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?

That stuff happened in the course of about two weeks, not one day. But, anyway, ma'am, I was just doing my job. In between using the Bible for rolling papers, of course.

Woof. Just wrote another 3300 words. ita shall have the first half of chapter ten for her plane ride.

Book is now at 48K and 225 pages.

blinkblinkblink

Just sent to Nic, to make sure I handled the jargon properly.

Arguably I just chickened out--I found a way to email rather than call. But I couldn't readily find a direct contact # for ILL, and I figured it was better to start the process by emailing each library's communications/general info office. Phone fear aside, it's just more efficient to email under those circumstances--instead of sitting there on hold while the receptionist shunts you around trying to find the right place, you can detail your request in the email, and hopefully the person on the receiving end can forward it to the right person.

That said, if I don't hear back within 24 hours, I'll have to gather up my courage and pick up the phone.

Susan, I totally understand where you're coming from. I've had a variety of jobs where using the phone was important and since it was my job, I had no problem making calls. But for my own personal use? I hate it with a passion. I'll talk to you until your ear comes off if you call me, just don't ever expect me to be the one to call.

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.

Ginger is me, though I still get phone fear at first. Basically, I cringe and grimace and procrastinate ... and then dial the number and am fine.

Writing out what I want to ask helps. The other thing that helps is that I know that you get much more information from a phone call than an email. Maybe one person in ten writes as well as s/he talks; also, a question that comes out too bald and cold to ask in an email will be natural in a call.

(And speaking of reporting -- Ginger, please tell me I'm not wrecking my journalistic cred, such as it is, by doing association commuinications work for a while. I have this pesky habit of eating, you see...)

Maybe one person in ten writes as well as s/he talks

Trust me. I'm that person. I'm pretty sure I write better than I talk. I get tongue-tied. I stumble. I start sentences and abandon them to start over again. I'm not a good speaker at all.

Except, oddly enough, in classroom-type discussions or, of all things, pitch sessions in writers conferences. There I kick serious ass. But somehow that's a different version of me than shows up for ordinary speech.

I'm pretty sure I write better than I talk. I get tongue-tied. I stumble. I start sentences and abandon them to start over again. I'm not a good speaker at all

The thing is, Susan, that really doesn't matter. As Ginger said, people are flattered just to be asked; they aren't judging you if you stumble over words or stutter, because they're doing it too.

What is important is that it's likely that the person you're talking to will be able to explain him/herself better in speech than they could in writing -- not least because you'll be able to interject and say "I'm not sure I explained my question well" or "I'm sorry, could you just give me an example of that," and get the best quotes possible.

I'd rather be shot at dawn that conduct an interview by e-mail. People who know they're going to be quoted write these incrediably stiff and boring replies.

And speaking of reporting -- Ginger, please tell me I'm not wrecking my journalistic cred, such as it is, by doing association commuinications work for a while. I have this pesky habit of eating, you see...)

Not at all. The pay scale in journalism is such that most journalists end up going back and forth between journalism and pr and corporate work. I remember when I first decided to apply for a corporate communications job -- I had this revelation that all my friends who had graduated with me owned color televisions and microwaves. I think having to write for a specific purpose such as putting across an association's agenda or to encourage employees is really good writing discipline, as long as you don't accidentally stay somewhere for 20 years.