Friday: Unexpected pairings, delightful sightings, upcoming travel and lots of newly published stories
It's been QUITE a week!
Good morning, friends!
First of all — a very happy TGIF to you.
A bunch of new content to share today — including some stories I’m extra excited about that have published since Wednesday’s newsletter.
For Travel & Leisure, I wrote a piece about my favorite hack for keeping feet blister-free while exploring those orchards and vineyards. It’ll change your life and will forever be in your carryon bag. And on the other side of the spectrum (or maybe not so much), in my latest story for Food Network, I explore an unexpected but delightful food pairing — Pringles and caviar, and how to best enjoy it. (Answer: post-haste.)
Also new, for Clean Plates, I delve deep into the TikTok trend of adding lemon to your coffee (spoiler alert: You don’t need to be doing this…), and for The Kitchn, I share a find that’ll excite Le Creuset lovers — a pretty great dupe at a shocking bargain price (in the most unexpected of places). In another story for them this week, I share info about the return of one of my very favorite advent calendars — it’s back for the season, but is sure to sell out fast.
It’s been a fun and busy week — including attending an event where I got to hang with the LEGENDARY Chef Morimoto!
Seriously, how ridiculously happy do I look in this photo??? It’s not often I get starstruck these days, but I was positively beside myself.
A lot to do today and going into this weekend, including a bunch of pending stories and a much-needed pre-Austin nail appointment. Also, it’s Yom Kippur Sunday into Monday, so have pre-holiday prep to do….there’s a surprising amount of cooking that goes into a fasting holiday. (Well, we do have to eat before…and after.)
And it’s not an accident I’m going DIRECTLY from Yom Kippur to the land of BBQ and Tex Mex. It’s all about balance, my friends…
Have the loveliest weekend, and if you happen to be fasting Sunday night and Monday, have the easiest of fasts…
<3
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.
Travel & Leisure: I’m a Travel Writer, and I Swear by This $9 Trick for Keeping My Feet Comfortable While Sightseeing
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
YourTango: What Women In Their 40s Look Like With And Without Makeup
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 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.
MarthaStewart.com
Coffee Table Decor Ideas: I am rounding up ways to decorate coffee tables. I’m trying to make this an evergreen roundup, so try to stay away from holiday-specific stuff when pitching me for this one. I’d like to speak with 2-3 interior designers for this piece, and if possible, get photos from these sources as well.
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!
Forbes.com
National Taco Day and National Lobster Day are both coming up very soon, I’m rounding up fun and creative tacos or dishes involving lobster (try to be unique here - there’s not much of a chance of a traditional steamed lobster being included, but if it’s made different or special or upgraded in some way, please tell me). Please pitch in this format:
Name of dish
where served (name of restaurant/bar, city, state, URL)
description (NOT a recipe)
quote from owner/chef about dish
Image
Deadline by this Friday, 9/22.
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!
