Lovely Girl   +  writing tips

How Profnet Saved Me from Disaster

Last week I had an article due and I was starting to panic because my sources still hadn't come through. I have never missed a deadline, but it looked like I would either have to write the story sans sources (not ideal) or wait for an email that might never arrive (even less ideal).Enter ProfNet to save the day. I sent out a query for experts on my topic and suddenly I had twice as many options as I needed. A friend asked me how to use it. Here's how simple it is:

  1. Register as a journalist.
  2. Create a short profile listing email addy, publishing creds, etc.
  3. Write a source query explaining your interview needs and filter according to geographical region, professional affiliation, subject area, etc. You can also do a search and target specific people but that's more limiting.
  4. Wait a day or two and (depending on your preferences) your email box will be flooded with eager PR people and sources vying to be interviewed.
  5. And here's the hard part... choosing who to interview for your article. Not that I've done this (or have I?), but it's a little like when you first register on Match.com and you're overwhelmed by all the options. Of course, not all of the responses will fit your needs so choose carefully!