Yesterday I got this e-mail from a source I interviewed for an article:

Thanks for the e-mail. You are a very special writer to take the time to notify experts when the article is out. I appreciate it.

Apparently, I am one of the few writers who alert sources when the article I interviewed them for has been published so they can get a copy.

Also, every Friday I take a stack of notecards and write thank-yous to all the sources I interviewed that week. It takes anywhere from five to twenty minutes, depending on how many interviews I had that week. Sources often send me an e-mail to thank me for my thank-you, saying how rare it is!

Writers often post on forums asking if they should (1) alert their sources when the articles are out and/or send them a copy, and (2) thank sources after the interview. Other writers then post saying (1) “What are you, a clipping service?” and (2) “The sources get publicity from being in your article, and that’s all the thanks they need.” I disagree with both of these responses.

Alerting Sources When the Article Is Published

If I were interviewed for an article, I would love to know when the article was out so I could check out the piece and excitedly show all my friends. Why should I treat my sources any differently than I would like to be treated? It takes about 30 seconds to e-mail my sources to let them know; I include a source list at the bottom of each article I turn in, so I can quickly copy and paste the contact info for my sources into the BCC line of an e-mail. If the magazine is not available on the stands, at the top of the source list I write a note asking my editor to send copies to the sources. And when a source asks me to send them a copy of the article, I photocopy the article and stick it in the mail. It takes about one minute (because I have a color copier in my office) and 39 cents.

There are many great sources who are leery of talking to journalists, and perhaps a small part of that stems from the fact that once the writers get their quotes, the experts never hear from them again and never get to see their quotes in print. When you let your sources know when the article is published, think of it as a goodwill gesture that helps all writers everywhere.

Thanking Sources

I know that sources really don’t expect a thank you note and that they’re (usually) in it for the publicity. But really, does it hurt to thank them for sharing their expertise and taking half an hour out of their workday to talk to you? Does it upset the thankfulness balance of the universe? It takes 30 seconds and maybe 50 cents (postage plus a cheap notecard) to write and mail a thank you note — compare that to how much you’re making from the article you interviewed the source for — and you spread joy throughout the world. If you’re wondering what the ROI is on sending thank you notes, I get paid back in good karma. If you’re really concerned about the ROI, stick your business card in the note; you never know when someone will need a writer. And if you don’t want to spend the money on notecards and stamps, send an e-mail instead. [lf]

If you liked that post, you might also like:

• Warning Your Sources About Where the Article Will Appear
• How to Handle an Overload of Sources
• I Finished My Article. Now What?
• Are You Making This Writing Mistake That Costs You Valuable Time?
• Why You Shouldn’t Do E-Mail Interviews Unless You Really, Really Have To