When writing features for magazines and newspapers, you’ll need to find people to validate what you say. So if you’re working on an article on say, prostate cancer, you’ll need to interview experts who can explain technical terms, patients who’ve battled it out, and maybe even a couple of celebrities who’re willing to add their own two cents.

But let’s say you had cancer and made it through successfully, or you’re a syndicated columnist on all things health. Aren’t you sufficiently an expert to write the article by yourself? Sure you are. But unless you have a Ph.D. after your name or a job title to prove otherwise, to the general reader, you’re just a writer. Not a doctor or an expert who can talk without authority about symptoms and cures.

So an expert will help you:

(1) find information you don’t have,
(2) reinstate things you already know, or maybe correct misconceptions that you may have about the topic, and maybe even,
(3) provide research and statistics to help with your piece.

Putting a few expert quotes in your query letter has an advantage—the editor sees that you’ve already done your research and is more likely to take a chance on you and your idea, especially if it’s an idea that is new and hasn’t been validated already.

Keep in mind though, that each expert you quote in your query (or article) needs to have something different to say, each personal story should be unique, and each quote should add something of value. You have to choose your experts wisely, using a variety of methods. There’s nothing more frustrating than having a 48-hour deadline only to find that one of your experts has bailed on you, the other wouldn’t move beyond his personal life history, and your main subject for the story left town without signing the release form (newspapers generally don’t require them, many national magazines do).

The idea is to use a combination of several techniques to find the best experts for your topic, instead of relying on solely one technique and getting whatever you can.

(For queries, I recommend quoting not more than one expert, sometimes none. It depends on the kind of article you’re proposing to write. For a profile, for instance, you obviously need to present a lot of background information on a person.)

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What Comes First?

You need experts to take out time from their busy schedules to give you attention-grabbing statistics and quotes, everyday people to spill the juiciest secrets of their personal lives, and quotes and anecdotes that will leave the editor asking for more. But it’s tough enough getting these things when you have an assignment in hand, let alone when you’re just sending out proposals. Interviewees like to know who you’re writing for before they actually give you their time or part with valuable information, and you don’t want to have to go back and tell them you don’t really have an assignment, right? Just what is a poor writer to do?

Because this is such a challenge, most writers will leave out the expert quotes from their query letters completely. They figure, if the editor likes the idea, they can get quotes later. This is not always such a good idea.

For one, the further you go up in your career, the more complicated topics you’ll have to handle. You’ll need to talk to experts in order to see if the idea you’re proposing actually is viable before you go proposing it to an editor. Secondly, editors like to see facts. They like to see research. And they need to see that it’s coming from a credible source. And finally, if you’re planning to profile a person or a business, you may need to talk to them to convince the editor why they’re worthy of being written about.

Unless you’re breaking a story or have an exclusive on someone, it’s best to give the name of your sources when required. And if you can get quotes to support your research and findings, all the better. In the least, I recommend giving an idea of the kind of people you plan to quote in your article.

So here’s what I do: When I have an idea for a pitch, say for a quick health story, I’ll do some research, find experts that I think I want to interview, and write a quick note to them asking them if I could talk to them for a few minutes. I let them know that I’m writing the proposal for a story, and also give them an idea of what kind of publications I’m targeting. My initial interview is usually over e-mail, or I might make a quick phone call that usually lasts no more than five or ten minutes. I tell them that I’m still researching the viability of my idea, so that they don’t feel disappointed later if I’m unable to sell the story.

If the query makes the final cut, great! I go back to my experts and get more information. If not, I keep sending it around until it is, and I let my experts know that I’m shopping it around.

Tip: Most professionals have access to current research, statistics, and lists of reference books and articles on their area of specialization. Ask them if they can provide that information to you. (Always recheck it.)