Thursday: How to ritualize your writing, my sale on consulting sessions + everything I'm working on.
Also: Yes, gift guides are happening!
Good morning!
It may not sound all that sexy, but I’ve always been a creature of habit.
I wake up the same time each day, have the same breakfast each day (coffee with brown sugar oat milk creamer and egg whites with spinach and goat cheese, if anyone is interested), make pretty much the same salad for lunch each day, and take a 3 pm break to watch General Hospital and have a Coke Zero.
Part of the key to consistently working as a freelancer in this industry for what is now several decades is that I have this pretty specific routine. A big part of my bread and butter, so to speak, is those quick-turnaround same morning assignments, and I’ve had a tradition of getting those gigs because people can trust I’m always at my desk during certain hours. It’s why I rarely do daytime events or lunches or meetings. Being faithful to my schedule is how I can maintain consistent work and be relied upon - and this has worked for me for a very long time.
But routine and habit is really exhibitive of ritual, and I’m here to say today why that’s SO essential for maintaining productivity.
When we're working, having certain systematic habits can save us from those times or days when we are tempted to zone out and binge some TV or mentally check out for the afternoon. Writing is a very cerebral activity. That means it is ripe for distractions and also for loss of focus. But having productivity rituals is that angel (not to be confused with *this* Angel, who shall always be my favorite) on our shoulder reminding us to get to work and maintain focus even if the devil on the other shoulder really wants to go get our nails done or a blowout.
So, my tip of the day -- try to find a way to ritualize your writing, or any other work task you need to do. Now that ritual can take any form -- I know people who free write at the beginning of the day before starting to write what they need to write for work so as to clear the clutter from their mind. I also know people who set a tone by going for a morning to get a coffee (as if they were commuting to an office, even though they work from home) - so they can then "arrive" at their desk and start their day.
My own writing ritual is one I've discussed here before -- I have a specific workday music playlist that I listen to when I'm working, wherever I'm working. If I'm working out of a hotel room in Vegas or from my couch in Brooklyn, I have the same playlist going.
It's very Pavlovian, to be honest - I know when the music is playing, I work. And I work until the music stops!
Your ritual can be customized to your own specific need, but find a tradition and a ritual that works for you.
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!
As for new content to share, some new pieces this week include for Wine Enthusiast: 10 Passover Wines to Make Your Seder Shine, for RetailMeNot: How Growing My Own Herbs At Home Has Helped Me Keep Meals Creative Without Busting My Budget, for Forbes.com: ‘Taste Of Made In NYC’ Hopes To Tell City’s Story Through Culinary Experiences, and for Today.com: These drugstore wrinkle creams are approved by experts, and they start at just $10 — for more, scroll down to the newly published section below.
But you are actually here for what I’m working on, and there’s a lot right now. 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.
So honored to see Muck Rack included me in their 2024 list of top ten most popular freelance journalists. Check out the list here.
In just about the coolest news that can happen to a girl who grew up in Brooklyn, there’s a pizza named after me! It’s inspired by my Dirty Aly martini and it’s at Gelso & Grand in Little Italy. Please go check it out and tell me what you think <3
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
RetailMeNot: How Growing My Own Herbs At Home Has Helped Me Keep Meals Creative Without Busting My Budget
Forbes.com: ‘Taste Of Made In NYC’ Hopes To Tell City’s Story Through Culinary Experiences
Today.com: These drugstore wrinkle creams are approved by experts, and they start at just $10
RetailMeNot: 50+ Government Employee Discounts Worth Knowing in 2024
Forbes.com: 8 Delicious Ways To Savor Cherry Blossom Season
Forbes.com: Just Salad Partners With Celebrity Chef Marc Forgione To Upgrade A Classic
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
Southern Living: The Difference Between Chives And Green Onions
Travel & Leisure: Comfy Spring Shoes Are Up to 64% Off at Amazon This Week — Shop the 20 Best Deals for Travelers
Food Network: Hostess Launches Meltamors, The First Snack It Explicitly Suggests Microwaving
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
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
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
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