Monday: The one thing you should *never* ask a journalist to do when reimbursing travel expenses + some fun updates on this solar eclipse day!
Also: A special offer on the cutest bow gift set. And: Yes, gift guides are happening!
Good morning!
…and happy solar eclipse day!
…which comes immediately following an earthquake. Mercury in retrograde and a weird thing known as ‘devil’s comet’ …but yeah…nothing to see here.
If you plan on trying to get a glimpse this afternoon (especially if you are in a part of the country where you can get a good view), please don’t be like this idiot. Remember not to look directly at the sun without appropriate glasses.
Some fun content to share today, including an update of my Wine Enthusiast piece: 10 Passover Wines to Make Your Seder Shine. Additionally, for Southern Living: My Recipe for Air Fryer Green Beans (these are so good!), and for RetailMeNot: How Growing My Own Herbs At Home Has Helped Me Keep Meals Creative Without Busting My Budget. And for Clean Plates: The Healthiest Tomato Sauces To Buy at the Grocery Store. Yes, pretty personal pieces this time around. That pleases me greatly!
Today’s tip: This is an important one because it’s one that comes up in our AMA discussions as well as private travel/food journalist conversation threads a lot — and it’s one that really stresses journalists out.
From time to time, journalists will have some out of pocket expenses for event or press trip-related travel.
Related: You may remember when we chatted about hidden costs of press trips…
Perhaps this is something along the lines of Ubers or rental cars. But it can even be something as big as laying out the money for a flight. They’ll then save receipts and it’ll be reimbursed by PR. Pretty cut and dry, right?
However, sometimes PR will then ask for W9 forms to be filled out. As we all know (or should know) W9 forms are meant to be forms for the purpose of taxable income, i.e. if we wrote some content or did some editorial work for a publication, not if we took an Uber to the airport to get to your press trip — reimbursements are NOT income. They are simply reimbursement for expenses. This is a very, very different thing.
It also makes the water muddy in another way…we’re not working for you. Anyone attempting to go about quantifying a journalist being reimbursed for expenses as payment suggests we’re being paid to attend your event or trip…which is of course COMPLETELY not kosher.
The existence of a W9 alone means we'll get a 1099 for it if it’s over a certain income threshold, but even if it’s not, it still makes it money that will be counted on our taxes - that shouldn’t count on our taxes, as it’s not income. ALL this create major tax time headaches for us and put us at risk of getting audited.
By asking for a W9, it means you treating reimbursement not as a reimbursable expense but as income. It’s not kosher. Don’t do it.
I always encourage journalist friends to explain this distinction whenever the ask is made, as it’s erroneous - but it’s important to impart it upon your client as well, because this is something that actually happens surprisingly often in our industry.
(One of my good friends received a 1099 for a flight a destination had booked for her for a press trip — that was then cancelled, no less!)
Make life easier on everyone: Just offer an Uber gift card or voucher for travel, and avoid the reimbursement issue altogether (we’ll love that too because it means we don’t have to chase after you for months to get that money back!)
In exciting news, I’m doing something I’ve never done before: I’m currently offering 20% discounts on my virtual consulting/lunch & learn sessions - If you want to schedule one for yourself or your team, to discuss anything from pitching to followups to events or press trips or anything else…drop me an email at alywalansky@gmail.com and lets chat!
Had so much fun chatting head bands and bows with so many of you a few months back when I did my Valentine’s Day collab with RPZL that I figured we could keep the fun going in a bit of a different way.
You may have noticed that I shared some photos on my Instagram a few nights ago in a fun new bow — that’s the adorable new Clarke Pearl bow style. Right now, I am partnering with RPZL, exclusively offering 30% off either that bow — or my go-to fave hair brush (I actually own two — one at home and one that I keep in my carryon!) to anyone reading this, with code ALY30 at checkout.
This is a limited time deal good for one week only!
Reminder: I’m currently sourcing for FOUR Mother’s Day gift guides — and yes, indeed, the early bird does get the worm. Scroll down to the pending assignments section below to see that and everything else I’m working on right now (it’s actually quite a lot).
If you want to prepare to pitch for these guides, you may want to take a second to grab the recording of our Mother’s Day Gift Guide AMA Zoom Event from a few weeks ago. The video covers everything you may find helpful about pitching during any gift guide season, from helping your pitch to stand out, the importance of following directions and completing ALL deliverables, as well as better email subject lines to followups and photo submission best practices (trust me, this is one that will help A LOT of you), and SO MUCH MORE. You can catch more information on what we covered and how to access the recording here. This video is free, as a benefit to paid subscribers. Membership does indeed have its rewards.
Job Leads
CURICH|WEISS is looking for an Account Manager with 4-5 years of experience to join the Food, Wine & Spirits division based in NYC. The accounts would be a variety of wine and spirit brands that lean into the lifestyle sector (celebrity brands, RTDs, spirits). You can contact Zach Groth directly at groth@curichweiss.com for more information.
CURICH|WEISS is looking for an Account Manager and Account Executive to join the Travel & Hospitality division. This team would work on a variety of luxury properties located in Hawaii, Portland, Aspen and more! Contact groth@curichweiss.com for more information.
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!
Wine Enthusiast: 10 Passover Wines to Make Your Seder Shine
Southern Living: My Recipe for Air Fryer Green Beans (these are so good!)
Clean Plates: The Healthiest Tomato Sauces You Can Buy at the Grocery Store
RetailMeNot: How Growing My Own Herbs At Home Has Helped Me Keep Meals Creative Without Busting My Budget
Today.com: These drugstore wrinkle creams are approved by experts, and they start at just $10
Clean Plates: How to Clean and Organize Your Fridge for Spring
HerMoney: The Best Timing For Hotel Bookings - How To Save On Your Stay
Forbes.com: Boutique Spot In Tuscany Schedules Intensive Food-Centric Series Hosted By Celebrity Chefs
Forbes.com: Patrick Mahomes And Travis Kelce Partner On Upscale Kansas City Steakhouse
RetailMeNot: Savings Star Origin Story: How I Learned to Eat Well (In NY!) On a Shoestring Budget
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.
Clean Plates
I’m working on a story pegged for July 4th/BBQ season, geared toward all my fellow Trader Joe’s lovers out there: Products at Trader Joe's RDs love for summer cookouts …I’m not going to file this story until May, so we have LOTS of time, and I’d like to focus on newer products coming out this spring that would be great for summer grilling or a summer cookout - obviously with a component that RDs are a fan, and why. So if you have a RD that will want to comment, please reach out!
RetailMeNot
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.
For my next Saving Stars column, I am going to chat a bit about my air fryer and how it helps me do a lot more in a small space - it's one appliance that sort of does the job of a bunch (from roasting and baking and "frying" to reheating and so much more), and even share a personal recipe or two that I like to make, which are themselves examples of budget stretching and saving. But I plan on incorporating a shopping aspect with some budget-friendly air fryers but also some very useful air-friendly friendly kitchen accessories. So, pitch, pitch, away!
Forbes
I’m sourcing for FOUR Mother’s Day gift guides! Here’s what I’m currently working on:
The Best Gifts For Her Foodie She Shed: So many women love to have a private retreat away from the constant demands of the household, be it to read, craft, or to use as an office. This can be anything from garage or outdoor space to even an actual shed - but the take on this is that if a foodie was using her she shed for all things food and bev. Whether a breakfast nook to enjoy her coffee in peace, to maybe a spot to have a girlfriend or two over for wine and cheese. I’m looking for fun gift ideas to outfit her foodie-centric she shed.
The Best Gifts For The Mom Who Loves To Grill: Grilling is so often like a dad-sphere, but I know a lot of women who love grilling, too. (LIKE ME) Why do men get all the fun? For this one, I’m open to being pitched grills, grilling accessories and also items to put on the grill.
The Best Complete Dinners You Can Have Shipped To Her Door: I’m looking for complete meal kits or readymade meals she just had to pull together or reheat and can have a full beautiful gourmet dinner ready without even having to leave home. Note, I’m NOT looking for restaurant takeout. This is strictly items that can be shipped/ordered online nationwide.
The Best Gifts For The Mom Who Really Loves Salad: To balance all those MEAT guides, y’all. For this one, I’m looking to be pitched along the lines of veggie boxes, salad kits (that can be ordered online/shipped), cool grow your own herb kits, salad dressing cruets, fun salad bowls and tongs, and all that.
To pitch for ANY of my gift guides I’m currently sourcing for, please include:
Name of product
Link to retailer where it’s currently in stock and available, no pre-sale links please
Description
Price
LINK to high res image (please make sure to remove restrictions so that I can access image, and also make sure the image will not expire for a few weeks, so it can be accessed when necessary. Also please try to avoid large galleries and JUST send the image being requested, no others…it’s the best way to assure the image used is the one intended!)
Counting down to Passover coming in just a few weeks, I’m looking for brands doing fun new products, spirits, wines, etc for Passover (note: They must be both Kosher and Kosher for Passover - and no, this isn’t the same thing - check out my recent post explaining how to know the difference when pitching.)
I’m also looking for Passover-inspired cocktails you can find at bars and restaurants. This one is trickier because I realize for this one a lot of submissions will probably come from places not kosher for Passover or even kosher — that’s fine for this story (but not the other one). This one, I need name of drink, where served, a description, a quote about it, (how is it inspired by Passover?), and an image of the cocktail.
Looking forward, also rounding up Cinco de Mayo, Kentucky Derby and Mother’s Day inspired cocktails (for these also, I need name of drink, where served, a description, a quote about it, and an image of the cocktail.)
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.
<3
aly