Monday: Giving the reader what they want this gift guide season -- here's what NOT to pitch. (Plus: New gift guides pending!)
PS: Don't miss out: The completely FREE recording of last month's Zoom webinar event covering pitching, trends, and all things holiday gift guide season is now available -- grab the link right here!
Good morning!
This is a rather Monday of Mondays. I have a really busy week in store, that includes several agency consulting sessions, a bunch of events, and a speaking engagement — and that’s only the top half of the week!
A calendar note: I’ll be speaking as part of a panel at a Pitchcraft virtual event tomorrow, Oct. 28 that dives into Yahoo! Creators and how this fits into the broader landscape of changing lifestyle media. Note that this event is only open to Pitchcraft members but if you are one or become one before the event, would love to see you there! As you know, I’m very much involved in Yahoo Creators these days and I’m excited to have an opportunity to share more about what makes it so special in this changing landscape.
So, we’re at the height of gift guide season and that means we’re all getting like 1,000 emails a day pitching everything from a bread machine to the knife you use to slice the bread.
All that is fine and well but I wanted to take a second to broach what not to pitch this holiday gift guide season.
A reminder that gift guides are just that: They are guides to help people in their own holiday shopping. The best gift guides will work as a mirror of the same items that are on someone’s holiday wish list. This could be your best friend, your partner, your mom, your sister. Someone really wants this gift, and that’s why it’s a great gift idea.
So, what NOT to pitch when it comes to holiday gift guide time? Anything that you’d never imagine giving anyone on your gift guide list, would be embarrassed giving them, or would risk downright offending them if they were to receive it. For example, your mom or wife doesn’t want a vacuum — unless she totally told you she did want to try that snazzy new robot vacuum you can control via iPhone app. Otherwise, cleaning supplies? That’s not a feel-good holiday gift. She also doesn’t want diet pills or weight loss shakes or items to combat body odor or foot fungus.
Now, also remember the gift should be shaped by the recipient, and that means what you can pitch is largely dependent on who the guide will be geared toward. For example: I’ve totally written guides that have included lingerie or adult products — but I’d sure as heck not consider them if I was working on a gifts for your mom piece!
Remember we were discussing last week how your news is only as big as the other news that day? Well, your product is a fit depending on who would be reading the story and potentially receiving the gift. It all comes down, again, to targeting and knowing your audience.
Keep that in mind when pitching. Want more holiday gift guide pitching guidance? Check out our webinar recording below — it’s free!
Check out our complete holiday gift guide pitching recording - it’s available right here, right now!
For those who missed out, you can grab the whole recording of our best practices for pitching holiday gift guides this season webinar for free (yes, completely free!) as a benefit for upgraded subscribers - it’s well over an hour of commentary, Q&A, and tons of information you can use this season. Grab the details here.
If you are pitching holiday gift guides this season, you’re competing with thousands of other emails in every journalist’s inbox. Make sure your pitch stands out and gets noticed.
Book your consulting session!
I still have some space available for November!
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 :)
We can switch it up in any way you or your team needs. While most of my calls do end up being virtual, I just did one where we did our session over a martini lunch! I’m available for whatever your team prefers. Lets chat.
I’m now contributing to the Yahoo Creators platform, writing a wide range of lifestyles topics: check out my author profile to see some of my most recent pieces! (This is updated daily - usually multiple times daily - so you’ll want to keep checking it out for new content!)
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 more than 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
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!
Exciting news from our friend Sarah Karger (who recently was a star expert panelist for our big holiday gift guide pitching workshop!) - she just launched her new course, Affiliate Marketing & Performance-Based PR for Publicists - It’s built specifically to help PR pros and agencies add affiliate management as a core capability, something we all know is completely essential in today’s media landscape. This is in-depth training that equips publicists with the exact strategies to:
Set up affiliate programs for clients
Pitch commerce editors with confidence
Deliver measurable ROI through performance-based PR
It’s a must-have for anyone trying to navigate this ever-changing biz!
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!)
Travel & Leisure: I’m a Solo Traveler, and I Tell All My Friends to Pack These Anti-theft Essentials—Up to 56% Off at Amazon
Forbes.com: 15 Plant-Based Dishes So Delicious, Even A Carnivore Would Ask For Seconds
Southern Living: How To Preheat An Air Fryer
Southern Living: Banana Peppers Vs. Pepperoncini: What’s The Difference?
Forbes.com: 13 Cocktails Perfect For Embracing The Spirit Of Halloween
Forbes.com: 13 Dishes And Drinks That Support Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Travel & Leisure: I Travel Solo Often, and I Won’t Stay in Another Airbnb Without Packing This 1 Safety Device
Travel & Leisure: This $8 Flight Attendant-loved Hack Helps Me Carry More Bags at the Airport—Without Paying Extra
Food Network: You Can Pre-Order Your Entire Thanksgiving Feast
Today.com: Best drugstore wrinkle creams 2025, according to experts
Today.com: What Are The Best Drugstore Eye Creams? Experts and Editors Reveal Their Favorites
Southern Living: The Best And Worst Times To Go To The Grocery Store
Southern Living: How To Cook A Perfect Steak Every Time, According To Southern Chefs.
Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook
Travel & Leisure: I’m a Travel Writer, and I Swear by These Packable Ballet Flats for Comfort, Support, and Long Days on My Feet
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 Creators
I’m working on a story on planning a Friendsgiving celebration. Open to organization and event planning expert tips and tricks as well as items that are a must to include (if sold online, please include retail links when pitching!).
I’m working on some holiday gift guides! I’m seeking: Travel-related gifts, gifts for your man, home/kitchen related gifts, food/spirits gifts, tech gear/gadgets, office-related gifts, and beauty/self-care/wellness gifts. I’m also looking specifically for iPhone-related gifts, computer accessory related gifts, and luggage/travel gadget gifts.
To pitch me for these guides, please be sure to include the following:
Name of item
Links to major retailers where sold (it’s in your best interest to include several retailer link options when pitching)
Link to image and any necessary credits
Description why it’s a fit
Item must be currently available and currently in stock (and if you want any guidance on how to pitch for gift guides more successfully, be sure to check out the webinar recording linked above — it’s free!)
Forbes
Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!
Holiday Gift Guide 2025: The Best Celebrity Spirits To Gift This Holiday: I know, it seems like every celebrity has their own wine or tequila these days but if you’ve tried a few, you know they are very much not created equal. Some are great tho, and it’s usually an example of the celebrity owner putting a lot of work into it, and not just slapping their name on the label. I’m rounding up these as gift ideas. Follow my usual gift guide pitching guidelines, please!
I’m also working on a story on enjoying lower ABV cocktails in December. I know a ton of people (not me, obviously) are doing Sober October, as a way of having a total body reset before the active holiday event season, but another option is to try to moderate a little in December by focusing on lower ABV versions of your favorite drinks, made with low or mid-ABV spirits. So if you work with low-ABV spirits that have low-proof (vs. zero proof) holiday cocktails on the menu at bars/restaurants, please drop me a line! (Same pitching format as usual.)
I’m also looking for Thanksgiving-inspired dishes and drinks available at bars and restaurants. So, not a straight-up plate of turkey and stuffing, but traditional Thanksgiving dishes and sides reimagined in a new way. Same pitching format as always, please!
Finally, I’m seeking fun variations on PIZZA. If you have a really fun pizza, please let me know. Same pitching parameters as always! (FYI: I know that October is National Pizza Month but this story will actually publish in early November and be a bit more evergreen.)
have a great day, and thanks again for being such an incredible community <3
aly