Tuesday: A fun call-to-action for subscribers and what I'm working on today.
Hello!
I want to try a fun little experiment with this group and see how it goes…please send in your questions!
Any questions at all, be it about pitching, followups, mailers, events (both virtual and IRL), trips, etc. I’ll answer a few here and there in a flash Q&A style in my daily free newsletter, but I’ll also choose a handful to get dedicated in-depth fuller answers in my weekly paid newsletter - so now is a time to upgrade your subscription if you want to get the equivalent of a consulting call for the cost of a cup of coffee.
It’s my way of adding value to all subscribers — both paid and free — but also, making sure I’m targeting these emails in a way that everyone reading it is truly getting what they want each morning (and if that doesn’t include knowing what I had for dinner last night or am watching on TV, that’s fine!).
Also, a note when responding to these queries or calls to action, or sending me any other emails — my email address is alywalansky@gmail.com - please DO NOT just respond to this Substack email. It creates confusion and the last thing I want is any chance of your email not getting in front of my eyeballs. It’s very important to me.
I had the absolutely best time last night at the opening of the new Barbie Cafe in NYC. Clearly, a whole lot of pink was involved.
(Check out my Instagram stories for even more fun photos!)
Tonight, I’m attending another event I’m really excited about — I can’t say more until tomorrow, but hint is that it involves someone that was integral to THIS moment in a video I posted a few minutes ago (click through and watch it, it’s pretty hysterical, I think.)
PS: As I embed these Instagrams, the Substack editor is having a bit of an issue loading them, so hopefully they come out on your end, otherwise this email is going to look like a bit of a fail today!
But before all that, I have a podcast I’m a guest on this afternoon, so need to prep for that and also a few new pieces I’m working on and gathering sources…so scroll on for more!
Also: It’d be SO nice if that street noise outside my window would calm down before that podcast recording…how embarrassing…
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: Father’s Day Gift Guide: The Best Cookbooks To Add To His Collection
Southern Living: Banana Peppers Vs. Pepperoncini: What's The Difference?
Southern Living: Can You Safely Eat Sprouted Potatoes?
RetailMeNot: Cheap Baby Shower Favor Ideas (Under $5 Per Person)
Clean Plates: 7 Expert-Approved Ways to Avoid a Blood Sugar Spike
Clean Plates: 11 Trader Joe’s Foods That Fit in the Mediterranean Diet
Clean Plates: 7 Foods People in Blue Zones Eat That Increase Longevity
Everyday Health: Is Blue Matcha Good for You?
Clean Plates: 13 Low-Lift, Fast Trader Joe’s Lunches You Need to Buy
YourTango: What It Means To 'Doomscroll' — And How To Take A Break From The Anxiety-Inducing News Cycle
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.
Parade.com
As everyone knows, I’m really into the air fryer — so, I’m very excited to pen a sort of “hub” of air fryer information — How to use an air fryer, for first timers. I’ll need experts for this one... chefs, food experts, etc — mind you, I’m going to be really fun to chat with about this one, as I’m rather into the topic! Email me and I’ll share some questions.
I’m also working on a story on craziest wedding food trends and I’d love wedding planners, caterers, chefs, etc, to weigh in. Please drop me an email!
RetailMeNot
The Best Father's Day Sales to Shop Now: I’m working on an update of this story from last year. A lot of these might change, so note any run-through dates IF the retailer has those when pitching me. Otherwise, it's OK to describe the sale as "for a limited time." I’m going to try to include spots such as Home Depot, Lowe's, Best Buy, Amazon, Target, Walmart, Ancestry, 23andMe, Fitbit IF they are throwing a sale. If pitching me for this one or the July 4th version below, please be sure to include what's on sale, how to shop it, the promo code (if any). Maybe the promo code is storewide, so that makes it super flexible. Whatever the shopper needs to know about how and WHY to shop the sale.
I’m also updating these two July 4th stories from last year (that I wrote, so I’m updating myself!)
Please look at last year’s version for an idea of format and what I’m looking for - and if I included your store hours or sales last year, feel free to reach out and give me updates!
Forbes.com
For Forbes, I’ve been assigned FOUR Father’s Day gift guides. They are:
The Best Gifts For Grillers
The Best Gifts To Stock His Freezer
The Best Gifts For Culinary Travelers
To pitch for ALL these gift guides, please be sure to submit in this format:
Name of product
retailer where sold, link, price (I’m open to smaller retailers, I want to have really unique great finds)
few sentences description
LINK to image
Please no commentary of gifting experts telling me their favorite gift ideas. NOT looking for experts to quote or commentary for this story. And due to the extreme volume of responses expected: ONLY pitches that follow the above format can 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...
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 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. Note: I’m also available to travel for consulting sessions as long as travel expenses are covered. We can chat!
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!
Ah I just saw your IG stories and am jelly! I love all the pink ;) About to send over some questions, thanks Aly!
Looking forward to hearing the podcast & good luck!