[tweetmeme] It’s a long shot.  But if you really are a subject matter expert (SME), you can get yourself quoted by some of the biggest news agencies in the world.  You may get a mention in a newspaper or blog.  By expert, I mean a subject leader with facts or personal experience on a current topic.  Remember, “In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king.” and not always credible.  These professionals are looking for credible sources. Now if you fit that bill, read on.

Join HARO (Help A Reporter Out).

From The New York Times, to ABC News, to HuffingtonPost.com and everyone in between, nearly 30,000 members of the media have quoted HARO sources in their stories. Everyone’s an expert at something. Sharing your expertise may land you that big media opportunity you’ve been looking for.

How it works

Select categories you have expertise or experience in.  Several times a day you receive an email listing queries.   I have seen requests for technical expertise such as on the oil spill clean up, and personal experience such as “looking for someone who has participated in cleaning oil off wildlife.” Believe me it’s tedious. Find a query you fit. Pitch your answer and expertise to HARO. If the Journalist is interested, you may be contacted for an in depth interview.

Example of Email Summary

2) Recession winners (Boston Globe)
3) Tales from the Daddy Track (ABC News.com)
4) Tracking & Measuring Social Media Success (AllBusiness.com)
5) Small Business Television Show (St. Louis Network Affiliate TV)
6) Seeking business and investing experts | Building wealth in a down economy (Reach magazine)
7) Looking for Startups to Review (Discovering Startups)
8) vacation time and the economy (Houston Chronicle)
9) mobile banking analysts (Credit Union Times)

Example of Query

Name: Katie Chase (Boston Globe)  Category: Business and Finance      Email: query-d3d@helpareporter.com Media Outlet: Boston Globe  Deadline: 07:00 PM EST – 12 June

Looking for New Englanders who lost their job during the economic downturn but ended up finding more satisfying and/or better-paying work.

What’s In It For Me?

Why go through all this tedious effort? Like the PowerBall Lottery, the pay off can be huge. The odds of you getting selected are a bit better than the lottery, with 27,980 reporters submitting 210 daily quires and getting 41,692 responses. Getting quoted in the Boston Globe or ABC news can catapult any consultant’s credibility and visibility.  Job seekers, screeners will see your contribution in a simple search on your

name.  That’s powerful juice for your personal “authority” level.  Add “as quoted by ABC News” to your LinkedIn profile.  You may  get direct calls from recruiters and hiring companies.  You can even send a copy of the article to your Grandmother to light up her day.

This is NOT a money making idea.  You are not going to make millions or pennies from answering queries like on Answer Island.  Oh, you may make money off the effort one day by attracting the right kind of attention to yourself.

Want to know more about HARO credibility?

Vocus Acquires HARO to Expand Journalist-Driven PR Service article published today, June 10th explains further.

For more unique job search sites go to www.JobInterview-Practice.com