Monday: Sourcing for two super quick-turnaround assignments + more!

Also: There's still a few seats left for Wednesday's Mother's Day Gift Guide Zoom AMA Event!

Good morning!

I’m back in NYC this morning after a day yesterday that was one of those travel days that took about double as long as intended with all sorts of zig zags along the way (but all is well and I’m happy to report I’m on my computer from my couch with my favorite coffee mug as we type!).

Last week’s trip was fantastic and much to share related to it soon, but today’s email will be a busy one because I have SEVERAL timely quick turnaround stories (as in the next day!) I’m sourcing for right now - please scroll down to see what I’m working on and what I’m looking for right now. It’s also a busy week to other ends because I have events or dinners every single night - AND our big Mother’s Day gift guide AMA in a few days (scroll down for more info on that if you wish to join us. We’d love to have you!).

This weekend’s Industry Insights email was a timely one - regarding the unsettling news that the governor deployed the National Guard as well as an increased police presence to the NYC subways following a massive spike in violent crime. What does this have to do with our industry insights content? Well, it may greatly impact planning for and executing events - if you want people to be able to attend. Check out my post here.

Register for our AMA Mother’s Day Gift Guide Zoom Event Now!

You may remember that during the most recent gift guide season, Alice Dubin and I teamed up for a AMA Zoom session covering all things Valentine’s gift guide pitching — and so much more. That AMA registration list reached capacity in just a few hours and ended up being great fun — and a packed house.

We teased at the time we’d want to do it again soon and now we are! We’re teaming up on March 13, 2024 at 11 am PT/2 pm ET via Zoom for our next AMA session (focused on pitching for Mother’s Day gift guides!) and we’d love to invite anyone who is a paid subscriber of either of our newsletters. While this session will focus on all aspects of gift guide pitching, you are also welcome to ask questions about anything else — the sky’s the limit!

Want to take part? Find the registration link under the paywall at the very bottom of this email!

Gift guide season is almost upon us again - we hope we can help each other be as prepared as possible!

Check out my appearance last week on the Behind The Media podcast, with my gal Juliana Martins. We chat about A BUNCH of stuff, such as how brands can stick out to editors in a saturated market, how I decide which events I will attend vs decline, what startups, new venues, or brands with minimal budgets can do to get media attention, PR/pitching do’s and don’ts and more…including our mutual celeb crush and some of our favorite places to eat and drink!

So honored to see Muck Rack included me in their 2024 list of top ten most popular freelance journalists. Check out the list here.

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: A Soup Made With Louis XIII Cognac May Be The Ultimate Luxury For Seafood Lovers

• Forbes.com: The Pasta Queen’s Coveted Pasta Sauces Are Now A Grocery Jaunt Away

• Food Network: Coffee Mate Makes the Trend Official With a New Creamer Specifically for Dirty Soda

• Forbes.com: 10 Relaxing Nightcaps To Enjoy In Honor Of National Sleep Awareness Month

• Forbes.com: 50 Cocktails To Enjoy On St. Patrick’s Day

• RetailMeNot: Savings Star Origin Story: How I Learned to Eat Well (In NY!) On a Shoestring Budget

• Best Life: 11 Things You Should Put Away When Guests Come Over, Experts Say

• RetailMeNot: How to Save on Groceries: Tips That Actually Work

• RetailMeNot: Meal Prepping Products That Are Actually WORTH It

• Food Network: How to get a free doughnut if you were impacted by the cellular network outage

• Forbes.com: Wonder Brings Celebrity Chef Cooking To Home Dining Rooms

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Travel Writer, and This Is My Secret to Packing for a Week in a Single Carry-on Bag

• Travel & Leisure: In-flight Theft Is Unfortunately a Thing, but These 12 Items Give Me Peace of Mind When I'm Traveling by Plane

• RetailMeNot: 5 Superstar Ingredients for Your Meal-Stretching Pantry Starter Pack

• Today.com: Say goodbye to wrinkles with these expert-approved drugstore creams — starting at $12

• Clean Plates: The Healthy Trader Joe’s Sauce I Use in *Everything*

• Martha Stewart: 8 Storage Mistakes That Are Keeping Your Home From Being Organized

• Today.com: 27 healthy fast food items at popular US chains, according to dietitians and doctors

• Clean Plates: 7 Mediterranean Diet Dinner Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less

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.

The Kitchn

I’m rounding up Restaurant chains offering special deals/freebies in honor of Pi Day. Please share what the deal is, how to claim it, where/when it's good and if it's a app code, coupon, whatever - deadline ASAP. (Trying to wrap this one up by EOD today!)

Southern Living

For Southern Living, I’m working on a story: Chives Vs. Green Onions: Are Chives Green Onions? - and I’d love a chef, plant expert, etc (ideally southern!) to weigh in and answer some questions for me. Please email me and I’ll flesh out what I’m working on. Thanks!

RetailMeNot

WRAPPING THIS ONE UP TODAY - I’m rounding up the Best Easter Sales that Shouldn't Be Missed for 2024. I’m open to sales that aren’t necessarily billed as "Easter Sales" – there are going to be a ton of spring sales going on, too. So, really anything that helps you get Easter Basket stuffers, clothes, table decor, spring decor or whatever else for Easter is fair game. I’m trying to include these specific retailers - Target, CVS, Walmart, Michaels, Macy's, Kohl's, Carter's, but I’m open to others as well. Please remember to include the following in your pitch: When Do Easter Sales Start?, timing of Easter sales (when they begin, when the last-minute deals start, etc.), what is included in the sales, how to claim the deals, and so forth.

How to Save on Food Delivery Apps: You may have picked up that everyone is noticing that food delivery is VERY expensive. What was a lifeline during the pandemic and then a habit has become a huge budget drain for many. But the reality is — sometimes you just have to order food delivery (maybe you're sick, maybe you want the convenience factor). So what steps can you take to make sure you save the most you can? So I’m looking for expert tips (actionable) on saving money on food delivery.

I’m working on a story about my preference for growing fresh herbs in my home rather than spending grocery budget on herbs at the grocery store (which can get pricey and also have a short shelf life). The caveat here is that this is a story geared not towards those who have gardens or outdoor space but those maintaining herb gardens within small apartment kitchens - I’m writing this essay format, so my own experiences, but open to items shoppable online at major retailers to help make a small apartment herb garden prosper.

Budget shopping and cooking/eating smarter: As you all know, I write a lot of content for RMN related to budget shopping and cooking/eating smarter. I’m going to be working on a monthly column on the subject of cooking/eating well on a budget, and I’d love you to pitch me products/ideas to consider for it - maybe a new meal-stretching product that is a good deal at a grocery store, an awesome product to try that may cut my meal prep time in half, other themes as far as saving money on food/cooking/eating and doing it in a way that is smarter.

Forbes

Are any bars/restaurants planning a fun cocktail in honor of Purim? If you have something, please email me with the name of the cocktail, a description (not a recipe), a quote from the bartender or chef, and an image. (And please remember to consult my nifty photo guidelines here.) Please pitch me by March 13 for this one.

I’m also looking for fun cocktails in honor of Easter - same parameters as above!

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.