Finding Experts - Expert-Finding Advice for Writers

Many times we writers write about subjects we want to know more about, and interviewing experts is an excellent way to find out more about the subject. Keep in mind, the experts you want to interview need to be experts on the subject you're writing about. By now you're probably asking yourself, "Where do I find these experts?" Don't panic, because that's what this article is all about -- finding experts.

You can begin finding experts through online databases. Once you arrive at each database of experts, be sure you search for experts on the subject(s) you're writing about. For example, if you're writing about something in the medical industry, you may want to target doctors. The databases not only give you the names and contact information of the experts, but many will also give you more information on their level of education, they type of work they've done and etc. Following is a list of databases to help get you started:

All Experts
Berkeley News (Hurricane Katrina experts)
Experts
Journalism
News and Media Center
ProfNet
United for Peace & Justice
Yearbook

Online databases isn't the only place to find experts. When you need to find more experts, or if you can't seem to find the expert you were seeking through the databases, then search Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google, local bookstores and other places for books related to the subject you're writing on. As soon as you find a book related to your subject, contact the author of that book -- authors are always willing to be interviewed (it gives them free publicity).

Finding experts in your community gives you the opportunity to do a face-to-face interview. Scan the yellow pages in your local phone book for the experts you're looking for.

Find Web sites related to the topics you write about, and then contact the owners of those Web sites and ask them if they have a press release list. If they do, request to be placed on their press release list. Then, when they send you a press release about a topic you write on, you can always contact them for an interview.

Search engines such as Google can aid you in your quest on finding experts. For example, say your searching for information on designing Web sites, search Google for "Web designers." By entering "Web designers" into the Google search engine, you'll come up with a list of more than 10,000 links. Of course you may only need to interview a few Web design experts, but this amount of links will give you a variety of experts to choose from.

Experts sometimes lurk around on message boards and forums as well. With that said, join the message board or forum and post a message letting everyone know the type of experts you're seeking. End the message with a request for them to contact you if they think they have the expertise you're seeking.

Finally, I'll be glad to help you out too. My areas of expertise are: I owned and operated my own wholesale business for six years (online), I'm the mother of three children (one teen and two pre-teens), a step-mother of two, have over seven years marketing experience (on and offline) and over 10 years writing experience, am the editor of my own e-zine, worked as a CNA in nursing homes for over three years, and I also worked in a DD (Developmentally Disabled) facility for six months. To contact me for an interview click on the text beside my picture above that says, "Click to contact me."

That concludes this article on finding experts. Goodluck and best wishes!