Tuesday: Shoot your shot, but be careful not to *overshoot* it.

Good morning, friends!

Something that has been on my mind for a while that I hoped to touch on today: We work in an industry where there’s sometimes a whole lot of of peacocking.

This is seen in several ways:

1. In media pitching, clearly you want to make your client sound like the next best thing since sliced bread. You may be tempted to overstate their experience or credentials or reach. “Oh, Melanie is a celebrity hair stylist!” or “Bob is the most in-demand pastry chef to the stars!”

While it’s fine to make these assertions if Melanie is actually doing a duchess’s hair in between fielding press calls and Bob is right now hanging out in Margot’s Robbie’s kitchen making her Barbie-inspired scones, it’s NOT OK if the most famous person Melanie ever worked with is your mom and Bob’s scones are pretty decent but no one we’ve heard of has ever heard of him or them.

It’s SUPER important not to exaggerate or make say anything false in your pitch; make it your goal to just stick to the facts. Exaggerations actually have the opposite result of your intent: By you overstating or exaggerating a person or a brand or a product, it's actually going to undermine your credibility.

In short, just tell the truth. I’m totally down with using best-kept-secret Melanie if she has interesting and important commentary to share, whether or not her work has been seen on the red carpet. Someone isn’t necessarily of more value if you say they are famous or famous-adjacent - but they are absolutely not of more value if you lie about them.

2. Media: You don’t get to skip this one. Lots of media do it too. We’ve all been at press dinners or on press trips or at events with media who misrepresent their reach, their content, where they write, how often they write, or even who they are. (We ALL remember the ongoing fake Jenn Rice saga!)

There will always be journalists and influencers who attempt to inflate themselves or mislead you about their experience and reach. They are the bad eggs who spoil the whole bunch. So it’s so important to vet each and every person you pitch or invite anywhere — my favorite thing to do is a filtered Google search. Sure, they maybe wrote a story for this outlet 3 years ago. But what have they written this week, or this month? Where was that story? If they’ve published two stories in the last two months, but are currently telling you about their 10 deadlines for six outlets, chances are they are not as prolific as they claim to be.

It’s the job of PR to research a media contact or publication (also to make sure they are sending the right pitch to the right journalist!), but also to make sure they aren’t wasting their time outright. But it’s the job of the journalist to do their own due diligence of what they are being pitched. Never take anything simply at face value because you see it in a pitch or a linked article or a newsletter — remember, earned media is essentially about telling a story that needs to be told — and any of us worth our salt (and our journalism degree!) is going to make sure that’s a true story being told.

The best foot forward: When pitching media, or as media reading a pitch, always first and foremost, keep the reader in mind.

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

• RetailMeNot: 50+ Government Employee Discounts Worth Knowing in 2024

• Travel & Leisure: I'm a Longtime Solo Traveler, and These Are The 12 Best Personal Safety Devices on Sale at Amazon

• Travel & Leisure: Travelers Are Using This Flight Attendant-approved Gadget to Get More Space on Planes — and It Only Costs $13

• Travel & Leisure: The Flight Attendant-approved Hack I Swear by for Getting Through the Airport Stress-free Is Just $10 Right Now

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Travel Writer, and I Swear by This $9 Trick for Keeping My Feet Comfortable While Sightseeing

• Travel & Leisure: Frequent Fliers Say This Genius Hack Makes It Feel Like They've Upgraded Their Seat — and It's Only $35

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.

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!

Southern Living

Can You Freeze Brussels Sprouts? Would love chefs, RDs, food safety experts to weigh in as far as info on how long can they be stored frozen, best way to freeze them, why to freeze them, benefits/drawbacks, etc.  I am looking for commentary as far as the preparation, blanching, storage, and usage of frozen Brussels sprouts (but don’t send answers or commentary without reaching out to me first as I do have specific questions I want answered for this one.)

Can You Eat Leftover Salmon? Would love chefs, RDs, food safety experts to weigh in as far as the safety considerations, shelf life, reheating methods, and ways to enjoy leftover salmon.

Forbes

I have a handful of 2024 Valentine's Day Gift Guide assignments! For these below, 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!

Best 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!

RetailMeNot

For RetailMeNot, I’m updating my annual guide to affordable Valentine’s Day gifts. As I realize affordable means different things to different people, I think it’s important to define it in this context (I’m going to try to stick with under $100), and for this story, I am going to try to stick to major retailers: Think Amazon, Nordstrom, Walmart, Target, Macy's, Ulta. As it’s SUPER important to me to have a good range of unique, interesting items I also will be including a couple options from emerging, startup, and smaller retailers.

I’m also starting to give some guidance going into the new year by working on a story on The Best Meal-Stretching Ingredients + Recipes and I’m looking for chefs and RDs to weigh in for this one. This one's for everyone who wants to save money on food and also cook more in the new year. (So, ALL OF US!) I’m looking to feature a handful of superstar ingredients (and where to buy them + for how much) that help you either make a cheap bulk meal or stretch other meals, and for those sending commentary - I’m also eager to share a recipe that features said ingredient, so please send along a link if you are referencing one.

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!

<3