erika, I've found that most people like to be helpful, and that they loved being asked about their job and/or geeky area of expertise. Which is not to say that I never chicken out over this stuff, nor that I've gotten over my shyness on the Regency-specific yahoo group I just joined where many of the authors I've been reading since high school hang out. Somehow I can treat authors I met after starting to write seriously myself as people intrinsically like me who just got there a little or a lot ahead of me, but with people I've been reading for 10-20 years it's like I'm meeting Michelle Kwan or Sean Bean.

And I'm saving my baseball book until after I've made a sale, because I figure the Mariners will take my inquiries more seriously if I can prove I'm a reallyo trulyo author. But I'm only reticent with them because of the celebrity factor, since one of the things I want to do is meet some players and interview them about various aspects of baseball life. I figure a publication credit or two will make me look less like a fangirl stalker. Which wouldn't be a worry when I'm researching fields that aren't regularly swarmed by stalkery fannish types.

Really, erika, most people are happy to help no matter who you are, like Susan and Deb said. When I was ghostwriting one of the Animorphs books, I had to call abbatoirs to see how they were set up (because I was supposed to have the kids/cows escape from one) and I just said, Hey, I'm writing this novel, and I wanted to know what it's like inside a slaughterhouse. No one batted an eye, or asked me if I was a "real" author or anything else.

What the smart writer chicks said, Erika. Remember, what you are essentially saying by your questions is: I think what you do is interesting and worthwhile and I want to know more about it" and everyone welcomes that kind of attention.

Yeah, I guess that's true. Hell, I do too, as long as it's not "Let's Encounter A Disabled Person At The Mall and Discuss It" and even that I do. It's the liking that's missing. Unless Divorced Dad's really foamy...no, I'm kidding. Just sent lengthy e-mail to the po-lice. If they'll meet with me, I'll bring donuts. And Timmy or not, sometimes donuts are just donuts.

I'm glad I was able to help. That always adds a bit of pep to my day. I'm such a weirdo.

Hello? Did you miss the part where I tried to read the FBI Violent Crimes Statistics? I'm not allowed to call people "weirdo" anymore. Except Bush intimates. Seriously, thank you. I don't know how I missed that stuff except I was looking so hard I didn't see anymore. Kind of like a high-tech, civilian Nightmare.

I expect somebody looked you up, though

Speaking as a reporter? No. As many others have said, most people like being asked about whatever they're experts on. PIOs and public relations workers in general exist to answer questions. They might get suspicious if you were asking what color underwear they were wearing or for the password to the office safe, but everything short of that is fair game.

Speaking as a person who used to have a job? Every so often I'd get a call from a student doing a survey or someone looking for a job or something, and it's always fun to take 5 minutes to help someone AND be the "expert." Much more than five minutes, and it becomes a hassle, but my job was never public information.

Heck, I used to phone people up to make sure the ten line descriptions I was writing for my text based adventure game were accurate and no one ever gave me any flack. "Hello, I need to talk to someone about trees."

I expect somebody looked you up, though.

Nope. No way in hell. I rang them up, she answered the phone, I said I'm a writer doing a book yada etc, no other details, didn't even give my surname. She said, "Oh, you'll want Homicide. Please hold, I'll connect you to Lieuternant McCarthy. He'll be able to give you what you need."

End of conversation. On to Lt. McCarthy.

Oh, and by the way, not to sound crass, but I'm a slightly cynical realist, and I think that if you tell them you're in a chair, they'll fall over themselves being helpful.