Thursday: It's annual review time. Here's how those who are self-employed can conduct a self-review.

Good morning!

It’s actually almost afternoon…

Happy December! It’s the month of so many holiday parties and fun, and work-wise, one that starts out intense and ends almost freakishly quiet.

December is also my birthday month (and if I told you the history of calamities that have a tendency of occurring annually during this month, you’d not even believe me, but I admit I start this month with more than a little bit of apprehension…)

The history is very Buffy Summers, actually.

But, anyway…

Today is a very busy day. I’m hosting a virtual consulting session for an agency in a few hours, and then fun evening plans. In between, I’m maybe actually going to write a few things!

I wanted to take time today to chat about conducting a self-review. I’ve been a freelancer for decades, which means I don’t have a boss (I actually have around a dozen bosses instead, but that’s a whole other story for another day!), so when I hear my friends with in-house or staff jobs talk to me about their annual review, it’s something that I’m not really all that familiar with.

Conducting a self-review

But that got me to thinking…as much as a company or organization may conduct annual reviews for their employees, why can’t freelancers do the same for themselves? For my purposes, I speak from the perspective of being a writer, of course, but I think a lot of this can apply to any self-employed situation…

So, as we get to the end of the calendar year, some things you may ask yourself when conducting that self-review would be…How has your hours worked vs. your earnings evolved over the last. year? I was in a text thread with two close friends yesterday (who I am not tagging here only because I don’t know if they want our conversations discussed in a public forum!), and we chatted about working smarter, not harder. That plays into it.

But really, it’s about goal setting. It’s identifying your income goals for the year and seeing if the work you are doing, for specific projects and clients work toward it or against it. For me, as a writer, it’d be why I track assignments, their rate, and how long they take to work on. Something could conceivably pay a lower rate, but be easier and faster to complete, and then actually end up being more lucrative than something that “pays better.” That may be true with your clients and projects as well.

But also consider if you are being fulfilled. Does what you are doing make you happy? Life is short, and time is precious. Choosing the clients we take on and the projects we work on, it’s not just about dollars. Weigh income, of course, but also personal fulfillment and work/life balance. There’s been times I’ve scaled back on certain clients because of this fulfillment balance, but embraced others more fully because they were more fulfilling. It’s not just about who pays the best or who gives you the most billable hours or projects, but at the end of the day, the work you feel best about and more fulfilled doing. I can honestly, completely say, everything I’m writing or working on right now, it makes my soul happy to be writing it. And that’s how I know I’m on the right track.

Looking at the bigger picture vs. the smaller picture is a struggle for a lot of us. But sometimes, we are better at reaching our goals by breaking them down into more digestible chunks. Look at the successes, focus on the wins, and allow yourself to celebrate those small victories rather than beating yourself up for some big mountain you have yet to climb. Some of us are more about the power walk than the hike, you know?

It also will help you though do a gut check on yourself. Find the projects and clients that give you the most joy and are the most fulfilling, and for those that aren’t giving you what you need (financially, but also mentally and emotionally), you know where to focus your energies (or not) in the year to come. It helps for planning your next year, and streamlining your activities, but honestly, also, it’s just the bit of self-review we all need.

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!

• Yahoo Life: Should butter be stored at room temperature or in the fridge?

• RetailMeNot: 12 Best Home Organizational Products to Set Up Your New Year Right

• SPY.com: Don’t Show Up Empty-Handed! Check Out the Best Hostess Gift Ideas

• The Kitchn: Caramel Pecan Upside-Down Cake Delivers a Delicious Spin on a Traditionally Tasty Treat

• Her Money: Should We Be Tipping More This Holiday Season?

• HelloGiggles: 10 Travel Gift Ideas For Your Friend Who Has Serious Wanderlust

• HelloGiggles: The 7 Best Apps to Help You Stick to a Budget (No, Seriously)

• HelloGiggles: 8 Beauty and Hair Products That Will Level Up Your Holiday Party Looks

• Forbes: Holiday Gift Guide 2022: Great Gifts For The Martini Lover

• Forbes: Holiday Gift Guide 2022: The Best Gifts For Hot Cocoa Lovers

• Forbes: Holiday Gift Guide 2022: The Best Gifts For Seafood Lovers

• Forbes: Holiday Gift Guide 2022: The Best Gear For A Starter Kitchen

• Forbes: Holiday Gift Guide 2022: The Best Culinary Gifts For Fans Of The Royal Family

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.

Eat This, Not That

The Best Way to Cook Brisket, According to Chefs

For this one, I’m looking for commentary from chefs on the best tactics, techniques, tips, etc., for making the best Hanukkah brisket. Totally open to historical context or anecdotal insight based on traditional cooking techniques or cultural flavors based on their perspective when sending commentary.

Best Matzo Ball Soup Recipes to Make Tonight

I’m working on a slideshow featuring a different variety of matzo ball soup recipes. I’m happy to link out to food bloggers/websites (but not other publications) that have great matzo ball recipes to link to, but I am not interested in having recipes emailed to me. This isn’t that kind of story. It’s more a roundup of fun recipes out there to try, and ideally I’d love if they put some sort of unique spin on the classic.

RetailMeNot

Stores Open Christmas Day + Christmas Eve Store Hours - I’m working on a big update of this annual story (that includes DOZENS of stores of all types. It’s an update of this story from last year - so if you were included last year, and you can email me and confirm you are open (or not) and your hours, that would be a huge help. Otherwise, you’ll be hearing from me soon!

Stores Open New Years + Store Hours - Similar story, similar update! It’s an update to this story from last year. Same as above, if you were included last year (or think that you fit into the categories that you would be this year), please send me any updates to your info.

I do a lot of stories like these for them, so you probably already know the drill if we’ve worked on one of these together before - I’m not looking for one-off stores and their hours but more major chains and such.

Forbes

I’m working on a roundup of standout hotel bars in New Jersey. Are they rooftop? Have a celebrity chef doing the food menu? Have gorgeous, unique cocktails? What makes it special? Email me and tell me more!

I’m also working on a roundup of fun, unique, or just delicious Hanukkah-themed cocktails and/or desserts on bar/restaurant menus. This can be anywhere nationwide, but must exist on a menu at a bar or restaurant. If you have anything that may fit, please email me asap with a description of the cocktail, the name of the cocktail, where it is served, a quote from the bar manager/bartender/owner about the cocktail, and a LINK to a high res image.

I’m also looking for online spots you can have your whole holiday dinner this year ordered and shipped to your door, both recipe kit options and reheat and serve options. If you represent any, please email me.

Virtual 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 (This summer, I even joined in on an agency’s team retreat right here in Brooklyn — it was so fun and I made so many new friends!) 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.

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!

On the fence over whether this is a good fit for your team? Here’s some feedback I received from people who I have worked with recently:

"Aly’s advice and insight is invaluable to our team, not only is she incredibly knowledgeable, she is approachable, generous, and kind too. While we read every one of her newsletters, we decided to go one step further and invited Aly to host a Q&A with our agency. During the session, we felt comfortable asking her everything and anything. She went above and beyond, providing examples and reasoning for each answer, and the team walked away with an abundance of new insight, tips, and tricks, plus a new confidence in handling some of the most crucial parts of our jobs." Sacha Bell, Rachel Harrison Communications

"Looking for a brilliant writer that always goes above and beyond?  Look no further than Aly!  She is an incredible teacher, tells it exactly how it is and is so generous in sharing her knowledge.  She knows what she wants from publicists, is very clear on her needs and expectations, and how to best support one another.  Most of all, her kind personality jumps off the page, and her giggle and smile are infectious.  In this consistently changing world of media, it’s so refreshing to know someone so genuine.” Kirsten Wanket

“Aly spoke to our team to help us all gain a better understanding of the media side of our business. Whether it was the best ways to pitch media or understanding the editorial process of content, she gave us tremendous insight into a vital relationship for mutual success. We were thrilled and our team came away with not only a deeper understanding, but with greater empathy for our colleagues in the media market. Definitely would recommend Aly for any agency looking to better work with their media counterparts.” Dawn Britt, Founder/Managing Partner/CEO of OneSeven Agency

“Aly has very kindly agreed to join a few sessions for us talking to both smaller and larger internal groups, and it has been incredibly helpful for our team to understand more about her process, and garner best practices that we leverage as we work on various programs. From sharing dos and don’ts for virtual and in-person events to pitching tips, Aly is a pro and always so thoughtful in her responses. And her own first-hand knowledge has helped us all to better understand the work process for freelancers and how we can most effectively work with other freelancers like Aly. We always appreciate her time and insights!” Erin Delahanty, Edelman

“I would highly recommend booking a virtual consulting session with Aly for an agency of any size!  She offers up to date perspective on everything from the affiliates to how to get your pitches read to timing your pitching correctly. These virtual consulting sessions literally save you time trying to figure out what the media is looking for and give your team an immediate edge.  Aly took her time and answered questions from the team. She is super friendly and you can tell she genuinely wants to create a win-win relationship between the media and publicists. Our team loved having Aly on and we cannot wait to have her back!  It was a blast!” Leah Cybulski, ChicExecs

“Aly was able to join our agency for a PR Perspectives chat and not only was it so much fun, but it was so informative! Keeping a pulse on the constantly changing media landscape is so important and we loved the insights and expertise Aly was able to share with us. Highly recommend setting up a chat with her!” Jennifer Haile, Dentsu Creative PR

“I am always looking for ways to share new ideas and learning opportunities with our team to improve how we pitch and offer value to journalists and in turn their audience. Aly's no nonsense approach gave us accessible advice about the best way to communicate to media, what formats works best, and basically how we can share our client news in a way that will get us noticed and included in stories. Would do again in a heartbeat!” Samantha Davidson, Say My Name Communications

“For my team’s first hybrid media event for a product launch in the COVID era, Aly quickly jumped on a Zoom and dropped great insights that drove many of the event elements. The direction she provided helped us increase attendance and gave her journalist colleagues a more memorable experience. It was a bonus that she was so easy and fun to talk to.” Apryl Ash, Approach Marketing

Now, it’s your turn! Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com to get something on my schedule.

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!)

Have a great day!

<3

aly