Freelance Writing Success: Finding Interview Sources

Interviewing was one of my biggest fears when I first started as a freelance writer in 1999. I was painfully shy, I didn't know if I'd be asking the right questions and I didn't know if I'd be able to record all the important points of the conversation. I was also very afraid I wouldn't be able to find the experts I needed to interview.

So, I went on the hunt for professionals, experts and opinion makers. Here's where I've narrowed my focus over the years:

Profnet.com - https://profnet.prnewswire.com/ - this site has been a gold mine in terms of mining for people from just about every walk of professional life. By far, I've visited this site more than any other in my interview request searches.

RefDesk.com - there's an "Ask the Experts" section on this site where you can research your topic and obtain quotes about what you're writing about from experts.

AbsoluteWrite.com's Water Cooler:

Story Research: Experts and Interviewees Wanted - I've used this site to post up interview requests and contact those who have listed their specialties and expertise. I've managed to get quite a few responses to various projects I've worked on (and am currently working on).

WritersWeekly.com's Forum: Interview Requests - http://forums.writersweekly.com/viewforum.php?f=3&sid=e036c95a6e0d0147f175f0939d2340e3 - The only problem I've had with this forum is, if you don't keep your account active, you're unable to log in. So, I've been using this site as my last resort. I do respond to interview requests that are posted, though, through email when possible.

When I was a newspaper editor, I found my sources in my local community. Because I was working for a trade newspaper, I was able to narrow my focus specifically on the aspect of the commercial industry the newspaper was about. This made searching easy because I looked in the yellow pages, in the local newspaper and on Internet sites geared toward the industry for all my interview experts.

Interviewing doesn't have to be a scarey thing at all. Once you interview more often, you'll wonder what was making your nervous in the first place. Here are some pointers:

(1) be prepared: have questions prepared in advance to keep the interview rolling
(2) if you're doing a face-to-face interview, bring along a portable recorder
(3) let your interview subject do most of the talking
(4) ask them to bring along press kits, media kits, project information and any other print material that could be quoted from and used during the research process for your piece
(5) ask them to bring along (or email) pictures that could be used to support the piece

There are numerous articles online about how to go through the interview process with ease. Read as much as you can (or as much as you need to) in order to feel comfortable with the project you're about to tackle. You might feel more comfortable using email as your interviewing method, but many interview subjects prefer a meeting or phone conversation. Be sure to accommodate your interview subject as best as you can so you can receive the best material you possibly can.