Friday: Last call for RDs to comment on pending story + an update on upcoming travel!
Also: A 20% discounts on my virtual consulting/lunch & learn sessions!
Happy Friday!
Quick admin note to start out: I’m seeking RDs and nutritionists to comment for a story I’m wrapping up early next week. Please drop me a line if you have someone who can answer a few quick questions over email. (And scroll down to pending assignments to see details on that story and others I’m working on this week!)
Hello from Martha’s Vineyard where I’ve totally hit the ground running, from brewery tours to uncovering all the caviar and oysters in a mile radius. Today I’m at the food and wine festival until later this afternoon and then flying back to NYC tonight - busy event week next week!
If you want to see all I’ve been doing while here, be sure to visit my Instagram and scroll through my stories. So fun stuff, some adorable stuff, and lots of deliciousness!
Speaking of travel though, some exciting news: I’ll be in LA for a few days the end of the month! It’s one of my favorite places and I haven’t been there in a few years, so hopefully will have some time to see some friends while I’m there. Will reach out if I have time to set up any sort of drinks meetup (crossing fingers!).
Did you catch yesterday’s special Industry Insights midweek edition? We gathered some of the most egregious pitching missteps in our inbox and offered actionable advice on how to go about it differently next time. Hopefully it’ll be helpful to you and your team in your own pitching!
A bunch of newly published content since yesterday, including some fun pieces I am excited to share. For Newsweek, I was part of a panel of travel/food experts who created nominee lists for the Readers Choice Awards in a variety of categories. The first category I participated in, Best Outdoor Grills, is now live. There’s more to come! And for Food Network, I did a deep dive into Panda Express’s new hotter orange chicken — how hot is it??? I uncover the truth.
Grab the Dads and Grads Gift Guide Pitching Webinar Recording Now!
Thanks to all who attended our Dads and Grads Gift Guide Pitching Workshop. We had a full house and an hour packed with really great questions and conversation — and now the full recording is available to any subscriber who may have missed it (or wants to go back and give another listen.) You can check out how to grab that recording and what we covered right here.
On occasion, people reach out to me for help with planning press dinners and events - from choosing the perfect location to keeping things fun and interesting to how to get top journalists to want to attend. If you are interested in me doing this for you, email me any time at alywalansky@gmail.com.
This newsletter goes out to well over 8,000 engaged publicists, business owners, and journalists each and every day. If you are looking to sponsor a daily installment of this newsletter or have a dedicated section about your client or product (assuming it’s an organic fit for the interests of my audience!), that is now available. Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com to discuss.
The steepest discount I’ve ever offered on consulting sessions
In exciting news, I’m doing something I’ve never done before: I’m currently offering 20% discounts on my virtual consulting/lunch & learn sessions. Times are really tough and I am hoping to make these insights as accessible as possible to any of you who are interested. If you want to schedule a session for yourself or your team, to discuss anything from pitching to followups to events or press trips or anything else…drop me an email at alywalansky@gmail.com and lets chat!
Newly published or freshly updated
Since people are often asking about the status of stories from a while ago, and I only share stories in this newsletter that were published or updated in the current week, I have created a list of my author pages at various publications to which I contribute. Bookmark it and make your life a bit easier.
This list will live on my Substack URL and be updated as necessary. That way, you can see what I’m doing at any publication, at any time, from types of stories to general structure of stories to even volume and frequency of my content at that outlet.
This can also help you to target pitching a bit better. That makes your job easier, and mine too!
Forbes: Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak Has Finally Arrived In New York City
RetailMeNot: Don’t Spend a Fortune at Those Salad Places: How I Build My Own Salads At Home
Travel + Leisure: The One Safety Item You're Likely Forgetting to Pack, According to a Longtime Solo Female Traveler
Forbes: Father's Day Gift Guide 2024: The Best Gifts For The Traditionalist Foodie
Forbes: 40 Cocktails To Enjoy In Celebration Of National Martini Day
Saatva’s Sleep Enlightened: 6 Surprising Sleep Mask Benefits
Clean Plates: 7 Grocery Store Shortcuts for Fast, Easy Lunches
Forbes.com: 20 Delicious Ways To Celebrate National Burger Day
Forbes.com: The Italian Wedding Cake Martini Is A Dessert Cocktail Perfect For A Celebration
Southern Living: The 9 Best Brown Sugar Substitutes That Will Be Just As Sweet
Forbes.com: Father’s Day Gift Guide 2024: The Best Gifts For The Culinary Traveler
Forbes.com: Father’s Day Gift Guide 2024: The Best Gifts For The Dad Who Wants To Be Bobby Flay
Forbes.com: Father’s Day Gift Guide 2024: The Best Gifts For The Sandwich Lover
RetailMeNot: Father’s Day Gifts for Every Type of Dad
Clean Plates, 11 Mediterranean Diet Foods You Can Get at Trader Joe’s
RetailMeNot: How Using My Air Fryer Makes Cooking on a Small Budget (and In a Small Space) Possible
RetailMeNot: How to Save on Food Delivery Apps: 10 Tips That Actually Work
RetailMeNot: How Growing My Own Herbs At Home Has Helped Me Keep Meals Creative Without Busting My Budget
Clean Plates: How to Clean and Organize Your Fridge for Spring
RetailMeNot: Savings Star Origin Story: How I Learned to Eat Well (In NY!) On a Shoestring Budget
If you or your client are featured in any of these stories, I super appreciate any social media shares! Please remember to tag @alywalansky and the outlet.
Here’s what I’m working on:
Be sure to read the below list carefully. Many are stories I posted about yesterday, but some of yesterday's stories are no longer listed and a few new ones have been added since yesterday. This (below) is everything that is still a currently open opportunity as of today.
Please remember when pitching me: Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com - do NOT just hit reply on this newsletter, or there’s a good shot your email will be lost in the heap. Give your email a subject line that makes it clear which story you are pitching me for — it’ll help you in the long run.
Please consult my industry insights guides on submitting expert commentary, sending emails that will catch a journalist’s attention, how to craft pitches journalists will say ‘yes’ to, and the right and wrong way to submit photos, if you need any extra guidance before sending your pitches.
Clean Plates
I’m working on a roundup of the best seafood choices at Trader Joe's for when you want to lighten up this summer (or just plan an easy no-fuss seafood or surf and turf night). There’s so many great new items in the seafood category there, and I’d love some RDs and nutritionists to weigh in on their faves as well. Please email me!
RetailMeNot
Budget shopping and cooking/eating smarter: As you all know, I write a lot of content for RMN related to budget shopping and cooking/eating smarter. I’m going to be working on a monthly column on the subject of cooking/eating well on a budget, and I’d love you to pitch me products/ideas to consider for it - maybe a new meal-stretching product that is a good deal at a grocery store, an awesome product to try that may cut my meal prep time in half, other themes as far as saving money on food/cooking/eating and doing it in a way that is smarter.
The next column in this series will focus on bulk buying groceries and household essentials, which is something I personally SUPER believe in. I am constantly buying in bulk to save on per unit cost and benefit from the best deals. I even buy family packs of meat and fish to portion and freeze. I’d love some expert commentary on why bulk buying (rather at the supermarket on sales or at warehouse stores), is a great way to maintain a household meal plan and also live within our food budget.
Saatva
I’m working on a piece on blackout curtains and if they are really worth adding to your bedroom - I’m looking to interview a sleep expert for this one! (Caveat: They can’t work for a competitor's mattress brand.) There’s all sorts of items can get for your bedroom to improve your sleep, and blackout curtains is one of them. But do they really work? I’m looking to explore everything you need to know about the benefits of blackout curtains, how to choose them, and how they work. Please email me if you have someone who can give commentary, I have specific questions to ask for this one!
Forbes.com
I’m rounding up standout/unique/creative dishes for two upcoming food holidays - National Lobster Day and National Sushi Day. Best chance of being included? Please don’t pitch me a generic steamed lobster on a plate or spicy tuna roll. You need to have a dish that is really special and unique in some way as these will get tons of pitches, and this is the best way to beat the heap. The other way to beat the heap? Remember early bird gets the worm, and respond with ALL deliverables I ask for, which includes: Name of restaurant, name of dish, where restaurant is located, description of dish, quote from chef about the dish (WITH THE NAME AND TITLE OF THE PERSON BEING QUOTED…shocking how often this is left out), and an image with appropriate photo credits.
Plate Magazine
I’m putting out bites/drinks of the week feelers, which is sort of a drink/dish spotlight piece. (Some examples are this Peruvian-inspired sweet potato in Savannah and a molecular banana daiquiri in Chicago.) Basically if you are pitching me something for this, think along the lines of: Is this dish/bite something new? What interesting techniques are used to make it come together? If the technique is simple, what’s the hook? An interesting ingredient? Something being made in house or in an interesting way? What’s the story behind the dish? What inspired it? Is there a cultural/family story behind the dish? An ingredient the chef got their hands on? Love to hear what you might have for me!
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Affiliate marketing is complicated, and it seems that the landscape keeps changing. If you are looking to be prepared for gift guide season and all other shopping-related content, you may want to try the Ultimate Masterclass and Introduction to Affiliate Marketing for Publicists. It's a brilliant course and it'll answer all your questions (including some you didn't know you had!)
Virtual (and now in-person!) consulting sessions...
Whether you need a consult as you plan your next event or trip or just want someone to take a look at the pitches you’ve been sending and give some feedback, I’m available for PR team virtual meetings to answer questions about pitching, events, followups, mailers and trips from a media perspective. Note: I’m also available to travel for consulting sessions as long as travel expenses are covered. We can chat! This is available for entire agencies or smaller group lunch and learn type concepts.
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aly
I love your substack Ali! I learn so much from it and I adore reading your articles! Have an amazing weekend