Friday: Questions answered -- best practices for developing a better working relationship. Also: Happy first anniversary to the Dirty Aly (and 3 more fun ways to celebrate National Martini Day)
Plus: Your last chance to send pitches for my July 4th sales roundup!
Good morning!
I know that many people are probably on their way out early today, but wanted to check in quickly with a few small updates.
I’m going to be wrapping up my big guide to July 4th sales in the next few days - so if you have any info on your store’s/brand’s July 4th deals, please send them ASAP (under embargo is A-OK!)
I also got a FLURRY of reader questions sent in this week, so I wanted to take a minute to answer one (will get back to answering them a few days a week next week!).
Today’s question comes from Bianka: What are best practices for establishing a mutually beneficial relationship with a journalist that sets up your clients to be go-to sources that journalists will come back to again and again for future work?
Answer: The answer is so much more simple than many more believe — be a great person to work with, and journalists will come back to you time and again. That means following our pitching guidelines. If I am working on a cocktail story and ask for 5 elements to the deliverables, send me all five of those in complete form — and do it at or before the deadline. If we can count on you to give us great responses, be it products that are a fit for stories or credible experts for commentary, and in the way we ask for, and meet our deadlines, TRUST ME, we’ll be back time and again.
Of course, the flip side is that if you don’t do all that, and miss deadlines, we’re not going to be as eager to use you as a go-to source. It’s just a matter of all of us doing what we can to get our jobs done as productively and successfully as possible — and quickly too, ideally! There’s always another deadline around the corner.
Do you have a question to ask? Anything goes and I’ll share the answer in a future email so everyone can benefit. alywalansky@gmail.com (PS: If you rather a question be explored privately, email me personally and set up a consulting session!).
Had the BEST time last night at a martini workshop with Ketel One. National Martini Day is coming up and what better way to get ready than continuing martini education? We got to work with bartenders to create our ideal martini and then take it home batched in adorable personalized jars.
Speaking of National Martini Day, happy first year anniversary to the Dirty Aly! Here’s a bit of a fun retrospective…
And if you are looking for a fun way to celebrate National Martini Day, don’t forget my hacks for Dirty Martini Ice Cubes and Dirty Martini Pasta/Chicken!
And…if you are looking for more great ways to celebrate martinis, check out my Forbes roundup of great martinis to try in NYC, my Food Network story about Dirty Martini Pasta, or my story for The Kitchn, where I share a savory take on the martini using everything bagel spice!
Yes, I’m really into martinis….
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! Check out my guest appearance on the Italian Wine Podcast this week, where we discussed all things Substack. Other recent podcast appearances include the Pitchin’ and Sippin’ podcast with the incredible (and super fun!) Lexie Smith, where we chatted about 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.
Southern Living: What Are White Peaches?
Clean Plates: 22 Trader Joe’s Foods That Help You Destress, Say Nutritionists
RetailMeNot: Stores Open Fourth of July + Fourth of July Store Hours
RetailMeNot: The Best Father’s Day Sales and Deals to Shop in 2023
Food Network: I Tried TikTok’s Dirty Martini Pasta – And It Belongs in Your Weeknight Pasta Rotation
Food Network: This Distillery Is So Proud of Their Gin, They Found a Way To Wear It
Forbes.com: 20 Celebrity Chefs Share How Their Fathers Inspired Their Passion In The Kitchen
Forbes.com: 9 Cocktails To Celebrate Dad This Father’s Day
RetailMeNot: Father’s Day Gifts for Every Type of Dad
Forbes.com: Father's Day Gift Guide: The Best Gifts To Stock His Freezer
Forbes.com: Father's Day Gift Guide: The Best Gifts For The Dad Who Loves To Grill
Forbes.com: Father’s Day Gift Guide: The Best Cookbooks To Add To His Collection
Forbes.com: Father's Day Gift Guide: The Best Gifts For The Culinary Traveler
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
I’m looking for creative/unique cocktails bars/restaurants around the country are doing in honor of July 4th. This has to be a cocktail that will exist on a menu and be available to order (either long-term or as a special). Please pitch me the following if you have something that may be a fit:
Name of cocktail
where served (name of bar/restaurant, city, state, URL)
description
quote from bartender/chef/etc about the cocktail (please remember to give me the name and title of who is being quoted)
Image of cocktail with any appropriate photo credits
RetailMeNot
All the Best Fourth of July Sales to Shop Now: I’m working on an update of this story from last year. A lot of these might change, so note any run-through dates IF the retailer has those when pitching me. Otherwise, it's OK to describe the sale as "for a limited time." I’m going to try to include spots such as Home Depot, Lowe's, Best Buy, Amazon, Target, Walmart, Ancestry, 23andMe, Fitbit IF they are throwing a sale. If pitching me for this one, please be sure to include what's on sale, how to shop it, the promo code (if any). Maybe the promo code is storewide, so that makes it super flexible. Whatever the shopper needs to know about how and WHY to shop the sale.
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!
Happy Friday and Anniversary to the Dirty Aly - I can't believe it's been a year already?!?! Where does the time go? Have a great weekend!