Thursday: New sourcing opportunities, recently published stories + my nerdy fun plans for the evening (wish me luck!)
Happy Thursday, friends!
I’m going to try to keep this email semi-brief today because I have a busy day ahead. I have my first consulting session of 2024 booked for this afternoon (happy to look at dates to book one for your team now!), several deadlines, and I have fun plans tonight that I need to prepare for, as well.
Related: Industry Insights: It's time to discuss the difference between EOD and COB -- and why that matters.
(OK, fine, I’ll tell you. I am putting my recent Buffy re-binge to good use by going to participate in a Buffy trivia night that a bar on the Lower East Side is doing tonight…how fun is that?!
The ONLY sad part of this story is that I can’t find my old Vampire Girls Suck t-shirt from my original Buffy-watching college years…it would have been perfect for the occasion.)
There’s no doubt we’re starting 2024 by hitting the ground running…
I’ve wrapped up a bunch of the stories that were pending earlier this week, but there’s a few new assignments pending — so scroll below for source requests!
Opportunity alert
Lisa Richards, Piper, LLC is still looking for brands for N12 and Cheddar (NYC, LI Westchester, CT, Bronx, Brookly &, NJ) a great demo: Steals and Deals.
They are taping (tape to live) 2 segments ( New Year, New Me and Valentine’s Day) on 1/23 and will each run for a week to over 5M ppl – will be supported by multiple segments, multiple e-blasts, social media and a digital media buy. Please reach out to Lisa@rpzl.com - tell her you read about this opp in Aly’s Substack!
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: Valentine’s Day Gift Guide 2024: The Best Heart-Shaped Food Gifts
Forbes.com: Valentine’s Day Gift Guide 2024: The Best Bougie Culinary Gifts
Clean Plates: 12 Weight Loss Strategies That Are Easy To Follow, Say Experts
Clean Plates: 7 Mediterranean Diet Dinner Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less
Travel & Leisure: I Travel Solo Often, and I Won’t Stay in Another Airbnb Without Packing This One Safety Device
Forbes.com: Pantone’s 2024 Color Of The Year Is Resulting In Glorious Peach-Hued Cocktails
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
The Healthy Trader Joe's Sauce I Use in *Everything*: I’m writing a love letter to TJ's zhoug. I’m obviously going to cover what it is, its traditional uses, what I use it for, etc. But if any chefs/RDs want to chirp in about why THEY love it and some nutritional value, uses, benefits, etc, please email me.
Martha Stewart
Storage Mistakes You Didn't Know You Were Making: I’m looking to round up storage mistakes that people make unknowingly. Can be anything from keeping things you don't need for too long to using the wrong size storage bins, to mixing things together in an illogical way. Looking to speak with 2-3 organization experts for this piece, so reach out asap if you have someone who may be a fit!
Forbes
Valentine’s Day 2024 Gift Guide: Most Romantic Kitchenware - Think stuff like a heart-shaped plate, ink or red pots/pans, perhaps rose or heart shaped glassware, cutesy things for the romantic that loves date night in the kitchen - and truly what says date night more than a heart shaped casserole dish and pretty pink cocktail glasses? Let those images guide you in your pitching! - This is my final (unless something changes) of my 2024 Valentine's Day Gift Guide assignments. ALL of my other V-Day gift guides have wrapped up. Please pitch me in the following format: Item name, description, where available online, price, and LINK to high res image. Items can only be considered if all these deliverables are touched on so please double check before emailing!
For Valentine’s Day, I’m also rounding up sexy and/or romantic cocktails. These MUST exist on the menu at a bar or restaurant. I do not need recipes. Please send me name of the drink, where it’s available, description, quote from bartender/mixologist/chef/owner about the drink, name of person being quoted (I can’t TELL you how often this part is forgotten!) and an image with appropriate photo credits by 1/17.
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!