Tuesday Edition: Super ASAP need for sources, lots of newly published stories, and a bunch of job leads!
It appears Tuesday is the new Monday.
Good morning!
I'm trying to get a bit of an early start on this newsletter because there's a hectic day ahead.
First of all: I want to do a call-out that I have two very time-sensitive stories pending for TODAY -- these are National Waffle Day and National Burger Day. Both are being wrapped up and published today. I'm looking for deals at chains for both -- specific details are in the pending stories section if you scroll down below. Please send pitches for these two stories asap if you want to be considered, as I cannot consider you once the story is published.
Today's productivity tip: I'm all about time limits. We touched on this a bit in Saturday's newsletter when I discussed using the laundry timer as an asset in being productive.
But in general, we're all going to spend more time on a task when we give ourselves open-ended time to do it. If I have a story to write and I just put on my calendar that I will write it "today" - I may linger on it all day. But if I put a specific time constraint of time I can spend on it today - be it 9 am to 11 am, or whatever, that forces me to focus during that time and get it done.
Sure, it's possible that sources will fall through, interviewees will flake, deliverables won't get delivered, and that will hold us back. That happens all the time! But if we have everything we need in front of us and the task is to us now to pull it together and get it done, rushing the clock doesn't just make work more fun and kind of like a game but also will encourage us to get it done in that time, and move onto the next thing on our list.
Pressure can be a good thing, and once we finish something, we can do the next thing. (BTW, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's book Flow is brilliant and discusses the psychology behind this!)
Important reminder when sending media mailers: It’s REALLY hot out. That’s something we all know. So if sending a journalist a mailer involving perishable ingredients, be sure to add ice!
I know that sounds like a no-brainer but yesterday I received samples (that I didn’t even know were coming, but that’s beside the point) of a frozen food (one that includes dairy) that was in a box marked perishable, but had no ice or ice packs.
The perishable product was not only not cold or frozen, it was warm to the touch. This is not about me, but about wasting your client’s budget and your own time on a product that I can’t possibly try. I have written a guide to sending engaging and effective mailers in the past, and the perishable aspect does come up- be sure to read it and to keep it in mind, especially when it’s 90 degrees out.
But, also. Ew.
Get a special group rate
I’m now offering a 50% discount on paid subscriptions when purchased as part of a group subscription (that’s four or more people). It’s a great way to get your team involved and save some cash.
Job leads
Have a job lead? Email them to me at alywalansky@gmail.com - they are always free, and always welcome. This newsletter goes out six days a week, so if you have a preferred day to have it appear, let me know that as well - can't guarantee it will be that day, but I will do my best. Internship opportunities are welcome as well! Please remember to include location of the job and any contact information. Blind items are also OK if you are putting some feelers out but not ready to share the job is available.
Litzky Public Relations, a boutique communications agency named a best place to work by Inc., PR Week, and PRSA, is growing and hiring for two Account Executive (AE) roles to work on iconic brands in the consumer, lifestyle, entertainment, and publishing industries. Candidates must have 3+ years of professional PR experience (agency or in-house). The position is a permanently hybrid role with employees working in LPR’s co-working space in Hoboken, NJ every other Thursday. More information on the positions can be found here. Please email resumes to jobs@litzkypr.com with ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE in the subject line.
Eleven Eleven PR is looking for a Washington, DC-area Account Manager (Restaurant & Hospitality). Check out job posting here and contact jobs@elevenelevenpr.co.
Award-winning consumer technology & lifestyle agency, Max Borges Agency is looking for Fall Interns. Our paid, completely remote, internship program provides interns with hands-on, real world public relations experience with global and national technology and lifestyle brands. Interns are responsible for assisting with projects, while also tasked with leading projects on their own, such as working directly with the media + influencers, conducting research, and more. Interns report directly to their agency mentor, who is a senior level PR professional with vast experience. Requirements: Passionate about a career in PR, PR, Communications, or Journalism Major, Junior or Senior standing, Excellent Written and Verbal Communicator, Organized and Detail Oriented, Available 24 hrs. a week. For more information or to apply, email Shaelyn LeLievre (shaelynlelievre@maxborgesagency.com).
Period Media, a boutique Los Angeles based PR firm specializing in the luxury lifestyle space, is seeking candidates for Assistant and Account Coordinator positions. Looking for candidates who possess superior verbal and written communication skills, are detail oriented, motivated, and have the ability to multi-task, working both independently and as part of a team in a fast paced work environment. Please send resumes to info@periodmedia.com.
Newly published …
New feature!
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!
The Kitchn: This Super-Easy Caesar Salad Recipe Is the Perfect Fit for a Lazy Day
Food Network: Subway Launches Unlimited Pass for Those of Us Who Can't Get Enough Footlongs
RetailMeNot: The Best Labor Day 2022 Sales to Shop Now
The Kitchn: This Cake-Serving Hack Makes Cutting Round Cakes a Breeze
Yahoo Life: Man discovers rare purple pearl in restaurant appetizer: 'Treasure hunting in a bowl of clams'
The Kitchn: Martha Stewart’s Super-Simple Recipe for Waffle Chips Will Be Your Go-To Snack for Tailgating Season
AllRecipes: The 7 Best Hot Food Containers
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.
What I’m working on now:
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.
TODAY.COM
I’m rounding up freebies, deals, and discounts at food chains in honor of the following upcoming food holidays:
National Burger Day - wrapping this one up TODAY.
National Waffle Day - wrapping this one up TODAY.
National Cheese Pizza Day
National Coffee Day
Labor Day restaurant deals
Please send me the deal, when it’s good, what the deal is, how to claim it, and any other details. (Is it only good during specific hours, is it only good at specific locations? This is all helpful to know!)
RetailMeNot
I'm working on the following new stories:
How to save at Uber Eats
How to save more at DoorDash
Shoppers Guide To Aldi - guide a first-time Aldi shopper through the differences (ie, shopping carts, checkout, etc.) Plus, ways Aldi helps you save (best products to buy there, etc.)
For all three of these, obviously I'm going to myself shop there and find ways to shop and save money and little time saving tips, but very open to expert advice as well.
Clean Plates
I’ll be doing a roundup of the best frozen cauliflower crust pizzas - I don’t have all the specific parameters yet of what I’m looking for, so you may want to hold your pitches until tomorrow. But stay tuned!
Share the love
Every morning, I share what I’m working on that day and links to newly published stories and send it right into your inbox — for free! I also share productivity tips, job leads, links to volunteer and mentoring opportunities, recipes, and more — all always free.
Please share this newsletter with a friend or colleague today. Every Friday, I randomly choose one new free subscriber who signed on that week. They will be automatically upgraded to a paid subscription for free — and, if they tell me who referred them to this Substack, that person will as well! These opportunities only get better if we share them with our friends.
Paid subscriptions get additional benefits, such as my weekly industry insights newsletters, subscriber Zoom chats, and much more.
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!
Potential new availability: A few people have reached out to me and asked if I was also open to doing consulting for freelance journalists in addition to the PR consulting sessions I currently do, and I am absolutely considering it. I need to spend some time thinking on what a session like that may look like and be structured, but after 20+ years in the industry, I’ve seen a whole lot change and it may be interesting to share my own experiences with someone just starting out. So, stay tuned!
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 for this fall.
Are you confused about affiliate marketing?
If you are having trouble learning how to navigate issues of affiliate marketing (trust me, we've all been there!), you may want to try out my friend Sarah Karger, a publicist, and former editor Dana Baardsen (and all-around fab girl!)'s 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!)
That’s it for today! Have a great day and I’ll see you same place, same time, tomorrow!
<3
aly