Monday: Rounding out the year with a TON of new assignments (Including Valentine's Day 2024 gift guides!)
Plus: It's my birthday week!
Happy Monday!
As tomorrow is my birthday and I have really big exciting plans (that I can’t WAIT to tell you more about), this will be my final email for a few days…but I have SO much to pack into this one…it’ll be a doozy, in fact…that we should get right into it!
What was that line in Field of Dreams?
“If you build it, they will come…”
So, of course just days after Alice Dubin and I hosted a Valentine’s gift guide-centric AMA session, I’d end up assigned a whole bunch of new gift guide assignments! If you attended, this would be a great time to apply everything we discussed when sending your pitches.
(And again: Thanks so much to ALL who came to support. Did you miss it and are eager to catch the recording? Get all the deets here.)
If you are seeking what I’m working on, scroll down to the pending assignments section, just below recently updated or published pieces, later on in this email!)
Other things I’m eager to share today:
Sometimes writing should be meaningful and important and teach people things. But sometimes, it should just be fun. (I mean, back in the day, I went into writing about food for that reason - I wanted to write about the topics I enjoyed reading!). To that end, I’d love to share my latest fun pieces for Forbes.com this week - a guide to all sorts of fun birthday-inspired cocktails and desserts to enjoy around the nation on your own upcoming birthday. And, also for Forbes, I rounded up a bunch of gorgeous cocktails inspired by the latest Pantone color of the year, Peach Fuzz!
But teachable is necessary too, of course, and we’ve all heard Airbnb horror stories, about shady hosts. For Travel & Leisure today, I wrote about the hidden camera detector that’s a must-pack. (And they are a good idea to pack for hotel rooms and vacation rentals, as well!).
A heartfelt THANK YOU. This lovely gift arrived this weekend from Tipsy Scoop and it sent my weekend (and week) off on the exactly right note:
In related news, here’s a sneak peek at my birthday nails!
So excited to be able to share more soon <3 It’s been a REALLY hard year — and honestly, a pretty terrible last few months - and it’s so great to have something to look forward to this week (that includes seeing dozens of my dear friends!)
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!
Travel & Leisure: I Travel Solo Often, and I Won’t Stay in Another Airbnb Without Packing This One Safety Device
Forbes.com: Pantone’s 2024 Color Of The Year Is Resulting In Glorious Peach-Hued Cocktails
Forbes.com: Perfect Cocktails And Desserts To Order On Your Birthday
The Kitchn: Oprah Winfrey Reveals the One Food She Always Has in Her Fridge — And It’s So Much Stranger Than You’d Think
Food Network: Perdue Launches Wings Made Specifically for Air Fryers
RetailMeNot: Stores Open Christmas Day + Christmas Eve Store Hours 2023
RetailMeNot: 50+ Government Employee Discounts Worth Knowing in 2024
Southern Living: Can You Freeze Green Onions?
The Kitchn: This Multifunctional Spoon Has Become a Mainstay in My Kitchen — And It’s Less than $20 on Amazon
The Kitchn: Taylor Swift Keeps This Surprising (and Sentimental) Decor Item in Her Kitchen
Forbes.com: Angelo Sosa’s Kembara Is A Love Letter To His Asian Travels
Food Network: White Claw Is Going Dry
Popsugar: How to Get Rid of Pesky Bad Breath, According to Dentists
Southern Living: Can You Freeze Cabbage?
Southern Living: Can You Eat Underripe Avocado?
Southern Living: How To Boil Potatoes
Clean Plates: 10 Trader Joe’s Frozen Appetizers Perfect For Holiday Parties
Food Network: Rao’s Is Getting In On Ketchup
Food Network: Popeyes Officially Launches Wings As Permanent Menu Items
Food Network: You Can Buy Just About Anything Inside an Olive Garden – Including Its Cheese Graters
Forbes.com: Holiday Gift Guide 2023: The Best Gifts For The Meat Lover
Forbes.com: Holiday Gift Guide 2023: The Best Gifts For The Sushi Lover
Forbes.com: Holiday Gift Guide 2023: The Best Pink Kitchen Gifts For Barbie Lovers
RetailMeNot: Where to Get Free Food Today (and Every Day of the Week)
Travel & Leisure: I'm a Longtime Solo Traveler, and These Are The 12 Best Personal Safety Devices on Sale at Amazon
Travel & Leisure: Travelers Are Using This Flight Attendant-approved Gadget to Get More Space on Planes — and It Only Costs $13
Travel & Leisure: The Flight Attendant-approved Hack I Swear by for Getting Through the Airport Stress-free Is Just $10 Right Now
Travel & Leisure: I’m a Travel Writer, and I Swear by This $9 Trick for Keeping My Feet Comfortable While Sightseeing
Travel & Leisure: Frequent Fliers Say This Genius Hack Makes It Feel Like They've Upgraded Their Seat — and It's Only $35
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.
Forbes
I have a handful of 2024 Valentine's Day Gift Guide assignments! For these below, please pitch me in the following format: Item name, description, where available online, price, and LINK to high res image. Items can only be considered if all these deliverables are touched on so please double check before emailing!
Best heart-shaped delivery food gifts - I’m thinking along the lines of stuff like heart-shaped pizzas, heart-shaped cakes and cookies, basically anything edible that's also heart-shaped and can be delivered by mail for Valentine's Day (I was once sent a ribeye cut into a heart!)
Best bougie culinary gifts for the Valentine that appreciates small luxuries -- Valentine's is all about getting a bit fancy, so these are sort of bougie food gifts for the fancy valentine. caviar gift sets, maybe lobster tails, truffles, things like that.
Best romantic kitchenware - Think stuff like a heart-shaped plate, ink or red pots/pans, perhaps rose or heart shaped glassware, cutesy things for the romantic that loves date night in the kitchen - and truly what says date night more than a heart shaped casserole dish and pretty pink cocktail glasses? Let those images guide you in your pitching!
RetailMeNot
For RetailMeNot, I’m updating my annual guide to affordable Valentine’s Day gifts. As I realize affordable means different things to different people, I think it’s important to define it in this context (I’m going to try to stick with under $100), and for this story, I am going to try to stick to major retailers: Think Amazon, Nordstrom, Walmart, Target, Macy's, Ulta. As it’s SUPER important to me to have a good range of unique, interesting items I also will be including a couple options from emerging, startup, and smaller retailers.
I’m also starting to give some guidance going into the new year by working on a story on The Best Meal-Stretching Ingredients + Recipes and I’m looking for chefs and RDs to weigh in for this one. This one's for everyone who wants to save money on food and also cook more in the new year. (So, ALL OF US!) I’m looking to feature a handful of superstar ingredients (and where to buy them + for how much) that help you either make a cheap bulk meal or stretch other meals, and for those sending commentary - I’m also eager to share a recipe that features said ingredient, so please send along a link if you are referencing one.
I’m updating my New Years store hours guide from last season. I’m looking to maintain the same format and the same stores, just needs to be updated for 2023. So: If you or your client was included in last year’s guide, I would so appreciate if you can drop me a quick note and confirm the open/closed/modified hours info is still the same - or if it’s not. Otherwise, I’ll be reaching out soon!
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’m available for PR team virtual meetings to answer questions about pitching, events, and trips from a media perspective. Note: I’m also available to travel for consulting sessions as long as travel expenses are covered. We can chat! This is available for entire agencies or smaller group lunch and learn type concepts.
Have a great day!
cheers to you on your birthday, Aly! wishing you a wonderful day tomorrow
Love this birthday nails!!! 💗🥳