Wednesday: Notice that lettuce has gotten crazy pricey? I'm investigating that for a new assignment + everything else I'm working on this week...

Also: We really need to chat for a second about an uncomfortable pitching tactic I've noticed.

Good afternoon!

I know that today's newsletter is a bit later in the day than normal, and I do super apologize for that.

This morning was sort of a hurricane of activity and deadlines — more on that soon, including that fun recipe-related project I was working on. But some other food-related recipe content I’ve been working on published today!

Aly Walansky alywalansky.substack.com @alywalansky

7 Mediterranean Diet Dinner Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less cleanplates.com/recipes/medite… via @CleanPlates

cleanplates.com7 Mediterranean Diet Dinner Recipes in 30 Minutes or LessLike a holiday in the Mediterranean? Well, that’s essentially what this is thanks to these easy Mediterranean Diet dinner recipes.

In other fun news, Prince Harry's book has arrived!

I pre-ordered it last week, as some of my friends and I are engaging in a bit of a virtual read-along together -- but I kind of want to turn it into a more expanded book club for all of us here in this newsletter.

I admit, I had a bit of indecision — not about buying the book, of course, that was a no-brainer!— but if I wanted the audible version or the hardcover. I normally am a book purist, and generally prefer hardcover and the turning of pages over an ebook or audio concept. But hearing Prince Harry tell the story audibly in his own words…that’s hard to pass up. I may end up getting that as well soon!

So if you got yours and are reading too, let me know and I'll create some sort of chat thread so we can all read and discuss together. In related news: There'll be no TV binging for the rest of the week...because I have reading to do....

Can we discuss an uncomfortable topic?

Sometimes, my friends and I receive emails where we are cc’d with other writers or editors. Sometimes editors at a publication where we contribute, sometimes other writers at a publication where we freelance, sometimes writers who work for completely different publications. This email may be a co-invite to an event or trip, a co-pitch, or something else of a similar ilk. It’s always sent with the best of intentions, of course.

However, this is something we should always do with caution…

There’s a lot of reasons why it may be a cautionary idea to email several editors or writers at once on a pitch or an invite.

Perhaps if you co-write to a freelance writer and their editor, you are creating an uncomfortable dynamic as so far as a story or an event (years ago, a publicist emailed me inviting me to an event and cc’d my editor on an invite and I felt weirdly obligated to accept…it’s just an uncomfortable situation).

Or, perhaps they are writers or editors at different publications with different editorial needs and goals and really don’t want to be pitched in an co-email about a co-interview with someone who is not at their publication and not privy to their calendar or story needs.

Or maybe these are people that for whatever reason may feel uncomfortable being co-pitched with one another. The reality is, life has a lot of twists and turns. Just because once upon a time they may have been seen together at events or on trips or at a Zoom event, it doesn’t mean that’s where they are in their relationship at the current time. Maybe they are no longer friends. Maybe they are going through something personally and it’s very painful to have such an in-your-face reminder. There’s a lot of factors that may be at play. They may have the utmost personal and professional respect for everyone involved, but those co-invites or co-pitches may lead to awkwardness or discomfort, or possibly, just hurt feelings.

So, here’s an idea — next time you may want to email people you think know each other and work together about your trip, event, dinner, or even story idea — maybe send individual emails first, just to feel the ground and see if it’s of interest, and avoid any potential uncomfortable situation. Everyone will thank you for it.

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!

• TODAY.com: National Pizza Week: Where to score freebies and deals this week

• Clean Plates: 7 Mediterranean Diet Dinner Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less

• RetailMeNot: Where to Get Free Food Today (and Every Day of the Week)

• The Kitchn: Costco Brought Back One of Its Most Beloved Dessert Items and You Need to Try It ASAP

• Food Network: Pizza Hut Celebrates Pizza History by Bringing Back a Retro Favorite

• HelloGiggles: 9 New Products That Will Help You Be Healthier in 2023

• Forbes: 30 Romantic Cocktails To Set The Mood On Valentine’s Day

• The Kitchn: This Easy Recipe for Chocolate Mousse Only Uses 5 Ingredients — And They May Already Be in Your Kitchen

• Eat This, Not That: Follow My One-Week Meal Prep Plan If You're on a Budget

• Eat This, Not That: I Gave Up Dairy For One Week And Here Were My Results…

• YourTango: Guys Reveal What They Notice Most About Your Smile

• YourTango: 20 Best Honeymoon Hotels For An Insanely Romantic Vacation

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

What’s the deal with the lettuce shortage? If you’ve noticed it in your own shopping, you aren’t alone…I’d love a grocery supply expert or a farming or gardening expert who can chat with me over email, as well as a restaurant owner or two about how it's causing them problems? And if any of you reading this have spent a crazy amount for lettuce recently, please let me know. You don’t need to be an expert for that part — just a person who is …like me, buying some lettuce and getting some sticker shock.

Basically where I’m going with this is…why there is a lettuce shortage, how it's manifesting itself for restaurant owners and normal people who buy groceries, and what you can do about it? Is there a lettuce alternative you can use? Is one kind more likely to not be $$$ than another? Looking forward to your responses on this one!

Southern Living

Invited To Your First Passover Seder? Here's What To Bring - Obviously, for this story I need to make clear that you need to ask your host because of the different traditions and levels of keeping kosher. But I’d love an etiquette expert, one who is familiar with Jewish tradition, to answer a few questions as far as questions to ask, expectations, etc.

Forbes

I’ve just been assigned FIVE new Valentine’s Day gift guides. (My inbox is already shuddering in fear…). The topics are:

The best gifts for a romantic dinner at home

The best luxury seafood boxes

The best global specialty ingredients for the culinary traveler

The best aphrodisiac gifts (remember, these must be food/ingredient related in some way)

The best interactive gifts for couples who love to cook together

For all of these guides (and honestly, most guides for any outlet, I would prefer all pitches be sent in the following format):

• Name of product

• link where sold, price

• Description of product

• LINK to high res image

*please please make sure that an item is not discontinued, and is currently available and in stock to ship and arrive before Valentine’s Day before pitching me. Sound obvious? I got a LOT of holiday pitches that did not fit this qualification!

I’m also working on, for Forbes:

Romantic wines to pair with your V-Day dinner: Whether you are planning a surf and turf or a sexy pasta night, these are the wines you need for the biggest date night of the year. To pitch me a wine, be sure to include retail links, a LINK to an image, and a description.

Places online where you can order a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner to be shipped to your door. Self-explanatory. Has to be shippable as this needs to be something available to all who order it and not just a local takeout thing.

HelloGiggles

Sexy underthings to gift yourself this Valentine's Day - we all deserve to feel confident and sexy, whether you have a partner or not.

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