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BEYOND ‘DEEP THROAT’
How Good Sources Help You Sell Your Stories To Editors And Readers
5 ways to choose the right ones and avoid getting burned by AI or other tools that can lead you astray
Not long ago, I picked up a new book about miscarriages, trying to decide whether to review it, when a single line reduced its chances to near zero. Until then, the book had a lot going for it: It came from a major publisher, it dealt with an important topic, and its author had solid credentials.
Then I read this line: “According to Goop, one in four known pregnancies end in miscarriage.”
That may not have been the single worst use of a source I’ve seen in years as a staff and freelance book critic. But if it wasn’t, it was close.
Well before the book appeared, Gwyneth Paltrow’s controversial lifestyle company had paid $145,000 to settle brought by California district attorneys who said it made unsubstantiated medical claims for its products. Why did the author cite a statistic on miscarriages from such an iffy source when more reliable ones were readily available online from medical societies, academic researchers, or government health agencies?
