Monday: The crisis in Israel -- how we can all help. Also: Everything on my desk this week (There's a lot!)
PS: I am working on a few gift guides this week...send those pitches!
Good morning, friends :)
I have a lot of work-type stuff I need to cover today - including a bunch of pending assignments — but I think it’s also really important to start today’s newsletter with a bit of discussion on the absolute atrocity going on in Israel right now.
I feel like a lot of people may feel overwhelmed and helpless right now, and not know how to help — but I promise you, there are ways to help.
Please check in on your Jewish friends. All of us. Every Jewish person has friends or family in Israel. Whether they live there or were visiting for the holiday and are now trying to get out, or, much more unspeakably awful - hostages or missing or injured or lost their lives. Ask how we are doing. It’ll mean a lot. You’ll probably notice there’s a lot more security around synagogues and other Jewish institutions right now — right here in NYC, and everywhere. More Jewish people died in a single day this weekend than in any time since the Holocaust. There’s actual rallies going on in major cities all around the globe celebrating this large scale attack on Jewish people. None of us feel safe, regardless of where we’re located.
Donate to the Jewish Agency for Israel. They are offering to support to people’s homes that were destroyed by rockets, as well as the scores of injured and the families of the lives that have been lost.
Donate to Magen David Adom. This is an emergency blood bank service and right now they are in a state of emergency. (As someone who once upon a time whose life was saved enough because of the supply of blood donors, I support donating blood at all times, any time you can, but especially during times like these.)
Related: There’s always a need for blood donors, and we should always be donating blood if we can. There’s actually a blood drive going on next Sunday, October 15 at the Park Slope Jewish Center in New York City, where I was already planning on donating — now in the face of the carnage going on in the world and the attacks against Jewish people, it feels extra necessary to be involved and extra important to do this, if you would like to join me.
Donate to ambulance service Hatzalah. They are working under incredibly difficult conditions right now trying to save as many lives as possible and they can use your help.
I know it’s easy to feel helpless. We all feel helpless. But sometimes helping can lead to a feeling of hope — and we all need more hope in this world.
Whether we feel up for it or not, we all have work to do…
(Desk-related work, I mean!)
On the work front, I have a lot going on this week. NYCWFF is starting in just a few days and I have a packed schedule through the weekend. I know I have some fabulous friends who will be in town for the festivities, too, and I just can’t wait to see you and hug you.
I had a few fun new travel stories that published this weekend, for Travel & Leisure: I'm a Longtime Solo Traveler, and These Are The 12 Best Personal Safety Devices on Sale at Amazon and also for Travel & Leisure: Travelers Are Using This Flight Attendant-approved Gadget to Get More Space on Planes — and It Only Costs $13.
For Forbes, I wrote about the Duck Confit And Andouille Sausage Gumbo I learned to make at that private cooking class last week (and also a way you can score your own bowl for free on National Gumbo Day!)
I also have a TON of pending new assignments (scroll down below for info on what I’m looking for and how to pitch me).
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!
PS: I love doing podcasts!
My latest podcast appearance, on the fabulous Becoming You podcast, is now streaming!
Recently, I was also a guest on the Eat.Drink.Social podcast, and we chatted about my upcoming travel, recent press trip experiences, and so much more. Check out my guest appearance a little while ago on Jamie Stone’s A Little Too Much podcast. We had SO much fun discussing everything from the changing landscape of events and trips to our thoughts on some emerging food and cocktail trends.
Some of my latest podcast appearances include Media Circus Podcast with Taiisha Bradley, as well as the Italian Wine Podcast, where we discussed all things Substack, and the Coffee N° 5 podcast, where we chatted about effective strategies for promoting emerging brands to journalists and securing media coverage. Other recent podcast appearances include the Pitchin’ and Sippin’ podcast with the incredible (and super fun!) Lexie Smith, where we covered everything from press dinners and events and trips to, well, sippin’!
I’ve recorded a few others that should be live soon as well and I’m always open to doing more — email me at alywalansky@gmail.com.
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
The Kitchn: Costco’s New “Absolutely Amazing” Potatoes Are Flying Off Shelves
Clean Plates: The Healthiest Costco Frozen Dinners To Buy Right Now
Forbes: Duck Confit And Andouille Sausage Gumbo Is A Must-Try This Holiday Season
Travel & Leisure: The Flight Attendant-approved Hack I Swear by for Getting Through the Airport Stress-free Is Just $10 Right Now
Her Money: The Best Timing For Hotel Bookings — How To Save On Your Stay
Forbes: 12 Delicious Variations To Enjoy On National Taco Day
Forbes.com: Midnight Mezcal Is The Turndown Service That Was Always Needed
Food Network: Stouffer’s New Advent Calendar Aims To Help With the From-Scratch Cooking Holiday Fatigue
Food Network: Shake Shack Is Now Testing Sundaes
The Kitchn: Aldi’s New $5 Snack Has Shoppers Buying 2 Boxes at a Time
Popsugar: 10 Affordable Sex Toys That Prove Pleasure Doesn’t Have to Be Pricey
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
The Kitchn: I Tried Sam’s Club’s Newest Apple Dessert and I Get Why It’s Flying Off Shelves
Today.com: Get a sun-kissed glow without leaving the house — 27 self-tanners that'll do the trick
Cubby: This One-Pan Baked Oatmeal Recipe Will Change How You Do Weekday Breakfasts
Food Network: Pringles Pairs Three of Its Flavors With Caviar in New Collection
The Kitchn: Costco Is Selling a “Beautifully Made” Le Creuset Dupe That’s Perfect for Fall Cooking
The Kitchn: This Top-Rated Coffee Advent Calendar Is Back
Forbes.com: Toast To National Vodka Day With These Beautiful Cocktails
Clean Plates: People Are Adding Lemon to Coffee to Lose Weight, but Does
The Kitchn: Costco’s Brand-New Fall Bakery Treat Has Shoppers Buying 3 Packs at a Time
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.com
I’m working on THREE holiday gift guides (and I am so happy to say you do NOT need to be on any sort of affiliate network to pitch for these! This will hopefully widen the net and give some smaller brands with creative, unique products a shot to be included!).
The best meaty gifts for the meat lover - So online butcher steak boxes, the wagyu, the porterhouses, the ribeyes. All the beefy gift sets you can order online and have shipped.
The best pink kitchen items for the Barbie lover -- Barbie is still HUGE and anyone who loves Barbie will probably want all the best pink dinnerware/kitchenware/appliances this holiday season.
The best gifts for the sushi lover -- So, fun DIY sushi kits. But also maybe fun mail order sushi grade fish, chopsticks, good wasabi or soy sauce or rice, or even sushi themed socks and stuff like that.
To pitch for any of these, please remember to include ALL the following:
Name of product
link where sold, price
image of product
description
Aside from those Forbes gift guides, I’m also rounding up creative and unique pasta dishes at restaurants nationwide in honor of National Pasta Day (which is next week!). If you have any fits, please send me the following:
Name of dish
where served, city, state, URL
description of dish
Quote from chef about dish
image of dish (please include necessary photo credits!)
By Thursday AM please!
Southern Living
I’m working on two freezer related explainers - Can You Freeze Chicken Salad? and Can You Freeze Cabbage? - and I’d love some chefs and RDs and food safety experts to weigh in.
Martha Stewart
Walk-In Pantry Ideas: I’m looking to round up the best walk in pantry ideas. These can be anything from organization tips and things to add to the pantry to make it more efficient, to things like pocket doors to shield the pantry from view. I’d love to speak with organization experts and/or interior designers for this piece.
RetailMeNot
I do an annual update for RetailMeNot of Fruit Cakes We're Absolutely Nutty For, and it’s time for this year’s update. Please check out last year’s story and tell me if you represent this brand/retailer and there’s any info updates as far as availability, ingredients, price, and so forth. But if you have others to pitch me, please go right ahead!
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've been popping into a lot of PR team virtual meetings and some other fun stuff and making myself available to answer all sorts of questions about pitching, events, and trips from a media perspective. I like to keep these things chill and comfortable and relaxed all by sharing perspective and learning from one another. Note: I’m also available to travel for consulting sessions as long as travel expenses are covered. We can chat!
If you are interested in setting anything up for your own team in the coming months, please email me and we'll get something on the books! This is available for entire agencies or smaller group lunch and learn type concepts. If you are a freelance publicist and want to join in with a few other freelance publicist friends and set something up, we can do that as well!
Have a great day!
I'm so sorry, Aly! This is devastating news... it's hard to even process or wrap my head around. Thinking of you and sending love.
Aly, this whole situation in Israel makes me feel sick. Hoping you and your family are safe. It's such a scary time for all of us.