Wednesday: Beware of newsjacking + my latest podcast appearance is now live! (It's a really fun one, please listen!)
PS: Grab the FREE recording of yesterday's blockbuster Zoom webinar event covering pitching, trends, and all things holiday gift guide season.
Hi, friends!
Super excited to start things off today by sharing a brand-new podcast appearance that just dropped this morning.
I spoke with Jenn and Kalli of ImPRessions (by the Pollack Group), a business podcast with a focus on PR and marketing, about how in recent years, the PR industry has seen professionals leave the traditional agency world to pursue independent freelancing careers.
We discuss, from a media perspective, the opportunities and challenges of working with freelance publicists (and for publicists working with freelance journalists, too!), how freelancing reshaped the media world, both in PR and journalism, and what media trends freelancers should be paying closer attention to.
So, guys, slow news day yesterday, eh?
First of all, thanks again for everyone who just minutes after the huge Taylor/Travis news showed up at our webinar yesterday afternoon and were primed to chat about the topic on the table and not the news of the moment. We loved your energy and your fantastic questions, and it was such an awesome, energetic crowd.
And for those who missed out, you can grab the whole recording of our best practices for pitching holiday gift guides this season webinar for free (yes, completely free!) as a benefit for upgraded subscribers - it’s well over an hour of commentary, Q&A, and tons of information you can use this season. Grab the details here.
But back to the big news of the day yesterday — and, no doubt, it IS news.
In fact, it’s quite possibly the closest things these shores will get to a royal wedding. But that said…there’s no divine law that every single one of your clients must be shoe-horned into a pitch that is a tie-in to the news.
Yes, a lot of your clients will be a natural fit. Many of them, actually. But if it’s absolutely not a fit, don’t try to force it. It’s not going to work and we’ll see right through you and, at a time that everyone is doing it and our inboxes are FLOODED, (shades of a nearly a decade ago when everyone was creating lemon elderflower flavor everything in honor of Meghan and Harry), it can get a little overwhelming.
For those not familiar with the term, newsjacking is when you try to insert you or your client into a story it’s just not a part of. Whether it’s a breaking news story or trending topic, it’s a legitimate attempt to leverage the buzz of a current event.
But that legitimacy requires attention not only to timing (which you all have down, no doubt!) but also to relevance.
Keep that in mind today when pitching why your plunger is an extra-timely item to write about because no one wants a clogged toilet on their wedding day or while being a major pop star being proposed to by a star football player in a field of flowers.
Some tie-ins just…ain’t gonna work. Don’t even try.
Upcoming travel: I’ll be in the greater LA area the latter part of next week for Malibu Food & Wine (so excited!), and then after the festival completes — and yes, I’ll be there for its entirety so if you are there too lets say hi!, I’ll move onto BH and WeHo for a few days. If you are interested in knowing more about this super cool festival, I wrote a preview about it for Yahoo Creators over the weekend. Check it out, it’s really going to be so cool and I’m so excited to be attending.
I’ll also be in Fort Lauderdale (very briefly) in mid-November (just for about 24 hours or so before a cruise).
Also: Who will be in NY for NYCWFF this fall? I’ll be here, there, everywhere and hope to see you, too!
(And yes, I’ll be in Miami for SOBEWFF this winter as well, of course!)
Book your consulting session!
I still have some space available for September!
I can join your team on Zoom, a phone call, or in-person and do a team Q&A and answer any of your questions about planning events, mailers, trips, pitching, followups, etc — giving you a very necessary media perspective. Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com if you are interested in chatting more and setting something up :)
I’m now contributing to the Yahoo Creators platform, writing a wide range of lifestyles topics: check out my author profile to see some of my most recent pieces! (This is updated daily - usually multiple times daily - so you’ll want to keep checking it out for new content!)
Limited-time deal on ad placement!
I’m offering a seasonal special on advertising in this newsletter. I’d love to place your sponsored posts and advertising in this Substack, which goes out to nearly 10,000 media professionals every single day.
Note: I do limit advertising to only what would be of interest to my readers, but am open to both short paragraph blurbs and dedicated posts - if you are interested in chatting details and scheduling something, please email me at alywalansky@gmail.com today!
Tools of the trade
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!)
Press Hook is where journalists, newsletter writers, and podcasters source expert quotes, hi-res images, product samples, affiliate info, and brand story angles — all from vetted brands in one searchable hub. It connects journalists and brands in what feels like a really user-friendly, organic way and I use it often to browse for sources and products aligned with my current projects and I’ve often found precisely what I need, when I need. Give it a try!
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.
Yahoo Creators: Check out my author profile (I have several new stories a day across the lifestyles umbrella, so that’s the best way to stay updated!)
Southern Living: How To Cook A Perfect Steak Every Time, According To Southern Chefs.
RetailMeNot: Which Stores Are Open and Closed on Labor Day 2025?
Food Network: Starbucks’ Fall 2025 Menu Starts Now
Food Network: Burger King's Cini Minis Are Finally Coming Back
Food Network: Popeyes Is Revamping Its Wings
Food Network: Crumbl Reimagines Dubai Chocolate as a Brownie
Travel + Leisure: These $15 Earplugs Relieved My In-flight Ear Pain.
Apartment Therapy,:The $6 Office Supply a Travel Pro Always Puts in Their Suitcase
Forbes: 17 Must-Try Hearty Sandwiches For When The Basic Options Just Won’t Do
Southern Living: Southern Bartenders Reveal The Summer Cocktails They Actually Drink Themselves
Food Network: Olive Garden’s Never-Ending Pasta Bowl Is Back, and It’s a Better Deal Than Ever
The Kitchn: This “Brilliant” $10 Le Creuset Storage Gem Is a Game-Changer for Your Pots and Pans
Forbes.com: 15 Delicious And Creative Ways To Enjoy Potatoes
RetailMeNot: 41 Best College Student Discounts
Travel & Leisure: This Portable Door Lock Is Traveler-loved
Food Network: A Beloved KFC Side Is Finally Returning Nationwide!
Travel & Leisure: I’m a Travel Writer, and This Seat Cushion Is My Secret to Arriving at Destinations Pain-free
Travel & Leisure: 15 Amazon Business Casual Clothes for Summer Travel.
Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook
Travel & Leisure: 6 Best Business Travel Airplane Outfits, From $12
Travel & Leisure: I’m a Travel Writer, and I Swear by These Packable Ballet Flats for Comfort, Support, and Long Days on My Feet
Travel & Leisure: I Found the Perfect Walking Shoes to Prevent Sore Feet During Travel — Score Styles on Sale Up to 62% Off
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.
Forbes
Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!
Whiskey Sour Recipes You Can Make at Home Anytime - I’d love to share some variations on Whiskey Sours available at bars and restaurants, and how to make them, what’s in them, etc. Also would love a mixologist to comment on the history of the Whiskey Sour, ingredients are needed for a classic whiskey sour, and what tools or techniques help make the perfect whiskey sour.
One of my favorite comfort foods is queso - you’ll always see me ordering it when my soul needs a hug, and National Queso Day is in a few weeks. So, I’m looking for fun queso presentations at bars and restaurants around the country. What fun things are you doing with YOUR queso? Please pitch in this format:
Name of dish
Restaurant, city, state, website
Description of dish
Quote from chef about dish (plus name and title of person quoted)
Image and photo credit (I prefer links to attachments!)
thanks so much, and have the best day <3
aly
Looking forward to listening to this podcast episode!! Thanks for sharing Aly and for a great HGG session yesterday!