Thursday: Where to score the best National Pizza Day deals, and everything else I'm working on right now.

PS: Is everyone watching the new season of YOU? It's streaming now!

Happy National Pizza Day!

As I was born in Brooklyn and have lived here my entire life, I take pizza pretty seriously. (Brooklyn is very serious about their pizza - warring pizza families have been known to get pretty violent over it.) 

But I'm a pizza lover, not a pizza fighter.

And for that reason, I was so excited to write my roundup of National Pizza Day deals and freebies for TODAY.com this week. So much deliciousness -- and free food, too!

todayfood

A post shared by TODAY Food (@todayfood)

In other news, I'm going to be in Miami for SOBEWFF later this month and I'm SO excited to see so many of you there, both in and around the festival.

My evenings are of course mostly packed with deliciously fun festival things, but i do have some daytime free time and I'm considering trying to do my usual thing where I visit a city and pop into a bar for an hour or two at then whomever wants to stop by and say hi can  (that way I can maximize how many people I can see in a limited amount of free time).

Will of course keep you posted!

As we chatted about during the Zoom earlier this week, with so much upheaval in the media and PR landscape right now, building and maintaining relationships is more important than ever, and it’s really important to me to try to make connections and get to know people outside of my inbox whenever I can. We are, indeed, all in this together.

Also...the new season of YOU is out today...so, we know what I'll be doing tonight (or, if we're honest, today, as I work, as well..) Is anyone else watching? Should we discuss? (Once everyone finishes part 1, that is!)

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!

• In case you missed it, I was a guest on a podcast this week. Check it out here — I share some easy-to-follow tips on how emerging brands can get the attention of busy editors.

• Speaking of podcasts, I did the Pitchin’ and Sippin’ podcast last month (I ADORE Lexie Smith!), and you can still catch it here. We chatted at length about pitching, the ever-changing landscape of the editorial process, and more.

• Today.com: Celebrate National Pizza Day with these 19 deals and freebies

• Her Money: How to plan a budget-friendly (and romantic) Valentine’s Day date night

• Forbes.com: Valentine’s Day Gift Guide: The Best Gifts For A Romantic Dinner At Home

• Food Network: Topo Chico Wants You to Send Your Ex a Candy-Coated Scorpion This Valentine’s Day

• Forbes: Prep For The Big Game With Cocktails Perfect For Any Super Bowl Party

• SPY.com: Prone to Making Last-Minute Purchases? Check Out the Best Valentine’s Day Delivery Gifts

• SPY.com: From Chocolates to Spa Products, We’ve Got a Valentine’s Day Gift Basket for Everyone

• YourTango: 32 Edible Gifts Women Love Most

• HelloGiggles: 11 Products to Help You Sleep Better and Wake Up Energized

• Clean Plates: 8 Easy Valentine’s Dessert Recipes with Zero Refined Sugar

• RetailMeNot: 13 Purr-fect Valentine’s Day Gifts for Pets

• RetailMeNot: Affordable Valentine’s Day Gifts That Show Lots of Love on a Budget

• Clean Plates: 8 Costco Foods Nutritionists Love for Valentine’s Day

• SPY.com: Our Favorite Funny Valentine’s Day Cards Are Sure to Make Them Giggle (or Blush!) on February 14

• Forbes: Valentine’s Day Gift Guide: The Best Luxury Seafood Boxes

• Forbes: Valentine’s Day Gift Guide: The Best Interactive Gifts For Couples Who Love To Cook Together

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.

Yahoo Life

Do you REALLY need to wash lettuce when you bring it home from the grocery store/before using? When you chop up a head of romaine, do you need to wash it? Iceberg? And when a bag says pre-washed, should you still wash it to be extra safe? I'd love it if experts can explain why we need to wash lettuce, when you need to wash it and HOW. What does it do when you wash it? And if I could find a few people who have a strong opinion either way on whether or not they wash it or believe you need to -- that'd be great.

Forbes

In advance of Mardi Gras, I’m looking for chef tips and product suggestions to make a great homemade authentic gumbo. If you represent a chef known for their gumbo recipe (or is just a bit of a gumbo lover!), or a spice/mix/etc that can be a great asset in making homemade gumbo, please drop me a note!

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 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 (Recently 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!

Have a great day!

<3

Aly