Any writer who hasn’t yet heard of the Help a Reporter Out (HARO) platform may be missing out on important opportunities. The site connects writers with sources, and it’s used by journalists, freelancers, and book authors alike. Public relations professionals use the platform to find outlets where they can potentially gain visibility for clients by contributing insights on relevant topics.

For writers, after creating a free journalist profile, you’ll be able to post requests for interviews with or quotes from sources to fit any topic. For example, if you’re writing about cybersecurity, you can post a request for experts who can respond to a list of questions or who would be interested in being interviewed for a longer story. You can also request product samples to try if you’re writing a piece, such as “10 Items Every Backpacker Should Carry with Them on a Trip.”

There are a few other ways writers can use HARO, and these involve registering as a source.

1. Gain visibility by responding to requests for quotes.

Being quoted in articles or books can give you a boost of name recognition as a writer. One recent request was from a journalist who asked freelancers what skills they think can give someone an advantage, regardless of industry. Another recent post sought authors to contribute book promotion success stories. Some queries are as simple as sharing an inspirational quote about life and business or even personal writing rules. Other requests can be for advice on fundamental issues freelancers face, such as how to ask for a deposit in a contract. Some journalists even want to interview other reporters, such as a recent post seeking science journalists to talk about challenges in pandemic reporting.

2. Discover new outlets or job opportunities.

Subscribing to the free emails can introduce you to a wide variety of paying outlets in search of writers. For example, one recent email included a post from a reporter writing for Fatherly, and when I checked the publication’s website, I saw that the outlet was looking for a Freelance Entertainment Writer. Another post led me to the website for Bustle Digital Group, the parent company for Bustle and other magazines, which lists a variety of full-time and part-time job openings for writers or editors. A post by a reporter for Verywell Mind led me to the site for its parent, Dotdash, which has a careers page featuring a large list of freelance or contract opportunities.

Through HARO emails, I also found out about the network of state-specific AAA blogs, some of which post contributor guidelines on their site. Occasionally, a company will post a call for writers, such as a recent notice from UXCam looking for freelance technical content writers for its blog. Notices like these are not often posted to the company website and can only be found through the HARO emails.

3. Gain insights into trending topics.

Skimming the emails can also provide ideas about which topics are “hot” at the moment and which topics are already flooding the market. It’s a fine line between latching onto a trend and being the straw that broke the editor’s back (not ANOTHER Earth Day piece on recycling!). Seeing what others are writing about can also give you ideas for angles that are not being covered for particular issues. Newer freelancers can also see how far in advance they should be researching for holiday-themed stories.

The basic subscription level for HARO is free, whether you register as a source or as a journalist, and it’s a great way to forge some new connections. As you can see above, it’s also a great resource for finding ways to promote yourself as a writer and find more paying opportunities to further your writing career.

BIO:  Bernadette Geyer is a writer, editor, and translator living in Berlin, Germany. Her writings have appeared in the 2015 Poet’s Market, Funds for Writers, Oxford American, The Writer, and elsewhere. Geyer has copyedited or translated more than 20 books and teaches the “Streamline Your Book-Writing Process with a Book Style Guide” workshop through WOW! Women on Writing. You can find out more about her through her website at https://bernadettegeyer.com.