About Getting Ink Requests
What’s the site all about?
As journalists, we’re constantly looking for great sources. Whether that’s an expert in an obscure new technology or a single mother who runs her own business. We’re interested in finding people with stories to tell. This blog is a way for us to tell lots of people what stories we’re looking for.
How do I use the site?
You can subscribe to our RSS feed if you use an RSS reader like Goodle Reader or Netvibes. Or you can sign up to our email service and receive requests in your inbox each morning. Or you can sign up to follow me on Twitter and receive new requests as soon as they’re posted. If you think a request might be interesting to your contacts, forward it, bookmark it or link to it (we just ask you to tell people where it came from)
How do I post a request?
Simple. Either fill in the online form, or email us at inklink@the101.com, with details of your request. You can provide as much or as little detail as you like. If you want to remain anonymous or not name the publication you’re working for, that’s okay – we will forward responses to you.
How do I respond to a request?
That’s even simpler. Use the link in the request to contact the reporter directly, or post a comment on the blog. We would suggest you check the identity and credentials of any reporter using the site before parting with any confidential information.
Can PRs use the site?
Absolutely. All we ask is for PR execs to observe one basic ground rule: only respond to requests where you are absolutely confident you can help. If reporters using the blog complain that you are sending spam pitches, they stop posting, the whole idea doesn’t work, and we’ll remove you from our email and Twitter feeds.
I’m a small business. Can I use the site?
We'd love you to. Many journalists looking for case studies will include a reference to your business, book or website in return for participation in a feature – so you could gain valuable publicity, as well as building relationships with the press that may come in handy down the line. Please check with a journalist what plug is offered if this is something that's vital to you.
Is the site really free?
Sure. Unlike commercial media request services, we aren’t interested in making money from media requests – we just want to get them in front of as many people as we can. This site takes a few minutes a day to run, and if it helps me get better stories, that’s time well spent. Of course, if you’re an editor you should check out my journalism website. And if you’re working in PR or marketing, you might be interested in my PR training company.
Thanks for reading!
