Friday: So much to talk about today! Last night's event, new assignments - including three new HGGs I'm working on!
Good morning!
So much to share today, I honestly don’t know where to begin…
First of all, I hosted a churro party last night at a really fun Mexican spot in Brooklyn and we had a blast!
Check out some photos below (and TONS on my Instagram stories, including a few fun videos my friends took) - some of my Substack subscribers were also there last night for the event and it was so great to see everyone!
It was a cooking-centric week that started with that gumbo class and then later on in the week, I took another fun cooking class with Tennessee tourism and Lodge Cast Iron.
So it felt rather full circle that last night I got to be the one leading the class!
(Obviously, I ended the night with my dress covered in nutella….!)
In other news, I have three new holiday gift guides I’m working on! Scroll down for more details…
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.
Forbes: Duck Confit And Andouille Sausage Gumbo Is A Must-Try This Holiday Season
Travel & Leisure: The Flight Attendant-approved Hack I Swear by for Getting Through the Airport Stress-free Is Just $10 Right Now
Her Money: The Best Timing For Hotel Bookings — How To Save On Your Stay
Forbes: 12 Delicious Variations To Enjoy On National Taco Day
Forbes.com: Midnight Mezcal Is The Turndown Service That Was Always Needed
Food Network: Stouffer’s New Advent Calendar Aims To Help With the From-Scratch Cooking Holiday Fatigue
Food Network: Shake Shack Is Now Testing Sundaes
The Kitchn: Aldi’s New $5 Snack Has Shoppers Buying 2 Boxes at a Time
Popsugar: 10 Affordable Sex Toys That Prove Pleasure Doesn’t Have to Be Pricey
Travel & Leisure: I’m a Travel Writer, and I Swear by This $9 Trick for Keeping My Feet Comfortable While Sightseeing
Travel & Leisure: Frequent Fliers Say This Genius Hack Makes It Feel Like They've Upgraded Their Seat — and It's Only $35
The Kitchn: I Tried Sam’s Club’s Newest Apple Dessert and I Get Why It’s Flying Off Shelves
Today.com: Get a sun-kissed glow without leaving the house — 27 self-tanners that'll do the trick
Cubby: This One-Pan Baked Oatmeal Recipe Will Change How You Do Weekday Breakfasts
Food Network: Pringles Pairs Three of Its Flavors With Caviar in New Collection
The Kitchn: Costco Is Selling a “Beautifully Made” Le Creuset Dupe That’s Perfect for Fall Cooking
The Kitchn: This Top-Rated Coffee Advent Calendar Is Back
Forbes.com: Toast To National Vodka Day With These Beautiful Cocktails
Clean Plates: People Are Adding Lemon to Coffee to Lose Weight, but Does
The Kitchn: Costco’s Brand-New Fall Bakery Treat Has Shoppers Buying 3 Packs at a Time
Clean Plates: 8 Frozen Foods at Trader Joe’s Nutritionists Love to Buy
Southern Living: Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
RetailMeNot: 40+ Government Employee Discounts Worth Knowing in 2023
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 working on THREE holiday gift guides (and I am so happy to say you do NOT need to be on any sort of affiliate network to pitch for these! This will hopefully widen the net and give some smaller brands with creative, unique products a shot to be included!).
The best meaty gifts for the meat lover - So online butcher steak boxes, the wagyu, the porterhouses, the ribeyes. All the beefy gift sets you can order online and have shipped.
The best pink kitchen items for the Barbie lover -- Barbie is still HUGE and anyone who loves Barbie will probably want all the best pink dinnerware/kitchenware/appliances this holiday season.
The best gifts for the sushi lover -- So, fun DIY sushi kits. But also maybe fun mail order sushi grade fish, chopsticks, good wasabi or soy sauce or rice, or even sushi themed socks and stuff like that.
To pitch for any of these, please remember to include ALL the following:
Name of product
link where sold, price
image of product
description
Southern Living
I’m working on two freezer related explainers - Can You Freeze Chicken Salad? and Can You Freeze Cabbage? - and I’d love some chefs and RDs and food safety experts to weigh in.
Clean Plates
Popular Trader Joe's Seasonings You Need — And How To Use Them: I’d love chefs, RDs, to weigh in as far as the seasoning or spice (Trader Joe's specific blends, please) and clever ways to use them in the description. Make sure they are still available for purchase and not discontinued!
Martha Stewart
Walk-In Pantry Ideas: I’m looking to round up the best walk in pantry ideas. These can be anything from organization tips and things to add to the pantry to make it more efficient, to things like pocket doors to shield the pantry from view. I’d love to speak with organization experts and/or interior designers for this piece.
Small Space Storage Ideas: I’m looking to round up some of the best small space storage ideas. So, along the lines of: utilizing hidden storage under furniture, over the door storage, utlizing media consoles for storage etc. I’d love to speak with organization experts for this piece.
RetailMeNot
Working on two updates for RetailMeNot…
Where to Get Free Food Today (and Every Day of the Week: Just updating this story I wrote last year, and making it current. This story includes many chains, so if you represent any of these chains, please tell me if the news is current or the details have been changed. But if you represent another chain with these types of deals that may be a fit, please email me as well. If you have a social media link or screen shot of a fast food deal, would love that as well. Note that this is ongoing and meant to be evergreen, so if it’s a deal for one day, as a one-off, say National Cheeseburger Day - that does not apply. More this is for deals available every Monday, Tuesday, and so on…
I do an annual update for RetailMeNot of Fruit Cakes We're Absolutely Nutty For, and it’s time for this year’s update. Please check out last year’s story and tell me if you represent this brand/retailer and there’s any info updates as far as availability, ingredients, price, and so forth. But if you have others to pitch me, please go right ahead!
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!
Sounds like a fun & delish week! Have a great weekend Aly!