Also, being asked for quotes is inherently flattering, as it implies your thoughts are important. That is a GOOD reason to be called.

I know. And I should be fine as long as I write out my introduction first. I'd say I don't know why I'm this way, but actually I do--I'm not scared of email or letters because I can rewrite until I'm satisfied before sending them out, and I'm not afraid of face-to-face interaction because I can pick up on nonverbal cues, but the phone offers neither advantage.

I made phone calls on the campaign, ok? In the course of that effort, I: -asked to talk to three dead guys
-got mistaken for one drunken ex
-got cursed soundly for daring to call a NeoCon house...maybe five times
None of this will happen to you, I swear. It'll be okay. I am now almost free of the Phone Anxiety, and I only say almost because I still don't want to call CG's house and get his gf, lest I spend the next month thinking how much better she sounds than I. Or vice versa. Other than that, I believe I could call about most things.

Susan, what's the piece about?

And yes, totally do it - a win-win, there.

Interlibrary loan as a research tool for writers--I just want to call the Seattle library staff and ask them some questions about what's the most unusual request they've gotten, if they have tips for patrons, etc., and then to call the Farmington, NM library because a disproportionate number of the books I request come from there, and I want to find out why they have such a good military history collection.

That'll be good.

I don't have any trouble calling people for an article. People like to be interviewed. No one else in their life will ever listen to them the way you will. I basically have two personalities: Ginger the Intrepid Reporter, who can call anyone, and Everyday Ginger, who hates to talk to strangers.

I like that.

I hate cold calls. But this sounds like interesting research, so there's that. Also, erika, you're my hero--that sounds like a nightmare day for me.

Can you tell I once worked as an LDO, back in the misty reaches of time when there were such things? Every work day was a performance. We had a script, but we also got audited by supervisors, so mechanically following the script was as bad as not following it at all, in the push (at that time) for "customer satisfaction". Didn't help with the long-term cold-call aversion, though.

I had to call slaughterhouses/abbatoirs once for research and basically convince people to tell me how cows are slaughtered. After that, I never had phone fear again.

Very cool on the article, too -- a Writer's Digest credit would be lovely to have.

What is an LDO, Bev?