Friday: L'shanah tovah! (And I'm back in Brooklyn!)
Good morning!
There’s SO much going on today that I almost wasn’t going to send out a newsletter…
But I can’t even imagine going more than a day or two without chatting with y’all, so here I am and I hope you are all doing well and ready to usher in a much-needed weekend.
I’m back in New York after a whirlwind few days in Charleston and now have a super-busy day of preparing for the holiday…but am fortified with all sorts of sunshine and southern food!
But between making some amazing new friends and reconnecting with some old ones, and enjoying biscuits and gravy and shrimp and grits (….and sweet tea and fried green tomatoes…!), I promise I was doing some work…actually a lot of work, and I have a bunch of new stories to share!
Newly published since my last newsletter includes my deep dive into a weird new TikTok trend. For Clean Plates: People Are Adding Lemon to Coffee to Lose Weight, but Does It Really Work?, and several other new food trend pieces for several other outlets, including the return of everyone’s favorite carb-laden promotion — scroll down to the next section below to check them out…
Going to be very busy today and all weekend teaming up with my mom for some hardcore cooking for the holiday — stay tuned to my Instagram stories if you want some recipe ideas or to cook along with us (and if you are celebrating as well, a very sweet new year to you and yours!).
Where I’m off to next…
I’ll be in Austin…very soon! Headed there week after next, and I’m very excited. I’ve been there a bunch of times, but always for SXSW, which is a pretty distinct time over there. It’ll be nice to be in this amazing music and food city during non-festival time!
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!
PS: I love doing podcasts!
My latest podcast appearance, on the fabulous Becoming You podcast, is now streaming!
Recently, I was also a guest on the Eat.Drink.Social podcast, and we chatted about my upcoming travel, recent press trip experiences, and so much more. Check out my guest appearance a little while ago on Jamie Stone’s A Little Too Much podcast. We had SO much fun discussing everything from the changing landscape of events and trips to our thoughts on some emerging food and cocktail trends.
Some of my latest podcast appearances include Media Circus Podcast with Taiisha Bradley, as well as the Italian Wine Podcast, where we discussed all things Substack, and the Coffee N° 5 podcast, where we chatted about effective strategies for promoting emerging brands to journalists and securing media coverage. Other recent podcast appearances include the Pitchin’ and Sippin’ podcast with the incredible (and super fun!) Lexie Smith, where we covered everything from press dinners and events and trips to, well, sippin’!
I’ve recorded a few others that should be live soon as well and I’m always open to doing more — email me at alywalansky@gmail.com.
Clean Plates: People Are Adding Lemon to Coffee to Lose Weight, but Does It Really Work?
Food Network: Olive Garden’s Never Ending Pasta Bowl Is Coming Back Early – For Some of Us
The Kitchn: Costco’s Brand-New Fall Bakery Treat Has Shoppers Buying 3 Packs at a Time
Forbes: Usher In A Sweet New Year By Preparing A Perfect Rosh Hashonah Family Gathering
Forbes.com: 8 Creative Dishes Showcasing Coffee
Forbes.com: Pulling Your Own Mozzarella Is The First Step To Perfect Homemade Pizza
The Kitchn: Aldi’s Crunchy New Snack Is Made for Fall — and It’s Only $3
Clean Plates: 8 Frozen Foods at Trader Joe’s Nutritionists Love to Buy
Forbes.com: 8 Creative Dishes Showcasing Coffee
Southern Living: Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
The Kitchn: Aldi Just Dropped a Frozen Find People Are Calling “Deeee-licious”
Food Network: Tyson’s Halloween Chicken Nuggets Are Back – With an Exciting Update
RetailMeNot: 40+ Government Employee Discounts Worth Knowing in 2023
Forbes: Cheeseburger Lovers Need To Try These 30 Epic Spins On The Classic
Forbes: A Hidden Treasure In Kansas City Is Redefining Midwestern Fine Dining
Forbes: 25 Brilliant Variations On The Negroni
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.
Forbes.com: National Vodka Day is coming up - and fun fact: Vodka is my favorite spirit (though the Dirty Aly probably has told you that already!). For National Vodka Day, I’m rounding up fun and creative vodka-centric cocktails. And, yes, I’m a martini lover, but don’t pitch me your martini unless there’s something unique and special about it. Please pitch in this format:
Name of drink
where served (name of restaurant/bar, city, state, URL)
description (NOT a recipe)
quote from owner/bartender/chef about drink
Image of drink
Also: Is anyone doing really creative DISHES involving vodka as an ingredient? Please pitch me for that too!
Deadline by this Friday, 9/15.
Looking to up your affiliate marketing game?
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...
Looking for 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've been popping into a lot of PR team virtual meetings and some other fun stuff and making myself available to answer all sorts of questions about pitching, events, and trips from a media perspective. I like to keep these things chill and comfortable and relaxed all by sharing perspective and learning from one another. Note: I’m also available to travel for consulting sessions as long as travel expenses are covered. We can chat!
If you are interested in setting anything up for your own team in the coming months, please email me and we'll get something on the books! This is available for entire agencies or smaller group lunch and learn type concepts. If you are a freelance publicist and want to join in with a few other freelance publicist friends and set something up, we can do that as well!
Have a great day!
L'shanah tovah, Aly! Enjoy Austin in it's normal times LOL - been there during SXSW and non-festival times - such a great city during either time. Try to sneak in a trip to Franklin BBQ or LA BBQ. Warning: It's ruined me for any other BBQ ;)
Wishing you and your mom a year filled with sweetness and happiness!