Wednesday: Sourcing for new holiday gift guides + here's why you didn't get into that story.
PS: Don't miss out: The completely FREE recording of last month's Zoom webinar event covering pitching, trends, and all things holiday gift guide season is now available -- grab the link right here!
Good morning!
First of all, a very happy birthday today to my mommy if she’s reading!
But next: Yesterday, I received a rather angry-toned email demanding an explanation why the person’s client wasn’t included in a holiday gift guide. The email’s content said that her client was clearly a great fit and she didn’t know if I was ignoring her emails or not receiving them, but that seemed to be the only explanation she could imagine why her client was not included.
I’d like to say it was a one-off, but I receive emails like this…every single day. Some unkind, some more curious.
So, here’s some reasons why someone who pitched me for a HGG (or any other story!) may not be included when it publishes. Hope it helps.
1. You didn’t meet the deadline
Those deadlines aren’t arbitrary. If I’m working on a story on Monday, chances are I hardly even remember it by later in the week. And pitches that come in after I’m done writing it and submitting it are much like adding cheese to a burger after it’s been eaten. It’s over. It’s done.
Your best bet to be included in a story is not to pitch me after the deadline, but before the deadline. And, in fact, the earlier the better. Once I get everything I need, I wrap things up.
2. You didn’t follow directions.
I try my best to be extremely specific about the parameters I need for a particular story. If you are pitching me a cocktail, and I ask for 5 specific questions to be answered about it and you only answer 2 of them, that means I can’t consider it.
3. It wasn’t a fit.
It happens, I’m sorry! If you give me a banana and I’m writing about oranges, this won’t work. I love a Negroni. But If I’m working on a roundup of pink cocktails...it’s not going to be a fit. Unless of course it’s a very cool and unique spin on Negronis that actually IS pink, in which case I want to know!
4. You did everything right.
Wait, what?
Yes. For the average story or gift guide, we get HUNDREDS, sometimes thousands of pitches. We may have 10 or 15 or 20 spots available for inclusion. That means 90%+ of those pitches are NOT included. I go for the best fits. Not all the fits. There may be absolutely nothing wrong with the item you pitched, it just wasn’t AS good as another. It doesn’t mean it won’t work out next time!
5. Oh, and about updates...
No, we can’t squeeze your client into a story that already happened. It’s not an option. (See the comment about post-burger cheese above.) If you want to be included, follow tips 1-4 next time.
6. You were difficult to work with
This is something we don’t often talk about, but it bears repeating. I don’t need to be thanked, I don’t need you even to be friendly. I know you are just doing your job, as am I. (I mean, I try to always be nice anyway, but I get that’s not everyone’s morning latte.)
But if you are rude and aggressive or demanding, it doesn’t mean that I won’t work with you in the future. (See: Sending me the wrong information, and then sending a barrage of IMMEDIATE CORRECTION NEEDED NOW emails after, blaming me when I only used your information.)
But it does mean I won’t be as eager if there’s someone else offering exactly the sort of commentary/product you are offering, but not offering stress and aggravation in the process. Be a person who is easy to work with (or at least not HARD to work with) and people will jump on your emails faster!
Hope this is helpful! In the meantime, if you have a topic or question you want me to cover in a future newsletter, drop me an email at alywalansky@gmail.com.
OK, now on to today’s business! Check out fresh newly published content and also pending assignments I’m working on by scrolling below…
Check out our complete holiday gift guide pitching recording - it’s available right here, right now!
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.
If you are pitching holiday gift guides this season, you’re competing with thousands of other emails in every journalist’s inbox. Make sure your pitch stands out and gets noticed.
Upcoming travel: I’ll be in Fort Lauderdale for one afternoon/evening in few weeks (the evening before a cruise!), and also in Vegas for nearly a week in early December. Other fun travel upcoming soon!
Book your consulting session!
I still have some space available for November!
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 :)
We can switch it up in any way you or your team needs. While most of my calls do end up being virtual, I just did one where we did our session over a martini lunch! I’m available for whatever your team prefers. Lets chat.
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 more than 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
Thanks so much to everyone who attended my Pitchcraft panel last week on everything to you need to know about Yahoo creators. We covered a ton of ground and Pitchcraft will actually be sharing a replay — but it’s only available to members.
Luckily, I’m excited to share I partnered with Pitchcraft to be able to share a special offer just for my readers: Use code ALY200: new users will get $200 off their first month of the monthly PR Membership or code ALY400: This one offers new users $400 off their first year of the annual PR Membership.
This is a great network to join because it’s a community of both PR professionals and journalists working together to find better ways to work together and share opportunities, and you know how much I believe in all of that.
Absolutely check it out!
Exciting news from our friend Sarah Karger (who recently was a star expert panelist for our big holiday gift guide pitching workshop!) - she just launched her new course, Affiliate Marketing & Performance-Based PR for Publicists - It’s built specifically to help PR pros and agencies add affiliate management as a core capability, something we all know is completely essential in today’s media landscape. This is in-depth training that equips publicists with the exact strategies to:
Set up affiliate programs for clients
Pitch commerce editors with confidence
Deliver measurable ROI through performance-based PR
It’s a must-have for anyone trying to navigate this ever-changing biz!
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!)
Travel & Leisure: Traveling Alone Can Be Expensive—Here Are 15 Budget-friendly Hacks That Save Me Money
Forbes.com: 18 Ways To Savor The Season Via Thanksgiving-Inspired Dishes And Cocktails
Forbes.com: The Best Celebrity Spirits To Gift This Holiday Season
Forbes.com: 13 Great Variations On The Classic Cheese Pizza
Yahoo Creators: From packing cubes to toiletry bags, these are the 13 best gifts for travelers this holiday
Yahoo Creators: The 10 best cookbooks to give the aspiring chef in your life as a gift this holiday season.
Yahoo Creators: From gadgets to skincare: The ultimate guide to gifts for the special guy in your life this holiday season
Southern Living: The Difference Between Chives And Green Onions
Travel & Leisure: I’m a Solo Traveler, and I Tell All My Friends to Pack These Anti-theft Essentials—Up to 56% Off at Amazon
Forbes.com: 15 Plant-Based Dishes So Delicious, Even A Carnivore Would Ask For Seconds
Travel & Leisure: I Travel Solo Often, and I Won’t Stay in Another Airbnb Without Packing This 1 Safety Device
Travel & Leisure: This $8 Flight Attendant-loved Hack Helps Me Carry More Bags at the Airport—Without Paying Extra
Food Network: You Can Pre-Order Your Entire Thanksgiving Feast
Today.com: Best drugstore wrinkle creams 2025, according to experts
Today.com: What Are The Best Drugstore Eye Creams? Experts and Editors Reveal Their Favorites
Southern Living: The Best And Worst Times To Go To The Grocery Store
Southern Living: How To Cook A Perfect Steak Every Time, According To Southern Chefs.
Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook
Travel & Leisure: I’m a Travel Writer, and I Swear by These Packable Ballet Flats for Comfort, Support, and Long Days on My Feet
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 Creators
I’m working on a story on planning a Friendsgiving celebration. Open to organization and event planning expert tips and tricks as well as items that are a must to include (if sold online, please include retail links when pitching!).
I’m working on some holiday gift guides! I’m seeking:
Frilly/girlie gift ideas (think cute, pink, lacey, girlie, frilly, sexy, fun)
Travel-related gifts
gifts for your man
home/kitchen related gifts,
food/spirits gifts,
tech gear/gadgets,
office-related gifts
To pitch me for these guides, please be sure to include the following:
Name of item
Links to major retailers where sold (it’s in your best interest to include several retailer link options when pitching, especially major ones like Amazon)
Link to image and any necessary credits
Description why it’s a fit
Item must be currently available and currently in stock.
Forbes
Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!
I’m working on a story on enjoying lower ABV cocktails in December. I know a ton of people (not me, obviously) are doing Sober October, as a way of having a total body reset before the active holiday event season, but another option is to try to moderate a little in December by focusing on lower ABV versions of your favorite drinks, made with low or mid-ABV spirits. So if you work with low-ABV spirits that have low-proof (vs. zero proof) holiday cocktails on the menu at bars/restaurants, please drop me a line! (Same pitching format as usual.)
I’m also looking for pickle-centric dishes in honor of National Pickle Day. I need all responses for this one by THIS FRIDAY.
Please make sure to pitch in the following format only:
Name of dish
Where found (name of restaurant, city, state, URL)
Description
Chef quote/name of being quoted
LINK to image of dish/photo credit
have a great day, and thanks again for being such an incredible community <3
aly
Happy Birthday, mom! Got to love a fellow scorpio ♏️🦂. - Aly, I'm picking my jaw up off the ground as I type this, ewww on that email! Thanks for sharing as always 😘