GMT Reprinted with the author's permission. Getting the interview is only part of the challenge. Ensuring your quote is actually used is the other.
Competition is fierce.
Many reporters use services such as ProfNet to gather resources for their stories. Often they receive hundreds of responses in just hours, interviewing the best candidates. Very few people can come up with a colorful, pithy quote on the fly. It takes advance preparation. You need to determine your point of view or theme upfront.