Thursday: My super busy day + how to get the best use out of this newsletter + current sourcing needs!
Yes, still working on Mother's Day, too! And: A 20% discounts on my virtual consulting/lunch & learn sessions!
Good morning!
Today is going to be a really busy day.
I am recording an appearance on the Freelance Writing Direct podcast (will share link when it’s streaming, soon!), I where we’ll chat about my writing, how I maintain my fast pace (more on THAT soon), and more.
But just about 30 minutes after I’m done with that podcast, I’m going to be a panelist on Muck Rack’s 2024 State of Journalism virtual panel today.
(Just enough time to refill my coffee, I suppose!)
The Muck Rack panel is a bringing together of those in journalism and PR for a live discussion about how journalists work today. To register to attend to join us live at 3:30pm ET, fill out the form here.
If you can’t make it - that’s fine! - There’ll be a video available of the webinar at the same link soon after.
But (said in a Steve Jobs voice!) that’s not all….also coming up later today, I’m going to be a guest on the Pizza Roundtable pizza-related news of the week (and yes, we’re obviously going to chat about the Dirty Aly Pizza!). This one is going to be at 9 pm tonight (ET) on Youtube Live followed by an afterparty on Clubhouse — how retro is that?
(And, as it’s Passover, no, no pizzas shall be eaten — just chatted about!)
Lots of fun newly published content to share today, including for Forbes.com: Take A Break From The Classic Mint Julep With 12 Unique Cocktails Perfect For Kentucky Derby Viewing and for Soaps.com: 17 Hallmark Channel Gifts For Fans Who Watch Year-Round — Including Items Starting at $3. Also for Forbes.com: 20 Festive Cocktails To Enjoy On Cinco De Mayo, for RetailMeNot: How to Save on Food Delivery Apps: 10 Tips That Actually Work, and for Today.com: These affordable drugstore wrinkle creams are recommended by derms and makeup artists.
Are you getting all you can out of this newsletter?
This newsletter goes out to well over 8,000 people every day - but I can tell from my dashboard that there’s some of you that rarely open it and have never clicked on links. Help me make this a resource that is more helpful for you by taking the time carefully read each email and getting what you can out of it. (She says sheepishly knowing you need to be reading the newsletter to benefit from this explainer…)
I get some questions sometimes from subscribers, asking what I’m working on or saying they couldn’t find the section of the newsletter where I share pending assignments or sourcing needs. Or they may have confusion about what it is exactly I am looking for as far as deliverables or who I am writing the stories for - though I try to make that as clear as possible. Others will see my recently published links and interpret that as my current story needs and pitch me for those - stories that have already happened.
So, I worry - am I making those areas clear enough for you? Is there a different way I can organize this email where it’ll be easier to find what you are looking for? Email me any time!
Dads and Grads AMA Session
My dear friend and colleague (and a fellow listee on Muck Rack’s top 10 freelance journalists of 2024), Alice Dubin and I are teaming up again for another AMA Zoom session!
This session, which will be focused on Father’s Day and Graduation Day gift guides, but we’re opening the floor to all questions in all areas (be it events, trips, mailers, followups, pitching, what have you) will be held on May 2 at 11 am PT/2 pm ET. All are welcome to attend…if you are a paid subscriber of either one of our Substacks (monthly or annual can equally attend!). The registration link will be under a paywall at the bottom of this email, in the section beneath all the usual daily assignment-related content (which is never behind a paywall, and always public facing, 100% of the time, as it should be)!
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. Times are really tough and I am hoping to make these insights as accessible as possible to any of you who are interested. If you want to schedule a session 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!
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!
Forbes.com: Take A Break From The Classic Mint Julep With 12 Unique Cocktails Perfect For Kentucky Derby Viewing
Soaps.com: 17 Hallmark Channel Gifts For Fans Who Watch Year-Round — Including Items Starting at $3
Forbes.com: 20 Festive Cocktails To Enjoy On Cinco De Mayo
RetailMeNot: How to Save on Food Delivery Apps: 10 Tips That Actually Work
Today.com: These affordable drugstore wrinkle creams are recommended by derms and makeup artists
Forbes.com: Exciting Kosher For Passover Treats And Spirits To Try This Holiday
Forbes.com: Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2024: The Best Gifts For The Mom Who Really Loves Salad
Forbes.com: Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2024: The Best Gifts For Her Foodie She Shed
Forbes.com: Mindful Consumption Gets A Bespoke Feel With New Loews ‘Free Spirited’ Program
Southern Living: What To Bring To Passover Seder
Clean Plates: The Best Healthy Snacks to Buy at Target, According to Dietitians
Forbes.com: New Concierge App Promises Curated High-End Culinary Experiences
Forbes.com: Celebrate Passover With 6 Festive Cocktails
Forbes.com: Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2024: The Best Gifts For The Mom Who Loves To Grill
Food Network: I Tried Cup Noodles’ Most Mind-Boggling Flavor to Date
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
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.
Saatva
For Saatva's Sleep Enlightened Blog, I’m working on a story on the surprising benefits of sleep masks. I’m looking to interview 1-2 experts for this one - re: some of the benefits of sleep masks, both skin-related and sleep-related. I’m looking for both a sleep expert and a beauty expert for this, and for the sleep expert, they must not be affiliated with another mattress brand (unaffiliated is ideal!).
Forbes
I’m sourcing for one final Mother’s Day gift guide:
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.
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!)
Also for Forbes, I’m rounding up Mother’s Day inspired cocktails and Bridgerton-inspired cocktails. I need name of drink, where served, a description, a quote about it, and an image of the cocktail. These cocktails MUST exist on a bar or restaurant menu in order to be considered.
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...
Whether you need 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, followups, mailers 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.