Thursday: Announcing a new Zoom AMA -- with a very special co-host!
Good morning!
A lot to share with you today, but for starters — an announcement!
In the world of gift guides, Valentine’s Day content preparation begins just about the second you wrap your last holiday season gift guide — in fact, sometimes you find a bit of an overlap.
Which is why…many of us are already receiving Valentine’s Day assignments and I can see from my exploding inbox, many of you are already pitching for the occasion.
To that end, I’m sure everyone has a lot of questions and areas of interest on their mind and I want to try to be here for you. So I’ve teamed up with one of my favorite people in the world, my dear friend and colleague, lifestyles writer extraordinaire Alice Dubin, to answer all your questions and help you land major coverage.
We’re going to be co-hosting a Zoom AMA session dedicated to Valentine’s Day gift guides and all paid subscribers are invited (and welcome!) to scroll to the bottom of this email and RSVP now.
We are limited (by Zoom’s attendee cap) to 100 participants, so sign up now and register your questions in advance! (The last AMA we hosted reached capacity in hours and we received just as many questions as there were people who registered, so you will not want to delay on this one!)
Here’s the details you need to know:
What: Valentine’s Day gift guide AMA
When: Thursday, December 7
Time: 11 am PT/2 pm ET
How to attend: RSVP…scroll down to the paywall at the end of this email.
Zoom link to come!
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!
Buy my cookbook!
I contributed a recipe and some commentary to a Jewish recipes cookbook and the 100% of the proceeds go to JFSLA, and earmarked for Food & Hunger Programs specifically. Order it here.
PS: I love doing podcasts!
My latest podcast appearance, on the Media In Minutes podcast, is now live! This was a really fun one:
I recently recorded a guest appearance on the True Story public relations podcast with Whitney Lee, and we chatted about everything from pitching to press tours and how to build a more personal connection (more important now than ever).
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.
The Kitchn: 11 Best Breads for Thanksgiving Stuffing, According to Chefs
Clean Plates: I’m a Food Writer and These 7 Trader Joe’s Meals Are Always Stocked in My Freezer
YourTango: 16 Easy Ways To Immediately Look Younger Longer, As Recommended By Dermatologists
Forbes.com: Two Beloved Cuisines Marry At Curry Pizza House Las Vegas
Forbes.com: Ming Tsai’s MingsBings Has Added A Meaty Addition To Its Lineup
Food Network: You Can Buy Just About Anything Inside an Olive Garden – Including Its Cheese Graters
Southern Living: Can You Eat Brussels Sprouts Raw?
Forbes.com: Pyro Has Set Phoenix Dining Scene On Fire
Southern Living: Can You Eat Brussels Sprouts Raw?
Food Network: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup Dumplings Might Be the Most Mind-Blowing Dish on Your Holiday Table
Forbes.com: Holiday Gift Guide 2023: The Best Gifts For The Meat Lover
The Kitchn: Aldi’s “Beautifully Made” $16 Le Creuset Roasting Pan Dupe Has Shoppers Running To Stores
Forbes.com: Holiday Gift Guide 2023: The Best Gifts For The Sushi Lover
HerMoney: The Best Free Or Low Cost Sleep Apps
Forbes.com: Holiday Gift Guide 2023: The Best Pink Kitchen Gifts For Barbie Lovers
Brides.com: 23 Unique Bachelorette Party Destinations That Aren't Las Vegas
Martha Stewart Living: 13 Small Space Storage Ideas That Find a Place for Everything
Southern Living: Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds
Martha Stewart Living: How to Store Your Clothes If You Don't Have a Closet
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.
RetailMeNot
For RetailMeNot, 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!
I’m ALSO updating my Stores Open Christmas Day + Christmas Eve Store Hours guide from last year. Same guidelines as above applies!
Forbes.com
For Forbes, I’m sourcing restaurants that are doing creative Thanksgiving themed dishes. Now, this is not a roast turkey and sides on the menu. But rather, taking the elements of Thanksgiving and turning it into some other sort of composed dish - for example, I was pitched a Thanksgiving pizza. If you have something like that that may work, drop me a note!
For Forbes, I’m rounding up creative Hanukkah-themed dishes and cocktails at restaurant and bars around the country. If you have any, please send details (usual format!)
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!
<3
Valentine’s Day Gift Guide AMA 2023 SIGN-UP BELOW
(For paid subscribers only)