Wednesday: The media invite bait and switch - and why it's the worst way to go. And....we have Mother's Day gift guide assignments!
Also: Fresh job leads!
Good morning!
It’s been a whirlwind few days but I’m back at my desk (with about 1,000 emails waiting for me - so if you are one of them, please hold tight - I’m on my way!).
Assorted newly published content to share today - including some fun pretty personal stuff! - for Apartment Therapy: I Tried the Pomodoro Technique for Tax Prep — Here’s Why I’ll Never Do It Another Way and also for Apartment Therapy: I Create a “KFP Area” for Passover Every Year, and It Keeps My Home So Organized Every Time. And for FoodNetwork.com: 2025 Tax Season Food Deals At Restaurants Nationwide (there’s some great deals in here - and all of them came from your emails!).
Speaking of emails…
Here’s a kind of irksome exchange from my inbox that happened very recently - I’m not sharing this to shame them (I’d NEVER do that!) as much as as a guide for how you can avoid this same issue in your own media interaction and maybe handle differently than they did.
Several weeks ago, I got an email that included the following (identifying info redacted for obvious reasons…):
Hi, Aly!
….The <insert name of restaurant group) includes <insert several great restaurants, including a few I’ve been really excited to try…>
We’d love to invite you and a guest to experience any of these restaurants at a time of your choosing. Additional details below; would love to hear your thoughts!”
I wrote back to the email the same day, expressing interest for one of the mentioned restaurants with a close friend, for an upcoming Thursday night.
I soon after got a response saying they’d love to set this up for me, and asking for phone # for reservation confirmation, any dietary issues, etc.
Sounds good to go, right?
Not so much…
Several weeks go by and I emailed a few days ago to confirm this was confirmed. I got a response:
Hi Aly,
I do apologize for the delay here. Unfortunately, due to the recent surge in bookings for the start of April, the team has had to currently pause our media comps. However, if you're still keen on experiencing <insert name of restaurant) and have upcoming availability, I'd be delighted to arrange a media meet for us there.
Kind regards…
I mean, wow.
Note, I at no point had reached out to request a media comp, the email was something sent to me that I had simply accepted.
That invite was then, I guess, rescinded…yet they are not too busy to have me go there if it’s to meet with them (so availability did exist!), which is something I’d TOTALLY be on board with…had they not already sent an email inviting me and a guest, who I had already reached out to and invited and would then have to un-invite.
It’s not only professionally embarrassing but also personally embarrassing.
Don’t do this.
Media sees this often - I just last week had several emails offering me a sample of a product (also an email initiated by them, not be me, that I had simply said yes to after it was offered) only to not have it available once I responded expressing interest.
If you aren’t prepared to follow through and close the loop, don’t waste a journalist’s time. It quite simply leaves a really nasty taste in their mouth and turns them off to your client — a client, which, before this exchange, I was actually very excited about!
Remember, that the average food journalist gets dozens of media dine invites a week. We may simply accept one or two that we really think are a good fit for what we’re working on and our interests. If they say yes to you, chances are they already have a potential fit in mind…you’re screwing with them on several levels when you bait and switch like that, and it’s not a good look.
Anyway, moving on.
Job lead!
American Airlines is hiring for a Manager of Corporate Communications on the Commercial team. The ideal candidate will be a natural storyteller who loves connecting brand and corporate initiatives to timely consumer trends through both earned and owned media. This is a great opportunity to join a smart and FUN team making big moves that drive big impact.
Limited-time deals on consulting sessions and ad placement!
Reminder: I’m offering a limited-time special consulting session discount for paid subscribers: If you are a paid subscriber, you can for a limited time, get 25% off a virtual consulting session (where we can have your own private or agency-wide AMA session on anything you want to chat about!) — I have some slots open in the next few weeks, so if you or your agency is interested in booking one, email me today and we’ll chat details.
Flash sale: If you book a group subscription for your agency, you may be eligible for a FREE consulting session for your team (if you buy 12 or more seats as part of your annual group subscription). Email me so we can discuss!
I’m also 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!
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Thank you for helping get the word out!
We had an amazing turnout at our recent Mother’s Day gift guide pitching workshop — and there’s a full recording available for paid subscribers. If you are interested in me sending you the video link, drop me an email. Thanks so much for your support and happy gift guide pitching!
Related: We loved how many of attended you took the time to attend our webinar event last month, covering the upcoming ShareASale to Awin migration. We covered an overview of the migration process and timeline, pricing of networks, and choosing a network for your specific client needs. If you missed it, we do have a recording available for paid subscribers. Email if interested and I’ll share how to grab that recording as well!
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!)
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.
Apartment Therapy: I Tried the Pomodoro Technique for Tax Prep — Here’s Why I’ll Never Do It Another Way
Apartment Therapy: I Create a “KFP Area” for Passover Every Year, and It Keeps My Home So Organized Every Time
FoodNetwork.com: 2025 Tax Season Food Deals At Restaurants Nationwide
Today.com: Best drugstore wrinkle creams 2025, according to experts
Forbes.com: The Pizza Martini Creates A Sippable Version Of Everyone’s Favorite Snack
Forbes.com: 7 Celebratory Cocktails To Enjoy This Passover
Forbes.com: 17 Spring-Inspired Cocktails To Enjoy This Easter
Forbes.com: 15 Sustainable Cocktails To Enjoy During Earth Month
Travel & Leisure: I Travel Solo Often, and I Won’t Stay in Another Airbnb Without Packing This 1 Safety Device
Yahoo Life!: Best pedometers of 2025, tested and reviewed
Yahoo Life: The best black tea to brew in 2025, according to testers and experts
Travel & Leisure: I Found the Perfect Walking Shoes to Prevent Sore Feet During Travel — Score Styles on Sale Up to 62% Off
Apartment Therapy: The $3 Cleaning Gem I Use in Almost Every Room of My Small Apartment
Food Network: Popeyes Is Bringing Its Most Popular Sauces to Grocery Aisles.
Southern Living: KFC Is Bringing Back Their Most-Requested Side—But For 2 Weeks Only
Travel & Leisure: In-flight Theft Is Unfortunately a Thing, but These 12 Items Give Me Peace of Mind When I'm Traveling by Plane
Apartment Therapy: I Asked Pro Travelers to Share Their Packing Tips for Spring Break
RetailMeNot: How to Save Money on Groceries in 2025: 10 Tips That Actually Work
Southern Living: The Unexpected Reason I Always Travel With Duct Tape—And You Should Too
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.
Saatva
Biggest Bed Sizes: I’m working on a post for the Saatva blog on biggest bed sizes - and might need a bit of sleep expert commentary. Email if you have anyone (they cannot work for a competing mattress brand!)
Newsweek Reader’s Choice Nominations
As I have mentioned in the past, I’m on the committee of food and travel journalists that work on nominations for the Newsweek Readers Choice awards in a variety of categories. Currently working on categories that include: Best Meal Delivery Kits (nominees will be based on Food Quality: Are fresh ingredients provided? Is the food organic? Seasonal? Are the kits shipped in refrigerated boxes? Are steps taken to prevent cross contamination? Affordability: What is the cost per meal? How many meals are included in a subscription? How many people can the kit serve? Ease of Use: Are the recipes easy to follow? Are the instructions clear? Are the recipes easy to cook? Food Options: Are there options available for special dietary needs? Is there a variety of meals to choose from? Can subscribers skip/substitute a meal? (if applicable) Availability: How often do subscribers receive meals? (if applicable) Are all meals available year-round or are the meals based on seasonality?
Forbes
Mother’s Day Gift Guide: Ways to treat a long distance mom to a perfect Mother's Day dinner date - think in-home wine experiences and private chefs but also like a situation where you can ship a complete meal that just needs to be prepped or heated. For this one, trying to avoid the giant broader businesses with ready-made meals but more specific, regional or niche ones like the Maine Lobster option would be great.
How To Enhance Springtime Recipes With Specialty Pantry Items And Chef-Approved Tips - this is more of a how-to/explainer than a product/shopping guide, but I’m still totally open to include products that serve the story, and very up for chef commentary!
I’m still taking pitches of Mother’s Day inspired cocktails available at bars and restaurants!
I’m also still open to Passover-friendly cocktails at bars and restaurants.
<3
aly