Have you ever heard of Help A Reporter Out, or HARO for short? It’s an internet service for reporters looking for experts to interview for stories. Workshop leaders at writers’ conferences encourage authors to subscribe to HARO and respond to queries. Why? Because being quoted in online or print articles is 1) free publicity and 2) raises credibility.
That’s the theory anyway.
But the reporters writing articles about my area of professional expertise, special needs, have yet to pick up on my responses to their HARO queries. However, my one response to a query about a topic where I have only personal experience, parenting adult children, resulted in an immediate contact from the reporter. Apparently, my stint as mother-of two-going through-two-weddings-in-three-months is a bigger draw than author. Or speaker. Or educator.
So much for my professional expertise.
Emily Morman, the reporter, emailed this morning to say her article had been published in southeast Michigan’s MetroParent. She included the link, so I hurried on over and skimmed the article looking for my name (yes, I am that self-centered) among all the names quotes.
And there it was, looking as credible as all get out.
My name was there, along with the names of several people were quoted – a psychologist, a couple young adults, and several parents. Like me. Everybody quoted sounded pleasant. And wise. And real. Even me. Which goes to show that personal experience is as valuable as professional training.
The next query about women married to strong, silent Alaskan natives is all mine.
