Finding Sources Fast, All Over the World

Kristen King

by Sarah E. White

www.inkthinkerblog.com — Freelance writers can operate from anywhere in the world, and because of the Internet, we can work with editors and write for publications that might not be in the same country, or even on the same continent, as we are. But when you send that perfect story idea overseas, how do you find sources in another part of the world on deadline? Head for the ’Net, of course.

If you have time to spare, you can go to any of a number of Web sites for writers from all over the world that offer “reader request” sections, where a writer can explain his story and request people who would like to be interviewed to contact him. These “interviews” can be conducted entirely online; you hardly have to make contact with the respondents (you should thank everyone who responds, however, even if you don’t use their response).

But if you’re looking for sources on the fly with a deadline looming, you need to look a little more broadly. The Internet can help with that, too. There are numerous Web sites full of sources for writers, such as http://www.sources.com, which lists Canadian experts, and http://www.experts.com, which offers keyword-searchable databases of sources from around the world. Other sites for sources include http://www.researchconnect.com, http://www.expertsearch.co.uk (especially for expert witnesses in the UK, analogous to http://www.expertwitnesses.com.au/ in Australia), and http://www.journalismnet.com/experts. You can find an expert on one of these sites and contact him or her directly to see if they would like to be a source for your story.

The most popular and one of the biggest of these sites is ProfNet, which claims to allow writers access to 11,000 sources from government, small business, public relations firms, and other institutions around the world.

Registration for ProfNet is quick, simple, and free. Almost immediately after signing up, you can post a request, which requires contact information, publication name, a description of the type of information you need, and what your deadline is.

I tried the system recently when I was working on a story about reducing meat in people’s diets. I had written the shell of the story, but it needed some expert sources to jazz it up. So on a Friday morning I signed up on ProfNet and posted my query. In a matter of hours, I had three sources contact me. I “talked to” a dietician, an expert in internal medicine and a health researcher who had just published a book on the topic.

The best part was, I never had to pick up the phone. This type of interviewing is great for those of us who are shy because only those people who are interested in talking are on these types of lists, and you can conduct all your interviews by e-mail if you like.

Although not every interview can or should be conducted by e-mail, if you’re working with sources on the other side of the planet it is much easier to use e-mail because you don’t have to worry about time zones or international phone rates. You can get great quotes quickly, easily, and inexpensively any time of the day or night to make your story perfect.

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Sarah E. White is a freelance writer and editor living in Arkansas. Her home on the Web is http://www.sarahewhite.com.