It Pays to Be A Nerd

Paisley Babylon Blogby Joe Wallace

Doesn’t that t-shirt just scream “music nerd”? The image to the left is probably so small you can’t see the two cassette tapes (remember them?) on the tee, but they’re there. But being a MUSIC nerd isn’t specifically what I’m thinking of…actually any specific area of knowledge you have completely obsessed over can earn you freelance money.

I run a blog about vinyl records, film soundtracks and other vinyl-related topics; because of my obsession with all things related to Italian cinema on vinyl I was approached to do a couple of articles on that very topic. My “hobbies” frequently get me writing opportunities. And yours can too.

But what happens when you get to the end of your tether with your extensive knowledge? Even the most obsessed of us have limits to what we know about that topic we’re working. That’s when I fall back on the interview.

There is no reason at all for you endure the pressure of passing yourself off as the 100% know-it-all expert when you can interview someone who has specific expertise on part of the topic you’re stuck on. When I don’t know if an Italian thriller soundtrack used a mandolin or a bouzouki, I can always play a bit of the track for an expert on one of those instruments and ask which instrument made those sounds.

I know so many writers who pressure themselves needlessly to know all the answers. The truth is, the whole purpose of the interview could be viewed as the way to fill gaps in a writer’s knowledge. Writers and editors don’t have to have a god-like understanding of the topics they work on as long as they can find reliable sources to fill in the blanks. The next time you get stuck, try looking on ProfNet or using the phone book to uncover some subject matter experts to help you get the details you need.

When you rely on the expertise of others, you not only let yourself off the hook in the know-it-all department, but you also add some spice to an article or blog post that wouldn’t otherwise be there. It’s never a bad thing to include an expert opinion, even if it’s a single line of text.



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