Friday: What we used to call DESKSIDES -- how to get writers to say yes to meeting for drinks. Also: Seeking National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day deals for a story wrapping up today.
Time's running out: You can still RSVP for our August Zoom webinar event.
Good morning!
In today’s email, I want to go a bit in the wayback machine and discuss a concept we’re all familiar with that has evolved a bit into something that looks pretty different, but is still a very important part of the current conversation.
The concept of a deskside goes way back. Years ago, it literally meant coming to someone's office and sitting by their desk. It was a way for publicists and brand representatives to come and introduce themselves and their product to a writer or editor and hopefully build a relationship in the process.
Of course, with time, that concept has evolved and became more of a social thing. Often desksides, rather than happening by the side of said desk happen over coffee or a glass of wine. Obviously, I’m a fan of that! This is a way of making it more informal (and, honestly, a bit more fun and social) is a way to build an in-person connection with someone you may previously have known only over email over the years.
So, lets say you want a journalist to meet up with you and/or your client for a drink or meal. Perhaps you are visiting a city for meetings or an event and yu want to get some editor meals on the calendar. Maybe you have a client in town you want to introduce to some editor or writer friends. Maybe you are just working on relationship building. There’s lots of reasons you may want to make that in-person connection…but here’s how to get a writer to say yes.
(More at the bottom of today’s email!)
Reminder: Have you signed up for our big annual Zoom workshop webinar event where participants can ask us anything about all things related to pitching holiday gift guides (our most popular AMA session each year!) — seats are going fast and we have limited capacity, but you can still register!
Upcoming travel: I’ll be in Puerto Rico next week for roughly 24 hours (just there to meet up with Jill Schildhouse to head on a first look of a cruise!) and I’ll be in the LA area for about a week (yes!) in early September. More fall travel upcoming, too :) Hopefully if I end up in your city, there’ll be opportunity to say hi!
Book your summer consulting session!
I still have some space available for August!
I can join your team on Zoom, a phone call, or in-person and do a team Q&A and answer any of your questions about planning events, mailers, trips, pitching, followups, etc — giving you a very necessary media perspective. Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com if you are interested in chatting more and setting something up :)
I’m now contributing journalist on the Yahoo Creators platform?
It’s an exciting program where the journalists who are accepted maintain creative and editorial control over their own content, all within and with access to the huge audience and network that Yahoo embodies. It’s an amazing way of telling the stories I really want to tell and writing the content I really want to write, and I’ve been having a blast. I’ve been involved for just a few weeks now but you can already see I’ve been writing a pretty wide range of fun content, from commerce to fun features — check out my author profile to see some of my most recent pieces!
(You’ll see even after just a few weeks, there’s already a lot!)
Obviously, I still have all my other outlets as well, and none of that is changing (we pray ever!), but at a time where publishing feels pretty tenuous and scary a place, it’s always exciting to have, well, new news that’s positive!
PS: Yahoo Creators has been getting a lot of attention lately - check out this Fast Company piece or this one in Digiday (that our gal Alesandra (Alice) Dubin is quoted in!).
Limited-time deal on ad placement!
I’m offering a seasonal special on advertising in this newsletter. I’d love to place your sponsored posts and advertising in this Substack, which goes out to nearly 10,000 media professionals every single day.
Note: I do limit advertising to only what would be of interest to my readers, but am open to both short paragraph blurbs and dedicated posts - if you are interested in chatting details and scheduling something, please email me at alywalansky@gmail.com today!
Tools of the trade
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!)
Press Hook is where journalists, newsletter writers, and podcasters source expert quotes, hi-res images, product samples, affiliate info, and brand story angles — all from vetted brands in one searchable hub. It connects journalists and brands in what feels like a really user-friendly, organic way and I use it often to browse for sources and products aligned with my current projects and I’ve often found precisely what I need, when I need. Give it a try!
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.
Yahoo Creators: Check out my author profile (I have several new stories a day across the lifestyles umbrella, so that’s the best way to stay updated!)
Forbes.com: 14 Delectable Ways To Enjoy Oysters On National Oyster Day
Southern Living: We Asked Southern Chefs Their Favorite Brand Of Baked Beans—And This Brand Won By A Landslide
Travel & Leisure: 15 Amazon Business Casual Clothes for Summer Travel.
The Kitchn: These "Vintage" Mason Jars Are So Gorgeous, You'll Want One in Every Room
The Kitchn: This "Adorable" Mini Waffle Maker Has Over 4,000 5-Star Reviews
The Kitchn: These $1 Potato Chips Are So Good, Shoppers Are Buying 5 Bags at a Time
Forbes.com: 18 Burgers To Try When It’s Time To Kick The Classic Up A Notch
Forbes.com: 12 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Chicken Wings
Food Network: Popeyes’ New Signature Sauce Goes With Just About Everything
Apartment Therapy: I Bring These Brilliant Insect Repellent Wipes Everywhere I Go (They’re Travel-Friendly!)
Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook
Apartment Therapy: 10 Things I Got Rid Of After 45
Apartment Therapy: Summer Packing Tips from People Who Travel for a Living
Travel & Leisure: 6 Best Business Travel Airplane Outfits, From $12
Travel & Leisure: I’m a Travel Writer, and I Swear by These Packable Ballet Flats for Comfort, Support, and Long Days on My Feet
Travel & Leisure: I Found the Perfect Walking Shoes to Prevent Sore Feet During Travel — Score Styles on Sale Up to 62% Off
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.
Yahoo
I’m rounding up deals that chains are doign in honor National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day - -have anything? Email me today! (Wrapping this story up by this afternoon!)
Forbes
Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!
National Potato Day is coming up - please pitch me the best potato dishes at your restaurant or bar (and yes, fries are totally allowed if they are fun presentations!). To pitch, please always use this format and don’t skip any parameters:
Name of dish
Restaurant, city, state, website
Description of dish
Quote from chef about dish (plus name and title of person quoted)
Image and photo credit (I prefer links to attachments!)
OK…back to desksides.
Now all that background said and done, times have changed. Between the pandemic and changing priorities, desksides (both in practice and interest) are not what they once were, and as with everything else, we need to learn to evolve.
In the past, I was most often asked to do a deskside when a PR contact or their client was in town, perhaps doing a media tour and arranging a series of meetings with writers and editors. In the past, I said yes to a fair degree of coffee and drink meetings. Not so much traditional desksides since that would not really work that well - my desk is inside my studio apartment. They'd maybe have to sit on my bed!
Awkarddddddd....
(true story...)
So, what it is that makes me say yes to a deskside invite? I do say yes - a few times a week! But I also get a dozen or so emails a week asking me to do so. Here’s what’s going to make me move the needle…