Seldom does any serious relationship develop in a short period of time. (Wait, there is the exception of Hollywood marriages). As a writer with expertise, you likely have information that can be helpful to the media. However, the only way for them to know who you are and what you know is for you to cultivate the appropriate contacts.

“Courting” the media is like any courtship; it takes an effort to connect with another person. Here are some ways that you can build a relationship with the press:

Decide whom you want to “date”: Major newspapers have hundreds of writers and editors. Therefore, you need to decide which reporters would be interested in meeting you. If you write books on politics, then getting to know the book editor, political writers and feature reporters would be a place to start. Watch the bylines for articles related to your knowledge base and introduce yourself to those writers.

Be available when you are needed: It’s rare that when a reporter first learns about your expertise the reporter will say, “Hey, I need to write about you immediately.” The way it normally happens is that you made a good first impression, the reporter has your information on file and when the right time comes to give you a call, your phone will ring.

Stay top of mind: Most reporters have several people they can call on. And most likely, they stick with reliable sources they’ve used in the past. For you to break into the “preferred source list” you need to stay in front of them. This can be done by scheduling a meeting every few months or dropping the reporter an email with information that person would find helpful. The worst thing you can do is to simply annoy media contacts with calls for no reason other than to push your name in front of them.

Stay “sweet” even when you become “bitter”: The day finally comes when you are interviewed and then when the publication comes out, your quotes or your book is not included. There are many reasons your comments got cut. However, be gracious and let the reporter know you saw the article and say, “please keep me in mind for future articles.”

It’s fine to remind the reporter about the title of the book you wrote, especially if it relates to the topic in the article. Most reporters are more than happy to mention your book. In fact, it gives credibility to why they chose to use you as a source.