Though you’re a lawyer (with thick skin, right?), breaking out of your law comfort zone to write may be a bit nerve wracking, especially when you need to interview a source or expert for the first time for use in an article or other work.  However, before you get the opportunity to temporarily morph into Nervous-Nelly, you’ll need to find that source or expert to interview.

In today’s Web 2.0–social media obsessed–world, how do you go about finding sources or experts for your interviews, assuming an editor hasn’t already suggested a lead or thrown an idea at you?  Try these popular sources:

1.  HARO (”Help a Reporter Out”).  What’s to love?  When you sign up to receive this list, you’ll receive up to three emails (typically morning, afternoon & evening) jammed with query requests sent to you each day.  If you’re a journalist or writer trying to find people to interview, you can fill in a form to submit your query.  HARO is free.

2.  ExpertTweet.  Gotta love clever Twitter applications, right?  Well, ExpertTweet helps people, including authors, writers, reporters, bloggers, and business owners find experts via Twitter.  You can also reply or suggest experts when you see queries that match the expertise of someone you know–even if that someone is you, Ms. or Mr. Expertise!    

3.  Bloggers, reporters, colleagues, social networking communities.  Stuck for an idea, ask around and dig into your network.  Just like telling everyone you know that you’re looking for a job comes in handy when you’re trying to find one, so does asking around when you need a specific expert.  The world is small.  Plus, you never know, until you ask, who you might get the opportunity to meet thanks to your contacts.

4.  Post a query.  Find relevant listservs or discussion boards where you can post a targeted query to an audience that you suspect will produce a source.

5.  Editors.  Really stuck for a source?  Talk with your editor.  If the editor really likes your idea, chances are the editor isn’t going to hang you out to dry…at least not completely.         

Copyright 2009 The Published Lawyer.  All rights reserved.