hospitals, industry groups. Do anything to find real experts, not the kind who buy their "expert" status. |
| Linda F | Posted – 2/14/2007 3:59:05 PM | show profile Belinda, I agree that not all authors are experts; for example, I often get calls from the media asking to interview me based on a Dummies or Idiot's book I wrote -- but I wrote those books with experts in those topics, so that's who I direct the reporters to. But I still think that many authors make great experts -- and timely ones, too, if their books are new or about to be released. I can't think of any guidelines on how to judge whether an author would make a good source; I'd suggest doing some additional searching online to make sure. Linda |
| Stressed | Posted – 2/15/2007 11:11:22 AM | show profile I often look up books on the subject matter on Amazon and pick out a recent one one that has been written by some university academic with a string of letters after their name. If a quick view of the back cover does not reveal which uni they are based at a quick Google name search usually does. |
| Iwillwriteforfood | Posted – 2/22/2007 7:16:27 PM | show profile experts.com is good. |
