Monday: From my inbox -- a faux pas to avoid when pitching gift guides + upcoming AMA + more!
Good morning!
I thought I’d start this Monday morning with some tips on what not to do when sending a pitch related to the upcoming gift guide season (yup…it’ll be here before we know it!).
I’m working from the airport this morning (and the lounge I’m in has bottomless Stumptown, so I’m in heaven)…but, anyway, as I was scrolling my email en route, I came across an email that went something like this: (Identifying details have been redacted so as to not piss anyone off..)
Good morning!
Any chance you're working on a gift guide for Back to School? If yes, can I pitch you an idea or two?
Hope to hear from you soon and pitch over an idea to you.
Thanks!
Seems fairly innocuous right?
Well, nope, because this email missed the mark on several levels.
1 - It was sent bcc. Clearly it was a spray and pray sort of attempt, and sent to heavens know how many people, with no effort being made to individualize the pitch for the journalist and beat receiving it.
2 - BTS. I’ve been doing gift guides for 20+ years, and I’ve never once done a BTS guide. It’s simply not my beat. It was a waste of time that could have been avoided by taking the time to target the pitch.
3 - It tells me NOTHING about the product or what it’s being pitched for, even if I did cover BTS. Which, again, I don’t.
I get that people are starting to pitch for holiday gift guides soon, and I am as invested as you are in getting your clients into gift guides (no, really! I am!)…but if you are going to do it, make the best use of your time, and follow some of these top level tips…
Follow instructions
I shared in a recent consulting call, the easiest way to separate the potential inclusions from the ones that won't hit the mark is simply those who are not following instructions.
If I am working on a holiday gift guide and give you four bullet points of information I need for consideration - be it specific price range, retailers, features, etc, be sure it fits all of those parameters. Meet the deadline, include a high res image with credit info and submit it in the manner I asked for. If you leave aspects out, you can't expect to be included, because you did not give me the information I need. And don't try to pitch me something that is totally not a fit and say it's "another angle" - that other angle may work for another story or a future story but it's not what I need for this story. The assignment won't change. It is what it is!
Targeting
Is this meant for food writers, or home writers, or parenting writers, or tech writers? Is it a regional item or a national item? If an item is only available for local delivery and shipping, you are not going to want to pitch it for a national outlet's gift guide. When I write a gift guide, I'm going to focus on items that are available to all my readers. So, yes, I'll consider a seafood dinner gift box if it's available for national shipping but not if you have to drive by a local restaurant to get it. That's the difference.
Have a strategic subject line
We touched on this last week, but your best bet is to have an email subject line that tells me exactly what I'm going to find within. Consider it like the ingredient list on a food product. If you are pitching me cheese for a cheese guide, tell me that. Don't just tell me it's "in response to your substack" - that tells me nothing.
And be clear inside as well..
I know it's tempting to be really poetic and flowery with your language. But being clear and concise is really your better bet. Tell me the product, the prices, outlets where it's sold, some important details and benefits about it. Give me a link to where sold (and give me a variety of links if you have them, that helps from my end), and also a link to an image. no attachments please!
It also helps me if you give me a few ideas of where you think it may fit. Like if your item is great for the gadget lover and also the travel lover, tell me that. Also, if your item is available on affiliate networks, it's a good idea to mention that as well. If your product is available on your brand's website but also a major retailer, it's a REALLY good idea to mention the major retailer as well for this reason.
Try to pinpoint some hero products
Every writer will tell you stories of receiving emails that are a sea of 20 random URLs we're then expected to sort through to discover what it is you are pitching us. Please don't do this. Rather than send me a long list of URLs of every pair of earrings on your earring website, choose a handful that are the most giftable, or the most unique or special in some way and then, take the time to tell me a few sentences about each (see above where I mention parameters!). Not to mention, a long list of URLs will quite possibly end up filtered to spam. And, sorry to say, it's a little lazy. When we're cooking, we don't throw our whole spice rack into every recipe we develop, right? No, we choose the few that works the best with what we're creating. Keep that in mind here too.
When trying to decide the product to pitch for a guide, aside from making sure it's what's being asked for, look for something that stands out about it in some way. Is it in a new limited-edition flavor or color for the season, is it at a special price point, is there for a limited time a special gift set available where you get a bunch of other cool stuff thrown in, is there a charitable/cause integration? Tell me all those things. If I have to choose between two vodkas to include that are of similar price points, availability, and quality, I'm going to include the one that is from a woman-owned BIPOC brand before the one that isn't. Also, does your product have a story behind it? I'd love to know it. It's more than fitting into some pigeon hole of being a green blazer in a roundup of blazers. Tell me what makes your product different.
Is it available right now?
This is something I run into more than you would imagine. I am pitched products that are out of stock, backordered, or even discontinued. Or, I'll look on the site and see that it is available for purchase but won't ship till next month. If you are pitching a product, make sure it's available right now. And if only certain colors or sizes or varieties are currently available, that's very important to note as well -- otherwise, we'll run into that issue down the line where I included your copper slow cooker's image but only the gray slate one is available and you want me to change it.
Keep seasonality in mind. Remember that a lot of gift guides are being written and published in the fall months. So a lot of your best bets will be products that fit or benefit that season. If someone is receiving a gift in December, they are more likely to want that lip balm to protect their lips in cold and windy weather that comes in a fun seasonal flavor like peppermint or vanilla than the beachy scent they may want in the spring.
Speaking of photos...
I know it's tempting to send me a gallery of every photo you have of every item that brand does. Please curb the urge. Send me one or two photos of an item, and make sure it's marked clearly as to what it is. And include any necessary credit info. Do not send an image titled "image0001" or "screencapture12" but rather "Pinkchefsknife--brandname" - otherwise, that could lead to confusion and the wrong image being used, or perhaps worse, me not being to find the image you want me to find and not including your product because you didn't send an image.
Try to expand your concept a bit
I know it's very easy to categorize as "gifts for kids" or "gifts for him" or "gifts for her" - but why not try to delve a bit deeper. For example, I'm working on a gift guide right now on gifts for the person in your life obsessed with the royal family. Sometimes getting a bit more specific really helps you to stand out.
Follow up wisely
People are ALWAYS asking me about follow up etiquette. Follow ups are part of the job, of course. But follow up with purpose. No one wants to get a text barrage from someone they went on one date with being like "did you see my message?" did you? did you? over and over. That's creepy.
So my advice is always try to add a little something to the follow up. Perhaps this an opportunity to share a gift with purchase that has been announced, a new limited edition color or flavor, change the direction of your original pitch, or even share a link to alternate photos. Give something more in the follow up so there's something extra to get out of it.
Be patient
We get SO SO many emails in a day this time of year. If you don't hear back, that doesn't mean that it's a no. Or that we are ignoring you. Sometimes it just means there's not an answer yet. Maybe we don't have an assignment right now that fits your cute little booties, but we may be getting a bootie assignment next week and will come back to your email.
The door is always open. So play the long game. It's a journey, not a sprint!
I recently appeared on Estelle Erasmus’s Freelance Writing Direct Podcast. In the episode, we got in depth on topics ranging from finding a niche in writing and how best to use Substack in our industry (especially when it comes to time management!) to the secrets to building sustainable relationships…and so much more. SO much more, in fact, that Estelle and I had the idea to do a joint AMA for our Substack audiences soon! Tune in Thursday, September 5 at 4:30 PM ET for a Mental Margarita AMA Chat with Journalists Aly Walansky and Estelle Erasmus (yes, we’re going for happy hour format on this one!), where we’ll open the floor to questions from journalists and PR and anyone else who wants to stop by. We are limited (by Zoom’s attendee cap) to 100 participants, so sign up now and register your questions in advance!RSVP: Email at alywalansky@gmail.com (please start a new email thread and don’t just hit reply on this one) if you are interested in attending and we'll share the Zoom link when we confirm. Priority for this Zoom event will go to paid subscribers but we’ll open the velvet rope to all subscribers if space allows! And if you have questions you want to send in advance, feel free — but you can always ask them live day-of!
I’m offering a BOGO deal on new paid subscriptions!
As I mentioned recently, it’s tumultuous times all around. And we’re all feeling it pretty deeply.
If you show me some love (and this community some love!) by upgrading your free subscription to a paid one right now (either monthly OR annual), I have a gift for you: you can choose any friend or colleague to get the same upgrade — free.
How do you claim? Just upgrade your subscription (or upgrade a group) at the links below and email me at alywalansky@gmail.com — then give me the name and email address of a person you wish to upgrade. Buy an annual, give a free annual. Buy a monthly, get a free monthly.
Just my way of supporting the community and sharing the love whenever we can.
We all could use it.
The steepest discount I’ve ever offered on consulting sessions
In exciting news, I’m doing something I’ve never done before: I’m currently offering 20% discounts on my virtual consulting/lunch & learn sessions. Times are really tough and I am hoping to make these insights as accessible as possible to any of you who are interested. If you want to schedule a session for yourself or your team, to discuss anything from planning an event, media dinner, or press trip to mailers, pitching best practices, followups to…well… anything else…drop me an email at alywalansky@gmail.com and lets chat!
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!
Forbes.com: Alaska Airlines Adds Taste Of San Francisco To Popular Route
Plate Magazine: There’s Not One But Two Fillings in the Cheese Course-Inspired Ravioli at Dario
Yahoo Life: The best cooling fans of 2024, tested and reviewed
Travel & Leisure: These Arch Support Sandals Are the Only Shoes I Wear in the Summer — and They’re Only $47
Forbes: I rounded up some of the most creative potato dishes across the country.
Food Network: Erewhon’s Newest Smoothie Is an Energy Drink
Parade Magazine: This No-Tears Method Is How You Should Actually Cut an Onion, According to Chefs
RetailMeNot: Why Costco Is the Ultimate Place to Shop (And Save) on Spices
Food Network: Hungry for the Paris Olympics? Here’s How Some of Your Favorite Chains Are Celebrating
Southern Living: How To Store Cut Cantaloupe So It Stays Fresh And Delicious Longer
Saatva: The Best Nighttime Dental Routine for a Healthy Smile
Apartment Therapy: I Sent a Pro Organizer a Photo of My Cluttered Medicine Cabinet, and Here’s How She Fixed It
Travel & Leisure: You Don't Want to Step Foot in a Waterpark Without These 18 Essentials From Just $9
Food Network: You Can Now Get IHOP’s Famous Syrups by the Bottle
Yahoo Life: What is a siesta? The history of the afternoon nap and its benefits
Apartment Therapy: We Asked 8 Pro Travelers What They Never Pack in Their Carry-On and Here’s What They Said
Plate: Vinyl Record Bars Are Taking Over and We’re Not Mad About It.
Southern Living: This Free Packing Spreadsheet Is Going Viral — Here's Why
RetailMeNot: How Bulk Buying Helps Me Maintain My Household Grocery Budget – and Stay Well-Stocked
Travel & Leisure: This Genius Gadget Is the Travel Accessory Everyone's Wearing to Stay Cool in the Heat — and It's 20% Of
Apartment Therapy: We Asked 6 Travel Writers for Their Best Packing Hacks, and Their Tips Are Ingenious.
Travel & Leisure: I Always Wear These Comfy, Wide-leg Amazon Pants on Flights — Plus, 13 More Pairs I'm Eyeing From $12
Travel & Leisure: Frequent Fliers Say This Genius Hack Makes It Feel Like They've Upgraded Their Seat — and It's Only $35
Apartment Therapy, I’m a Travel Writer and This Is My Time-Saving Packing Hack
RetailMeNot: Don’t Spend a Fortune at Those Salad Places: How I Build My Own Salads At Home
Travel + Leisure: The One Safety Item You're Likely Forgetting to Pack, According to a Longtime Solo Female Traveler
RetailMeNot: How Using My Air Fryer Makes Cooking on a Small Budget (and In a Small Space) Possible
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.
Newsweek Readers' Choice Awards
I’m participating once again in the panel of experts for the Newsweek Readers' Choice Awards (you may recall I recently participated in nominations in the Best Mattress, best gourmet subscription box category and best outdoor grill. As part of this program, I’m part of panel of travel/food experts who helped to create nominee lists for the Readers Choice Awards in a variety of categories, and my next categories will be packing cubes and sheets. If you have any you think should be on my radar, drop me a line!
Apartment Therapy
Sorry But Your Luggage Is Disgusting, Here's Why You Need to Clean It: Ahead of Labor Day travel, I’m working on a post dedicated to the fact that your luggage is actually really gross and you need to be cleaning it — here's why. I’m looking to speak to pro travelers on their thoughts/advice/tips about cleaning luggage before, during, and after travel plans.
We Asked TK Pro Travelers How They Keep Their Luggage Clean, and Here’s What They Said: A related but distinct story on a similar topic: This one will be focused on the one key thing travel pros do to keep their luggage clean, like this story.
I Sent a Pro Organizer Photos of My Messy Cord Clutter, Here's How They Fixed It: My small apartment is OVER RUN with chargers and cables, and it's not only messy, it's dangerous and a safety hazard. I’m looking to speak to an organization expert about how I could go about (as someone who works from home and has a lot of tech) getting rid of extra chargers and consolidate, and then follow their advice (with before, after, during photos, much like my medicine cabinet story recently). Also open to product pitches as to products that may help with this messy cord clutter.
Clean Plates
For Clean Plates, I’m working on a piece on smarter grocery shopping and why you should be adding Ceylon cinnamon to your cart. I’m looking for a RD to chat with over email, as to how/why Ceylon is better than cassia, along with some other health/wellness benefits, and we can chat, nutritionally, about savory as well as sweet applications, too.
Forbes
I’m rounding up creative/interesting avocado-centric dishes (or drinks!), so start thinking on those if you have anything that may be a fit! Note: ANYTHING pitched for these stories MUST exist on the menu at a bar or restaurant (I got about a dozen pitches for both in the last 24 hours that seemed to miss that part.)
I’m also rounding up fun cheeseburgers to check out for National Cheeseburger Day on Sept. 18.
For both, please keep in mind the following parameters: Name of dish, name of restaurant (city, state, URL), description, quote about dish (and who to credit for the quote), and an image (with photo credit) — via dropbox link, not as an attachment. (Please make sure to have ALL these components before pitching.)
Plate Magazine
I’m putting out bites/drinks of the week feelers, which is sort of a drink/dish spotlight piece. (Some examples are this Peruvian-inspired sweet potato in Savannah and a molecular banana daiquiri in Chicago.) Basically if you are pitching me something for this, think along the lines of: Is this dish/bite something new? What interesting techniques are used to make it come together? If the technique is simple, what’s the hook? An interesting ingredient? Something being made in house or in an interesting way? What’s the story behind the dish? What inspired it? Is there a cultural/family story behind the dish? An ingredient the chef got their hands on? Love to hear what you might have for me!
I’m also seeking pitches along the theme of embracing imperfection. We all have discovered that we can learn rather than hide, from mistakes, and hopefully grow from it —so I’m looking for food/restaurant pitches along these lines - unexpected substitutions that worked better than the original plan—be it a space, a dish, a city, or a team member. Maybe “ugly” dishes or last-minute modifications in a pinch that made all the difference. Basically how restaurants and chefs are using imperfect solutions to make magic happen.
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!)
<3
aly