Monday: Last call for two stories -- if you're still around, get those pitches in today!

Good morning!

Realizing this email may have a bit of a tree falling in the forest impact as I know many of you are already in full OOO mode, but for those still here — hello!

First, a reminder: If you are pitching for either my Forbes New Years stories or my Apartment Therapy home organization expert crowdsource, wrapping up both of those by EOD today - so please try to get your emails to me ASAP (and scroll down for specifics of what I’m looking for before emailing, please), thanks!

This weekend’s Industry Insights email (the final dedicated insights email of 2024!), covered taking a proactive (and not reactionary) approach to freelancing during the holiday season — you can still check it out here.

But in editorial land, the holidays are already of the past, and we’re looking forward - I’ll be sourcing for Valentine’s gift guides before you know it (as in, like very very soon) and we’re already in planning mode for the first AMA sesh of 2025 — and it’s a big one (more on that after the holiday!).

But meanwhile…

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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!

• Newsweek Readers Choice: Best Apres Ski Spots, Best Casinos with Live Music (outside Vegas), Best U.S. Wellness Resort, Best Packing Cube, Best Vodka, Best Gourmet Subscription Box, Best Mattress, and Best Outdoor Grill - more categories coming very soon!

• Martha Stewart: 18 Coffee Table Décor Ideas That Blend Form and Function.

• Travel & Leisure: I Travel Solo Often, and I Won’t Stay in Another Airbnb Without Packing This 1 Safety Device

• Saatva: 5 Ways to Deal With Sleep Deprivation

• Forbes.com: 17 Cocktails To Enjoy In Honor Of Mocha Mousse, Pantone’s 2025 Color Of The Year

• Southern Living: Can You Freeze Sour Cream?

• Forbes.com: 10 Foodie Treats That Present A Delicious Way To Celebrate Hanukkah

• Forbes: 6 Hanukkah Cocktails To Try In Honor Of The Festival Of Lights

• Apartment Therapy: We Asked 7 Chefs for Their Go-To Cleaning Tips for Hosting, and Here’s What They Said

• The Spruce: How to Add Storage to Your Kitchen Walls and Make the Most of the Vertical Space

• Yahoo Life: 50 best wellness gifts to encourage a healthy lifestyle

• Apartment Therapy: 4 Popular Kitchen Trends Contractors Want You to Stop DIYing Immediately

• Southern Living: The 9 Best Bottles Of Bourbon, According To Southern Chefs And Bartenders

• Forbes.com: The Latest Holiday Dinner Hosting Trend: Outsourcing

• Apartment Therapy: The Unexpected Items Pro Travelers Always Pack

• Southern Living: Here's Why You Should Always Travel With Duct Tape

• Apartment Therapy: We Asked 8 Pro Travelers What They Never Pack in Their Carry-On, and Here’s What They Said

• Her Money: The best time to save on hotel bookings

• Travel & Leisure: This $7 Luggage Accessory Helps Me Feel Safe When Traveling — and I'll Never Have to Replace It

• Forbes.com: Holiday Gift Guide 2024: The Best Gifts For The Martini Lover

• Forbes.com: Holiday Gift Guide 2024: The Best Gifts For The Starter Kitchen

• Forbes: Holiday Gift Guide 2024: Beefy Texas-Inspired Gifts For The Southwestern Carnivore

• Food Network: Trader Joe’s Finally Has a White Queso Dip and It Was Well Worth the Wait

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.

Apartment Therapy

I Asked TK Organizing Pros to Share Their Biggest Organizing Regrets — Here's What They Said - I’m looking to chat with a few organizing pros about what their biggest organizing regret is. Like something in their household they got rid of, and regret getting rid of — why they got rid of it, and why they regret it. Could be a memento, an important document or photo, whatever. Drop me a note if you have someone who may like to weigh in!

Forbes

I won’t lie - I’m personally kind of dreading this new year (2025 is looking mighty Hunger Games-like already), but for those who are celebrating, I’m rounding up fun New Years-themed cocktails available at bars and restaurants. If you have any, please drop me a note! (Trying to wrap this one up TODAY, so send those pitches along asap!)

Also, are any NYC-area restaurants doing any fun NYD brunches? Let me know!

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!

<3

aly