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Finding Quotes for Query Letters
by Susan Denney

Whether you're a freelancer just starting out or a seasoned professional, your query will carry more weight and be more salable if you can quote experts in your letter. But how can you talk to an expert when you haven't been assigned an article yet? Getting quotes is easier than you might think.

First of all, don't ask for a long interview for an unassigned article. If your query doesn't sell, you've wasted everybody's time. When you contact your potential source, ask if you can get a few quotes via email or over the phone for an article proposal you're working on. Then ask if they will talk to you at more length when you get the assignment. Unless the source asks you specifically, just tell them what kind of magazine you are querying. If your first choice editor doesn't assign an article, you can send out another query without contacting your source again. When you call for the actual interview, you can tell them what magazine will be publishing the article.

Here's how to find those experts:

1. Register as a journalist on profnet.prnewswire.com This service, provided by Business Newswire, allows journalists to find experts on a variety of topics. You post your query and then wait for someone to contact you. I'm working on an article about planning safe trips with children so I posted a request for an expert on child travel. Within hours a representative of Johns Hopkins Press put me in touch with a pediatrician who was an expert in that area.

2. Look for an author who wants to sell a book. Search on www.amazon.com for a recent book on the topic you've selected. Chances are really good that the author will be willing to answer a few questions if there's a chance for some publicity. If the author doesn't have a website, contact the book publisher. The publisher is usually happy to forward interview requests to an author.

3. Find someone near home. For an article on food safety, I remembered that I knew a dietician in my hometown who had written a column for our local newspaper. I emailed her and she was happy to speak with me and even provided me with the names of two other experts in the field.

4. Check out a college or university. If you live near one and know some professors, that's great. But even if you don't, the email addresses of faculty are usually available on a school's website. Sometimes the website will even include the interests and specialties of the professors so that you can find someone who will be a leading authority.

5. Quote the government. The websites of both state and federal governments are chockfull of reliable statistics and information. How to find the right agency or department? The website www.govspot.com has done most of the legwork for you. Organized in a comprehensible manner, the website links you to information that will give credence to your magazine query.

6. Google it if all else fails. Doing a general web search probably isn't the most efficient way to find an expert, but if your topic is really unusual, like the history of jellybeans, you will probably have to sift through a number of websites before you find the person you want.

Remember that once you have found experts, you can call on them again if you write up a query on a related topic. Using expert quotes and reliable statistics in a query letter gives an editor confidence in your abilities and proves that you are a professional.

Susan Denney is a freelance writer living in Pennsylvania. She has published childrens fiction and nonfiction as well as adult articles on a variety of topics. Check out her website at www.susandenney.com.