Wednesday: Urgently sourcing expert commentary in several categories -- more info within today's email!
From my inbox: Maybe you should think twice before sending that commentary from the expert on your roster.
Good afternoon!
I apologize for the slight lateness of today’s email - I’m en route home from a WHIRLWIND few days in San Francisco and the morning sort of got away from me.
(But in my defense, I’m in the clouds somewhere above the west coast, and here it’s still barely noon!)
Right now: I’m urgently sourcing right now for sleep experts to chat about some of their favorite sleep trackers (email me for more specific questions - no, it can’t be one you work with or for!), as well as RDs, organization experts, travel pros, chefs, and bartenders to give commentary for other pending stories. Scroll below to see what I’m working on — and email me at alywalansky@gmail.com if you have a potential fit.
I had an amazing few days, eating and drinking and exploring, and I absolutely LOVED everything about this trip. Check out some fun snaps on my Instagram feed below.
About expert commentary…
This morning, I received an email from a publicist who had seen a story had published and she was inquiring why her expert’s commentary had not been used.
The reason? I had sent a list of questions for that expert to answer…they responded with several sentences (total. as in, didn’t answer the questions, and instead gave what I what was more their general take on the topic.)
If you want to be included in a story, contribute something of value to that story. Answer questions fully and completely and give some organic, authentic, original thought to it. Don’t veer off topic. Don’t ignore the questions and send some other commentary instead. Don’t send pull quotes from your own book or blog or published material. Obey deadlines.
We’ve chatted about this before, as far as giving answers that are substantial enough to cover the topic (no one can use one word answers), and more..but here’s some quick reminders:
Is the expert credible?
Your client may be the nicest person ever, but if they are a yoga instructor, that doesn't mean they are qualified to weigh in on organization techniques. We run into this a lot, where people who are baristas by day will respond to queries looking for travel experts. It's important that an expert is credible to the topic that is being discussed, and is credentialed in their field, if it is applicable. Also, in many instances, we need to avoid brand affiliations in responses. If I need a nutritionist, sometimes I can't use a nutritionist that works with a brand, as that may be a conflict of interest.
Size matters
Sorry, but it does. I can't quote you if you send a bullet point list or 3-word answers. That's just not going to be quotable in a meaningful way. Try to think in terms of a conversation. If we were sitting across from each other in a bar, and you answered in one word, that'd not be a conversation. Any time you are asked a question to be quoted in a publication try where possible to give a response that is at least a few sentences and fully answers the question being posed. It makes it a lot more likely your responses can be used.
IT MUST BE ORIGINAL
Putting this in caps, but god, it's so important and deserves it. Please never send me quotes you've sent to others. Please never give me an excerpt from a blog post you wrote or an article you wrote or a book you wrote and pretend it's original commentary for me. I can not, and never will, publish anything that has already appeared elsewhere. And if you are copying something that appeared in someone ELSE"S blog/article/commentary, that's even worse. That's plagiarism. And if I catch it, I'll never use your commentary ever again.
Give me a NAME
If I am quoting you, please include your name and how you wish to be credited. Remember that I can only quote ONE person per quote. (I get a lot of emails that try to cite two people or a team for a statement.) When choosing a quote, choose one person to be quoted, and be sure to get their credit accurate. Asking for updates after the fact makes things a lot harder.
Avoid name-dropping
Now, If I am writing a beauty story and you are talking about ways to recreate The Duchess of Sussex’s hairstyle at a recent event, obviously you can chat about Meghan by name. It's relevant. But if I am quoting you about pumpkin butter, please don't mention 4 times in one paragraph that your client/company makes pumpkin seed butter and why it's the best. This is not an ad, it's supposed to be expert commentary from a reliable and credible source.
And finally, respect deadlines.
If I give you a deadline, it's not just for fun and giggles. It's because it's when I need to receive your answers so I can write the story and submit it and meet MY deadline. If you agree to give commentary and then your plans change, or your client disappears on you and stops answering (which people tell me often is what happens!) please DO NOT GHOST ON ME. Let me know. If I know, I can always find another source...but if I'm waiting on you, I'm losing precious time on my side. Please respect that.
Save the date!
I recently appeared on Estelle Erasmus’s Freelance Writing Direct Podcast. In the episode, we got in depth on topics ranging from finding a niche in writing and how best to use Substack in our industry (especially when it comes to time management!) to the secrets to building sustainable relationships…and so much more. SO much more, in fact, that Estelle and I had the idea to do a joint AMA for our Substack audiences soon! Tune in Thursday, September 5 at 4:30 PM ET for a Mental Margarita AMA Chat with Journalists Aly Walansky and Estelle Erasmus (yes, we’re going for happy hour format on this one!), where we’ll open the floor to questions from journalists and PR and anyone else who wants to stop by. We are limited (by Zoom’s attendee cap) to 100 participants, so sign up now and register your questions in advance!RSVP: Email at alywalansky@gmail.com (please start a new email thread and don’t just hit reply on this one) if you are interested in attending and we'll share the Zoom link when we confirm. Priority for this Zoom event will go to paid subscribers but we’ll open the velvet rope to all subscribers if space allows! And if you have questions you want to send in advance, feel free — but you can always ask them live day-of!
I’m offering a BOGO deal on new paid subscriptions!
As I mentioned recently, it’s tumultuous times all around. And we’re all feeling it pretty deeply.
If you show me some love (and this community some love!) by upgrading your free subscription to a paid one right now (either monthly OR annual), I have a gift for you: you can choose any friend or colleague to get the same upgrade — free.
How do you claim? Just upgrade your subscription (or upgrade a group) at the links below and email me at alywalansky@gmail.com — then give me the name and email address of a person you wish to upgrade. Buy an annual, give a free annual. Buy a monthly, get a free monthly.
Just my way of supporting the community and sharing the love whenever we can.
We all could use it.
The steepest discount I’ve ever offered on consulting sessions
In exciting news, I’m doing something I’ve never done before: I’m currently offering 20% discounts on my virtual consulting/lunch & learn sessions. Times are really tough and I am hoping to make these insights as accessible as possible to any of you who are interested. If you want to schedule a session for yourself or your team, to discuss anything from planning an event, media dinner, or press trip to mailers, pitching best practices, followups to…well… anything else…drop me an email at alywalansky@gmail.com and lets chat!
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: Alaska Airlines Adds Taste Of San Francisco To Popular Route
Plate Magazine: There’s Not One But Two Fillings in the Cheese Course-Inspired Ravioli at Dario
Yahoo Life: The best cooling fans of 2024, tested and reviewed
Travel & Leisure: These Arch Support Sandals Are the Only Shoes I Wear in the Summer — and They’re Only $47
Forbes: I rounded up some of the most creative potato dishes across the country.
Food Network: Erewhon’s Newest Smoothie Is an Energy Drink
Parade Magazine: This No-Tears Method Is How You Should Actually Cut an Onion, According to Chefs
RetailMeNot: Why Costco Is the Ultimate Place to Shop (And Save) on Spices
Food Network: Hungry for the Paris Olympics? Here’s How Some of Your Favorite Chains Are Celebrating
Southern Living: How To Store Cut Cantaloupe So It Stays Fresh And Delicious Longer
Saatva: The Best Nighttime Dental Routine for a Healthy Smile
Apartment Therapy: I Sent a Pro Organizer a Photo of My Cluttered Medicine Cabinet, and Here’s How She Fixed It
Travel & Leisure: You Don't Want to Step Foot in a Waterpark Without These 18 Essentials From Just $9
Food Network: You Can Now Get IHOP’s Famous Syrups by the Bottle
Yahoo Life: What is a siesta? The history of the afternoon nap and its benefits
Apartment Therapy: We Asked 8 Pro Travelers What They Never Pack in Their Carry-On and Here’s What They Said
Plate: Vinyl Record Bars Are Taking Over and We’re Not Mad About It.
Southern Living: This Free Packing Spreadsheet Is Going Viral — Here's Why
RetailMeNot: How Bulk Buying Helps Me Maintain My Household Grocery Budget – and Stay Well-Stocked
Travel & Leisure: This Genius Gadget Is the Travel Accessory Everyone's Wearing to Stay Cool in the Heat — and It's 20% Of
Apartment Therapy: We Asked 6 Travel Writers for Their Best Packing Hacks, and Their Tips Are Ingenious.
Travel & Leisure: I Always Wear These Comfy, Wide-leg Amazon Pants on Flights — Plus, 13 More Pairs I'm Eyeing From $12
Travel & Leisure: Frequent Fliers Say This Genius Hack Makes It Feel Like They've Upgraded Their Seat — and It's Only $35
Apartment Therapy, I’m a Travel Writer and This Is My Time-Saving Packing Hack
RetailMeNot: Don’t Spend a Fortune at Those Salad Places: How I Build My Own Salads At Home
Travel + Leisure: The One Safety Item You're Likely Forgetting to Pack, According to a Longtime Solo Female Traveler
RetailMeNot: How Using My Air Fryer Makes Cooking on a Small Budget (and In a Small Space) Possible
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.
Newsweek Readers' Choice Awards
I’m participating once again in the panel of experts for the Newsweek Readers' Choice Awards (you may recall I recently participated in nominations in the Best Mattress, best gourmet subscription box category and best outdoor grill. As part of this program, I’m part of panel of travel/food experts who helped to create nominee lists for the Readers Choice Awards in a variety of categories, and my next categories will be packing cubes and sheets. If you have any you think should be on my radar, drop me a line!
Apartment Therapy
Sorry But Your Luggage Is Disgusting, Here's Why You Need to Clean It: Ahead of Labor Day travel, I’m working on a post dedicated to the fact that your luggage is actually really gross and you need to be cleaning it — here's why. I’m looking to speak to pro travelers on their thoughts/advice/tips about cleaning luggage before, during, and after travel plans.
We Asked TK Pro Travelers How They Keep Their Luggage Clean, and Here’s What They Said: A related but distinct story on a similar topic: This one will be focused on the one key thing travel pros do to keep their luggage clean, like this story.
I Sent a Pro Organizer Photos of My Messy Cord Clutter, Here's How They Fixed It: My small apartment is OVER RUN with chargers and cables, and it's not only messy, it's dangerous and a safety hazard. I’m looking to speak to an organization expert about how I could go about (as someone who works from home and has a lot of tech) getting rid of extra chargers and consolidate, and then follow their advice (with before, after, during photos, much like my medicine cabinet story recently). Also open to product pitches as to products that may help with this messy cord clutter.
Clean Plates
For Clean Plates, I’m working on a piece on smarter grocery shopping and why you should be adding Ceylon cinnamon to your cart. I’m looking for a RD to chat with over email, as to how/why Ceylon is better than cassia, along with some other health/wellness benefits, and we can chat, nutritionally, about savory as well as sweet applications, too.
Forbes
I’m rounding up creative/interesting avocado-centric dishes (or drinks!), so start thinking on those if you have anything that may be a fit! Note: ANYTHING pitched for these stories MUST exist on the menu at a bar or restaurant (I got about a dozen pitches for both in the last 24 hours that seemed to miss that part.)
I’m also rounding up fun cheeseburgers to check out for National Cheeseburger Day on Sept. 18.
For both, please keep in mind the following parameters: Name of dish, name of restaurant (city, state, URL), description, quote about dish (and who to credit for the quote), and an image (with photo credit) — via dropbox link, not as an attachment. (Please make sure to have ALL these components before pitching.)
Yahoo Life
I’m done sourcing sleep trackers as well as expert commentary on what to look for in a sleep tracker, but I could use some credentialed experts to give their thoughts on a few specific sleep trackers that I’m writing about (note, you cannot be affiliated a sleep tracker brand or product in any way, please).
Plate Magazine
I’m putting out bites/drinks of the week feelers, which is sort of a drink/dish spotlight piece. (Some examples are this Peruvian-inspired sweet potato in Savannah and a molecular banana daiquiri in Chicago.) Basically if you are pitching me something for this, think along the lines of: Is this dish/bite something new? What interesting techniques are used to make it come together? If the technique is simple, what’s the hook? An interesting ingredient? Something being made in house or in an interesting way? What’s the story behind the dish? What inspired it? Is there a cultural/family story behind the dish? An ingredient the chef got their hands on? Love to hear what you might have for me!
I’m also seeking pitches along the theme of embracing imperfection. We all have discovered that we can learn rather than hide, from mistakes, and hopefully grow from it —so I’m looking for food/restaurant pitches along these lines - unexpected substitutions that worked better than the original plan—be it a space, a dish, a city, or a team member. Maybe “ugly” dishes or last-minute modifications in a pinch that made all the difference. Basically how restaurants and chefs are using imperfect solutions to make magic happen.
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<3
aly