Today is one of those days.

Play along with me: Today, in the span of roughy 6 hours, I have a lunch meeting, and two media events to attend, and each one is in a very different neighborhoods, during a week that the city is under gridlock alert. And somewhere in between all of that, hopefully an hour or two to actually get some work done. Because, believe it or not, for those playing at home, when you’re a freelancer, there’s a whole lot of aspects of your work day that while look like work and feel like work, don’t actually chip away at your to-do list or your bottom line.

It’s all very glamorous.

I’m very much a creature of habit, and my productivity often comes from sitting in the same spot on the same couch for the same span of hours each work day. That’s how this newsletter is always written at the same time, and how I get the bulk of my work done in the way they do, But days like these, they happen, and they happen in the gaps.

Today’s plan to get my emails and my writing and my editing done between those three geographically complicated commitments is a hotel lobby between appointments, coffee shop near the next event, and hopefully at some point, a quiet corner with decent Wi-Fi and an outlet.

When your day is fragmented, you stop waiting for perfect conditions and start focusing on what can actually be accomplished in the time you have.

I’ve learned there are certain tasks that are perfect for “90-Minute Office” mode: This may include responding to emails, organizing pitches, sending follow-ups, administrative tasks, research, outlining stories, or editing drafts.

And there are tasks that are usually better saved for when you’re back at your actual desk, such as deep reporting, long-form writing, complex projects requiring lots of tabs and concentration, and anything that will make you irrationally angry if the Wi-Fi cuts out.

The trick isn’t trying to recreate your normal workday from a coffee shop. I’d love to do that. It’s next to impossible. For me, the trick is matching the work to the environment.

A surprising amount of progress can happen in small pockets of time when you stop treating them like waiting rooms and start treating them like work sessions. We all have a lot of travel and a lot of commitments as part of our work routine, and not every workday will be neat. Sometimes productivity looks less like an office (I mean, what’s that? I’ve never had an office!) and more like balancing a laptop on a tiny café table while keeping one eye on the clock and wondering if this place has a functional bathroom.

But for real, those little windows of time add up faster than most people realize, and help you get enough done to not be a monster tomorrow.

Remember, we're all just doing our best out here.

Job lead!

Hamilton Beach Brands Inc. is hiring for an entry-level PR role. I love this team! They are so fun and lovely to work with, so apply if this is you or could be.

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Give a gift subscription

Share

Book your consulting session!

I still have some space available the remainder of 2026!

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.

Share

Be sure to follow me on the Yahoo Creators platform. I’m 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!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Leave a comment

Share

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!

Share

Leave a comment

Tools of the Trade

It's June now and we're in the last weeks of dad/grad gift guide season, but holiday season is going to be here very soon. Now is when it's most crucial to hone our pitching skills and put our best effort forward. The Recipe for Press Media Directory is a one-stop resource for everything you need to do just that. It's an essential and affordable database aimed toward top editors, digital editors and freelance writers in home, food, fashion, travel, business and lifestyle. Founded by former editor and author Amy Flurry in 2014, the directory features emails, titles, active social media addresses, and a notes section with submission guidelines. It's created for people in the trenches by someone who knows how editors want to be pitched. This is why leading publicists, editors, and entrepreneurs across the country, including me, widely use and recommend it! Annual subscription price is $195.

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

Exciting news from our friend Sarah Karger (who you’ve seen as the star expert panelist for several of our gift guide pitching workshops!) - she 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.

Share

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!)

• Food Network: 18 Food Deals and Freebies To Celebrate Dad This Father’s Day

• Yahoo: 9 Grilling Myths You Can Stop Believing

• Yahoo: 13 Trader Joe’s Dairy-Free Items That Actually Taste Good

• Travel & Leisure: I Travel for Work, and These Are the 5 Genius Hacks That Save Me From Luggage Messes and Spills—From $4

• Travel & Leisure: I’ve Been Solo Traveling for 25 Years—12 Mistakes That Cause the Biggest Headaches, and How to Prevent Them

• Forbes.com: 20 Great Variations On The Classic Martini

• Forbes.com: 15 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Sushi This Summer

• Southern Living: I Tried Trader Joe’s New Marinated Mozzarella Balls—Now I’m Using Them In Nearly Every Meal

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And This Cruise Hack Gets Me An Empty Pool, No Buffet Lines, And A Better Vacation

• Yahoo: Honor his spirit of adventure with 20 travel-centric Father’s Day gifts

• Southern Living: I’ve Tried Every Way To Bake A Potato—This 1 Wins Every Time

• Forbes.com: 15 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Lobster This Summer

• Yahoo: 15 Father’s Day gifts perfect for the foodie dad

• Yahoo: 12 Father's Day gifts he'll love if his man cave is all about the music

• Forbes.com: 7 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Falafel This Summer

• Travel & Leisure: Travelers Swear by This Personal Safety Device

• Southern Living: This Store-Bought Baked Beans Brand Was The Clear Favorite Among Southern Chefs.

• Dining Out NY: Vegas is Taking Over New York, One Flashy Dinner at a Time

• Southern Living: Can You Freeze Baked Beans Without Ruining The Texture?

• Travel & Leisure: Frequent Fliers Say This Genius Hack Makes It Feel Like They’ve Upgraded Their Seat—and It’s Only $35

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Frequent Solo Traveler, and This Genius Safety Device Gives Me Peace of Mind in Every Airbnb

• Food Network: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day

• Yahoo: The best cooling fans of 2026, tested and reviewed

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And My Friends And I Are Obsessed With This App For Tracking Each Other’s Flights

• Travel & Leisure: I Fly Around the Country for Work, and This Roomy Tote Is My No. 1 Airport Essential for Looking Put Together.

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Solo Traveler of 25 Years, and These Are the 18 Products I Swear By for Personal Safety in 2026

• Travel & Leisure: Traveling Alone Can Be Expensive—Here Are 15 Budget-friendly Hacks That Save Me Money

• Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook

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.

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

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.

Tip: If you want any guidance on how to pitch for gift guides more successfully, be sure to check out the complete webinar recording linked here — it’s free!

Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!

Food Network

I’m rounding up chain restaurants and QSRs doing special freebies, deals, and discounts in honor of your birthday. Same format as my usual deals roundups (see a recent one here: 18 Food Deals and Freebies To Celebrate Dad This Father’s Day), just send me what the deal is, where it is valid, how to claim it, and any related images and social media links by EOD.

Southern Living

I’m working on a story on Mistakes Diners Make That Frustrate Restaurant Servers. I’d love some commentary from servers about things that people do that aren't helpful or slow down service or just plain get in the way.

I’d also love some commentary from southern chefs the one product they never leave Trader Joe’s without -- I’m adding the answers to my shopping list!

Forbes.com

It’s almost National Caviar Day and I’m looking for creative, interesting, delicious dishes or cocktails involving caviar.

To pitch, please include:

• Name of drink/dish

• description

• quote from chef/bartender about dish (and name and title of person being quoted)

• and LINK to image, with an identifying file name, and any appropriate photo credits included

  (I know I give these guidelines over and over, but every day I get dozens of pitches that disregard them, so it bears repeating! <3)!

Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com asap please! All the same parameters will apply when emailing.

Thanks!

Subscribe now

Share

As I mentioned yesterday, I was at the dentist this week getting my teeth cleaned.

As one does during a dental cleaning, I was attempting to make small talk while someone had both hands and several instruments inside my mouth.

My hygienist asked what I do for work.

“I’m a writer,” I said.

“Oh, me too!” she replied.

Interesting.

“What do you write?” I asked.

She explained that she writes sci-fi fan fiction. Now, not to be an asshole, but as far as I’m concerned, fan fiction is to writing basically the same as being a member of a cover band is to being a songwriter.

Both may require creativity, effort, and skill. But absolutely not the same type. It’s not the same thing. I will die on that hill. But anyway, before I could ask any follow-up questions, she hit me with this: “Being a writer must be so easy these days when you can just push a button and have AI do it for you.”

I laughed. WAIT, WHAT?!

Or as close as I could to laughing with said instruments in my mouth. At least I think I laughed. It’s hard to know exactly what sound you make when your mouth is occupied.

But then I explained that journalists don’t actually use AI that way. The real ones, at least. MAYBE those who are writing sci-fi fan fiction do, but I wouldn’t know. The kind of writing I do? Absolutely not. Not whatsoever. Reported stories require interviews, fact-checking, sourcing, context, judgment, and actual reporting. And, actual writing. And actual creativity. And actual original thought. And actual voice that came from an actual person with actual thoughts.

She looked at me like I had just told her the moon was made of mozzarella.

Then she scoffed.

And because I was trapped in a reclining chair with limited ability to defend myself, I spent the rest of the cleaning thinking about something completely different:

Not AI (god help us, make it go away), and not journalism. And seriously obviously not fan fiction, which I haven’t considered actual writing since I passed through writing Buffy/Angel erotica 25 years ago, but really the concept of confidence.

Specifically, I was thinking about the fascinating difference between how experts think about their work versus how outsiders think about it.

I know a lot of writers, and almost every one of them suffers from some version of imposter syndrome. I suffer from EXTREME imposter syndrome every day, and just about all of us do. We wonder if the story is good enough. We wonder if the pitch is good enough. We worry that we missed something. We question whether another interview would have made it stronger. We rewrite headlines seventeen times. We stare at drafts we’ve already revised and think, “Maybe this is terrible.”

At least half of the time, we’re pretty sure we’re terrible at everything, and everyone hates us, and it’s all about to be over, and that’s kind of the point.

The more experienced someone becomes, the more aware they seem to be of everything they don’t know. Meanwhile, the most confident assessment of journalism I heard all week came from someone who doesn’t work in journalism, never has, and never will.

Honestly, I think this happens everywhere. A chef knows exactly how many things can go wrong in a kitchen. A publicist knows how much work goes into securing coverage. A photographer knows how much skill exists behind what looks like a simple image. A restaurateur knows how many moving parts are required to create a seamless dining experience.

The people closest to the work understand its complexity, the people furthest from it often assume it’s simple. The chef worries the sauce isn’t perfect. The journalist worries the story could be stronger. The publicist worries the pitch isn’t compelling enough.

The expert sees the thousand invisible decisions and everything that can and has gone wrong. The outsider sees the finished product. And when you only see the finished product, it all looks easy.

That’s actually one of the strange ironies of expertise: The better you become at something, the more effortless it appears to everyone else.

Nobody sees the years behind it, nobody sees the mistakes. Nobody sees the failed drafts, the rejected pitches, the missed opportunities, the stories that never came together, the campaigns that didn’t land.

They only see the final result.

So maybe imposter syndrome isn’t always evidence that you’re an imposter. Maybe it’s evidence that you understand how much goes into doing something well. And maybe the next time you’re feeling uncertain about your expertise, it’s worth remembering: Somewhere out there, someone who has never done your job is absolutely convinced it can be replaced by a button.

And somehow, they’re the confident one.

The less someone knows about a profession, the more likely they are to think it’s easy.

Which, if we’re being honest, is something we run into all the time.

• “Can’t you just get me in the New York Times?”

• “Can you make this go viral?”

• “Why isn’t this story published yet?”

• “Can’t AI write the pitch?”

The people asking those questions aren’t usually malicious. They just don’t understand how it works because they are not the one doing the job, we are. The chef sees the prep, the publicist sees the relationship-building, the journalist sees the reporting, the photographer sees the editing, the event planner sees the thousand tiny logistics. Everyone else just sees the finished plate.

The Older I Get, the More Suspicious I Am of Certainty

The smartest people I know tend to speak in probabilities.

“I think.”

“In my experience.”

“Usually.”

“It depends.”

Meanwhile, the people with the strongest opinions are often operating with the least information. Confidence and expertise are not always traveling together. In fact, they’re often not even in the same room. In the age of social media, everyone is suddenly an expert in journalism, PR, restaurants, medicine, travel, politics, marketing, and apparently artificial intelligence.

Yesterday, we talked about how things don’t always behave the way we’re told they’re supposed to. Baby teeth sometimes stick around for 40 years. But today, maybe we take that further: Experts don’t always look the way we’re told they’re supposed to. The real experts are often the ones still questioning themselves.

The people who think they’ve got it all figured out are frequently the ones who haven’t yet discovered how complicated the thing actually is.

Which I hope will ultimately be a more useful takeaway than '“my dental hygienist annoyed the heck out of me.”

Though, for the record, she absolutely did.

Job lead! Hamilton Beach Brands Inc. is hiring for an entry-level PR role. I love this team! They are so fun and lovely to work with, so apply if this is you or could be.

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Give a gift subscription

Share

Book your consulting session!

I still have some space available the remainder of 2026!

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.

Share

Be sure to follow me on the Yahoo Creators platform. I’m 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!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Leave a comment

Share

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!

Share

Leave a comment

Tools of the Trade

It's June now and we're in the last weeks of dad/grad gift guide season, but holiday season is going to be here very soon. Now is when it's most crucial to hone our pitching skills and put our best effort forward. The Recipe for Press Media Directory is a one-stop resource for everything you need to do just that. It's an essential and affordable database aimed toward top editors, digital editors and freelance writers in home, food, fashion, travel, business and lifestyle. Founded by former editor and author Amy Flurry in 2014, the directory features emails, titles, active social media addresses, and a notes section with submission guidelines. It's created for people in the trenches by someone who knows how editors want to be pitched. This is why leading publicists, editors, and entrepreneurs across the country, including me, widely use and recommend it! Annual subscription price is $195.

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

Exciting news from our friend Sarah Karger (who you’ve seen as the star expert panelist for several of our gift guide pitching workshops!) - she 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.

Share

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!)

• Food Network: 18 Food Deals and Freebies To Celebrate Dad This Father’s Day

• Travel & Leisure: I Travel for Work, and These Are the 5 Genius Hacks That Save Me From Luggage Messes and Spills—From $4

• Travel & Leisure: I’ve Been Solo Traveling for 25 Years—12 Mistakes That Cause the Biggest Headaches, and How to Prevent Them

• Forbes.com: 20 Great Variations On The Classic Martini

• Forbes.com: 15 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Sushi This Summer

• Southern Living: I Tried Trader Joe’s New Marinated Mozzarella Balls—Now I’m Using Them In Nearly Every Meal

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And This Cruise Hack Gets Me An Empty Pool, No Buffet Lines, And A Better Vacation

• Yahoo: Honor his spirit of adventure with 20 travel-centric Father’s Day gifts

• Southern Living: I’ve Tried Every Way To Bake A Potato—This 1 Wins Every Time

• Forbes.com: 15 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Lobster This Summer

• Yahoo: 15 Father’s Day gifts perfect for the foodie dad

• Yahoo: 12 Father's Day gifts he'll love if his man cave is all about the music

• Forbes.com: 7 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Falafel This Summer

• Travel & Leisure: Travelers Swear by This Personal Safety Device

• Southern Living: This Store-Bought Baked Beans Brand Was The Clear Favorite Among Southern Chefs.

• Dining Out NY: Vegas is Taking Over New York, One Flashy Dinner at a Time

• Southern Living: Can You Freeze Baked Beans Without Ruining The Texture?

• Travel & Leisure: Frequent Fliers Say This Genius Hack Makes It Feel Like They’ve Upgraded Their Seat—and It’s Only $35

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Frequent Solo Traveler, and This Genius Safety Device Gives Me Peace of Mind in Every Airbnb

• Food Network: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day

• Yahoo: The best cooling fans of 2026, tested and reviewed

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And My Friends And I Are Obsessed With This App For Tracking Each Other’s Flights

• Travel & Leisure: I Fly Around the Country for Work, and This Roomy Tote Is My No. 1 Airport Essential for Looking Put Together.

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Solo Traveler of 25 Years, and These Are the 18 Products I Swear By for Personal Safety in 2026

• Travel & Leisure: Traveling Alone Can Be Expensive—Here Are 15 Budget-friendly Hacks That Save Me Money

• Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook

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.

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

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.

Tip: If you want any guidance on how to pitch for gift guides more successfully, be sure to check out the complete webinar recording linked here — it’s free!

Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!

Food Network

I’m rounding up chain restaurants and QSRs doing special freebies, deals, and discounts in honor of your birthday. Same format as my usual deals roundups (see a recent one here: 18 Food Deals and Freebies To Celebrate Dad This Father’s Day), just send me what the deal is, where it is valid, how to claim it, and any related images and social media links by EOD.

Southern Living

I’m working on a story on Mistakes Diners Make That Frustrate Restaurant Servers. I’d love some commentary from servers about things that people do that aren't helpful or slow down service or just plain get in the way.

I’d also love some commentary from southern chefs the one product they never leave Trader Joe’s without -- I’m adding the answers to my shopping list!

Newsweek Readers Choice

Some Newsweek Readers Choice Awards updates: This week, the AIRLINE TRAVEL nominations launched, and HOME GOODS winners were announced yesterday too (think mattresses, sheets, vacuums, air purifiers, etc). Stop by to see who won!

Meanwhile I’m working on nominations in the following new categories, so email me if your clients may be a potential fit so I can take a look.

TREAT YOURSELF
Best Massage Chain (e.g., Massage Envy, Hand & Stone, Elements Massage)
Best Ice Cream Chain (e.g., Cold Stone, Ben & Jerry’s, Salt & Straw)
Best Bakery Chain (e.g., Levain, Crumbl, Magnolia Bakery)
Best Pampering Product
Best Clean Beauty Brand
Best Beauty Retailer (e.g., Sephora, Ulta)

BRIGHT FUTURES
Best Supplemental Learning Program (e.g., Code Ninjas, Mad Science, Engineering for Kids)
Best Test Prep Provider (e.g., Princeton Review, Kaplan, Magoosh)
Best Language Learning App (e.g., Duolingo, Babbel, Rosetta Stone)
Best Online Tutoring for Students (e.g., Wyzant, Varsity Tutors, Preply)
Best Online Learning for Professionals (e.g., Coursera, MasterClass, LinkedIn Learning)

EAT YOUR HEART OUT
Best Chain Pizza (e.g., Domino’s, Papa John’s, Marco’s)
Best Chicken Chain (e.g., Chick-fil-A, Raising Cane’s, Popeyes)
Best Burger Chain (e.g., In-N-Out, Five Guys, Shake Shack)
Best Breakfast Chain (e.g., First Watch, IHOP, Cracker Barrel)

Forbes.com

It’s almost National Caviar Day and I’m looking for creative, interesting, delicious dishes or cocktails involving caviar.

To pitch, please include:

• Name of drink/dish

• description

• quote from chef/bartender about dish (and name and title of person being quoted)

• and LINK to image, with an identifying file name, and any appropriate photo credits included

  (I know I give these guidelines over and over, but every day I get dozens of pitches that disregard them, so it bears repeating! <3)!

Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com asap please! All the same parameters will apply when emailing.

Yahoo Creators

I’ve published a handful of Father’s Day gift guides, but I’m still sourcing for final updates to these guides over the next few days. To pitch me for these, please be sure to include name of product, description, link to imagery, price, and retailer availability - even better if it’s available at Amazon or another major online retailer. If it’s available at several retailers, please share all the links. Leaning toward gadget, tech, office, travel, culinary wellness, and home gifts in these ones.

I’m also working on a roundup of the best places to eat at LGA, EWR, MSY and JFK. If you have anything to pitch me, send info my way :)

Thanks!

Subscribe now

Share

Fun fact about me: I’m in my 40s and still have two baby teeth.

Apparently, this is a lot more common than most people realize. In fact, I have known this weird factoid about myself for decades, and yet it generally only comes up during dental appointments, which is exactly what happened just a few days ago during a routine checkup.

However, while I was at my cleaning appointment the other day, my dentist confirmed what I already was beginning to realize: One of those baby teeth—which has been faithfully showing up to work for over four decades—is finally starting to loosen.

And while that sounds mildly alarming, it also got me thinking about how obsessed we are with expiration dates. Not actual expiration dates, but the ones we make up for ourselves (or worse, for others).

In our industry, we love declaring that things finished. Remember when blogging was dead? And then newsletters were dead? And then Facebook was dead? If you listen to what people say, nobody reads anymore. Nobody pays attention anymore. Nobody wants any of the things we’re all still very actively doing anymore.

And yet somehow, these supposedly obsolete things continue doing their jobs. (Much like the tiny baby tooth currently hanging on in the back of my mouth.)

The funny thing is that my tooth didn’t survive because it reinvented itself. It never got to have a pivot or a rebrand or disrupt an industry. It simply kept doing what it was supposed to do. For my entire life.

It’s actually kind of a reminder that sometimes, that’s totally enough. We’re often so focused on finding the next thing that we overlook the value of the thing that’s already working, that we’re already doing. Whether you want so badly that next BIG get of a publication, you forget to appreciate publication that’s been covering you for years or the relationship you’ve maintained for a decade or the email newsletter you’ve read or sent consistently every week. Or maybe for a brand it’s a product customers keep buying or for PR, a pitch angle that still earns coverage or the platform everyone swears is dead but continues sending traffic.

My baby tooth and the utter existence of email newsletters such as this one have something in common: Both were declared obsolete years ago, and both are still here causing problems for people who underestimated them.

Not everything old is outdated, and not everything established needs replacing, and not everything needs a dramatic reinvention. Sometimes being around for a while isn’t a sign that something has overstayed its welcome.

Sometimes longevity is evidence that it still works.

My baby tooth was apparently supposed to leave about 30 years ago. Instead, it stuck around, quietly handling its responsibilities and refusing to acknowledge the timeline everyone expected it to follow.

There may be a lesson in that. Before you retire something, replace something, or declare something obsolete, ask one simple question:

Is it actually broken?

Or are you just assuming it should have disappeared by now? Because sometimes the things with the longest lifespan are the ones that never stopped doing their job in the first place.

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Give a gift subscription

Share

Book your consulting session!

I still have some space available the remainder of 2026!

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.

Share

Be sure to follow me on the Yahoo Creators platform. I’m 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!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Leave a comment

Share

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!

Share

Leave a comment

Tools of the Trade

It's June now and we're in the last weeks of dad/grad gift guide season, but holiday season is going to be here very soon. Now is when it's most crucial to hone our pitching skills and put our best effort forward. The Recipe for Press Media Directory is a one-stop resource for everything you need to do just that. It's an essential and affordable database aimed toward top editors, digital editors and freelance writers in home, food, fashion, travel, business and lifestyle. Founded by former editor and author Amy Flurry in 2014, the directory features emails, titles, active social media addresses, and a notes section with submission guidelines. It's created for people in the trenches by someone who knows how editors want to be pitched. This is why leading publicists, editors, and entrepreneurs across the country, including me, widely use and recommend it! Annual subscription price is $195.

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

Exciting news from our friend Sarah Karger (who you’ve seen as the star expert panelist for several of our gift guide pitching workshops!) - she 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.

Share

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: I Travel for Work, and These Are the 5 Genius Hacks That Save Me From Luggage Messes and Spills—From $4

• Travel & Leisure: I’ve Been Solo Traveling for 25 Years—12 Mistakes That Cause the Biggest Headaches, and How to Prevent Them

• Forbes.com: 20 Great Variations On The Classic Martini

• Forbes.com: 15 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Sushi This Summer

• Southern Living: I Tried Trader Joe’s New Marinated Mozzarella Balls—Now I’m Using Them In Nearly Every Meal

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And This Cruise Hack Gets Me An Empty Pool, No Buffet Lines, And A Better Vacation

• Yahoo: Honor his spirit of adventure with 20 travel-centric Father’s Day gifts

• Southern Living: I’ve Tried Every Way To Bake A Potato—This 1 Wins Every Time

• Forbes.com: 15 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Lobster This Summer

• Yahoo: 15 Father’s Day gifts perfect for the foodie dad

• Yahoo: 12 Father's Day gifts he'll love if his man cave is all about the music

• Forbes.com: 7 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Falafel This Summer

• Travel & Leisure: Travelers Swear by This Personal Safety Device

• Southern Living: This Store-Bought Baked Beans Brand Was The Clear Favorite Among Southern Chefs.

• Dining Out NY: Vegas is Taking Over New York, One Flashy Dinner at a Time

• Southern Living: Can You Freeze Baked Beans Without Ruining The Texture?

• Travel & Leisure: Frequent Fliers Say This Genius Hack Makes It Feel Like They’ve Upgraded Their Seat—and It’s Only $35

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Frequent Solo Traveler, and This Genius Safety Device Gives Me Peace of Mind in Every Airbnb

• Food Network: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day

• Yahoo: The best cooling fans of 2026, tested and reviewed

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And My Friends And I Are Obsessed With This App For Tracking Each Other’s Flights

• Travel & Leisure: I Fly Around the Country for Work, and This Roomy Tote Is My No. 1 Airport Essential for Looking Put Together.

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Solo Traveler of 25 Years, and These Are the 18 Products I Swear By for Personal Safety in 2026

• Travel & Leisure: Traveling Alone Can Be Expensive—Here Are 15 Budget-friendly Hacks That Save Me Money

• Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook

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.

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

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.

Tip: If you want any guidance on how to pitch for gift guides more successfully, be sure to check out the complete webinar recording linked here — it’s free!

Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!

Food Network

I’m rounding up chain restaurants and QSRs doing special freebies, deals, and discounts in honor of Father’s Day. Same format as my usual deals roundups (see a recent one here: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day), just send me what the deal is, where it is valid, how to claim it, and any related images and social media links by EOW.

I’m also sourcing for a a roundup of little treats you can get for free on your birthday, so if you have any to pitch for this one, please do by EOW.

Southern Living

I’m working on a story on Mistakes Diners Make That Frustrate Restaurant Servers. I’d love some commentary from servers about things that people do that aren't helpful or slow down service or just plain get in the way.

I’d also love some commentary from southern chefs the one product they never leave Trader Joe’s without -- I’m adding the answers to my shopping list!

Newsweek Readers Choice

Some Newsweek Readers Choice Awards updates: This week, the AIRLINE TRAVEL nominations launched, and HOME GOODS winners were announced yesterday too (think mattresses, sheets, vacuums, air purifiers, etc). Stop by to see who won!

Meanwhile I’m working on nominations in the following new categories, so email me if your clients may be a potential fit so I can take a look.

TREAT YOURSELF
Best Massage Chain (e.g., Massage Envy, Hand & Stone, Elements Massage)
Best Ice Cream Chain (e.g., Cold Stone, Ben & Jerry’s, Salt & Straw)
Best Bakery Chain (e.g., Levain, Crumbl, Magnolia Bakery)
Best Pampering Product
Best Clean Beauty Brand
Best Beauty Retailer (e.g., Sephora, Ulta)

BRIGHT FUTURES
Best Supplemental Learning Program (e.g., Code Ninjas, Mad Science, Engineering for Kids)
Best Test Prep Provider (e.g., Princeton Review, Kaplan, Magoosh)
Best Language Learning App (e.g., Duolingo, Babbel, Rosetta Stone)
Best Online Tutoring for Students (e.g., Wyzant, Varsity Tutors, Preply)
Best Online Learning for Professionals (e.g., Coursera, MasterClass, LinkedIn Learning)

EAT YOUR HEART OUT
Best Chain Pizza (e.g., Domino’s, Papa John’s, Marco’s)
Best Chicken Chain (e.g., Chick-fil-A, Raising Cane’s, Popeyes)
Best Burger Chain (e.g., In-N-Out, Five Guys, Shake Shack)
Best Breakfast Chain (e.g., First Watch, IHOP, Cracker Barrel)

Forbes.com

It’s almost National Caviar Day and I’m looking for creative, interesting, delicious dishes or cocktails involving caviar.

To pitch, please include:

• Name of drink/dish

• description

• quote from chef/bartender about dish (and name and title of person being quoted)

• and LINK to image, with an identifying file name, and any appropriate photo credits included

  (I know I give these guidelines over and over, but every day I get dozens of pitches that disregard them, so it bears repeating! <3)!

Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com asap please! All the same parameters will apply when emailing.

Yahoo Creators

I’ve published a handful of Father’s Day gift guides, but I’m still sourcing for final updates to these guides over the next week or so. To pitch me for these, please be sure to include name of product, description, link to imagery, price, and retailer availability - even better if it’s available at Amazon or another major online retailer. If it’s available at several retailers, please share all the links. Leaning toward gadget, tech, office, travel, culinary wellness, and home gifts in these ones.

I’m also working on a roundup of the best places to eat at LGA, EWR, MSY and JFK. If you have anything to pitch me, send info my way :)

Thanks!

Subscribe now

Share

Hello from New Orleans! It’s a beautiful day here, but it’s also a packed day - and my agenda is nonstop from shortly after I send this email through this evening when I head back to NYC.

But I also have a BUNCH of pending assignments that I am wrapping up in the next day or two, so I’m going to skip the Lady Whistledown portion of today’s email and just ask you to scroll down to the pending assignments section to see what I’m currently working on and wrapping up. If you have anything to pitch me for any of those ongoing assignments, today is the day to do so! Also please take the time to look at my recently published stories section as well…a bunch published this week, and you or your client may be included!

Have a great day and be kind to each other out there <3

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Give a gift subscription

Share

Book your consulting session!

I still have some space available the remainder of 2026!

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.

Share

Be sure to follow me on the Yahoo Creators platform. I’m 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!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Leave a comment

Share

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!

Share

Leave a comment

Tools of the Trade

It's June now and we're in the last weeks of dad/grad gift guide season, but holiday season is going to be here very soon. Now is when it's most crucial to hone our pitching skills and put our best effort forward. The Recipe for Press Media Directory is a one-stop resource for everything you need to do just that. It's an essential and affordable database aimed toward top editors, digital editors and freelance writers in home, food, fashion, travel, business and lifestyle. Founded by former editor and author Amy Flurry in 2014, the directory features emails, titles, active social media addresses, and a notes section with submission guidelines. It's created for people in the trenches by someone who knows how editors want to be pitched. This is why leading publicists, editors, and entrepreneurs across the country, including me, widely use and recommend it! Annual subscription price is $195.

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

Exciting news from our friend Sarah Karger (who you’ve seen as the star expert panelist for several of our gift guide pitching workshops!) - she 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.

Share

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: I Travel for Work, and These Are the 5 Genius Hacks That Save Me From Luggage Messes and Spills—From $4

• Southern Living: I Tried Trader Joe’s New Marinated Mozzarella Balls—Now I’m Using Them In Nearly Every Meal

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And This Cruise Hack Gets Me An Empty Pool, No Buffet Lines, And A Better Vacation

• Yahoo: Honor his spirit of adventure with 20 travel-centric Father’s Day gifts

• Southern Living: I’ve Tried Every Way To Bake A Potato—This 1 Wins Every Time

• Forbes.com: 15 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Lobster This Summer

• Yahoo: 15 Father’s Day gifts perfect for the foodie dad

• Yahoo: 12 Father's Day gifts he'll love if his man cave is all about the music

• Forbes.com: 7 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Falafel This Summer

• Travel & Leisure: Travelers Swear by This Personal Safety Device

• Southern Living: This Store-Bought Baked Beans Brand Was The Clear Favorite Among Southern Chefs.

• Dining Out NY: Vegas is Taking Over New York, One Flashy Dinner at a Time

• Southern Living: Can You Freeze Baked Beans Without Ruining The Texture?

• Travel & Leisure: Frequent Fliers Say This Genius Hack Makes It Feel Like They’ve Upgraded Their Seat—and It’s Only $35

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Frequent Solo Traveler, and This Genius Safety Device Gives Me Peace of Mind in Every Airbnb

• Food Network: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day

• Yahoo: The best cooling fans of 2026, tested and reviewed

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And My Friends And I Are Obsessed With This App For Tracking Each Other’s Flights

• Travel & Leisure: I Fly Around the Country for Work, and This Roomy Tote Is My No. 1 Airport Essential for Looking Put Together.

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Solo Traveler of 25 Years, and These Are the 18 Products I Swear By for Personal Safety in 2026

• Travel & Leisure: Traveling Alone Can Be Expensive—Here Are 15 Budget-friendly Hacks That Save Me Money

• Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook

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.

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

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.

Tip: If you want any guidance on how to pitch for gift guides more successfully, be sure to check out the complete webinar recording linked here — it’s free!

Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!

Food Network

I’m rounding up chain restaurants and QSRs doing special freebies, deals, and discounts in honor of Father’s Day. Same format as my usual deals roundups (see a recent one here: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day), just send me what the deal is, where it is valid, how to claim it, and any related images and social media links by EOW.

I’m also sourcing for a a roundup of little treats you can get for free on your birthday, so if you have any to pitch for this one, please do by EOW.

Newsweek Readers Choice

Some Newsweek Readers Choice Awards updates: This week, the AIRLINE TRAVEL nominations launched, and HOME GOODS winners were announced yesterday too (think mattresses, sheets, vacuums, air purifiers, etc). Stop by to see who won!

Meanwhile I’m working on nominations in the following new categories, so email me if your clients may be a potential fit so I can take a look.

TREAT YOURSELF
Best Massage Chain (e.g., Massage Envy, Hand & Stone, Elements Massage)
Best Ice Cream Chain (e.g., Cold Stone, Ben & Jerry’s, Salt & Straw)
Best Bakery Chain (e.g., Levain, Crumbl, Magnolia Bakery)
Best Pampering Product
Best Clean Beauty Brand
Best Beauty Retailer (e.g., Sephora, Ulta)

BRIGHT FUTURES
Best Supplemental Learning Program (e.g., Code Ninjas, Mad Science, Engineering for Kids)
Best Test Prep Provider (e.g., Princeton Review, Kaplan, Magoosh)
Best Language Learning App (e.g., Duolingo, Babbel, Rosetta Stone)
Best Online Tutoring for Students (e.g., Wyzant, Varsity Tutors, Preply)
Best Online Learning for Professionals (e.g., Coursera, MasterClass, LinkedIn Learning)

EAT YOUR HEART OUT
Best Chain Pizza (e.g., Domino’s, Papa John’s, Marco’s)
Best Chicken Chain (e.g., Chick-fil-A, Raising Cane’s, Popeyes)
Best Burger Chain (e.g., In-N-Out, Five Guys, Shake Shack)
Best Breakfast Chain (e.g., First Watch, IHOP, Cracker Barrel)

Forbes.com

It’s almost International Sushi Day, and I’m looking for the best and most creative/interesting sushi experiences, sushi rolls, and sushi presentations around. I’m also doing the same for National Caviar Day as well as, of course, my personal favorite — National Martini Day (now, think out of the box on this one, amazing creative martinis are fab, but so are amazing dishes INSPIRED by martinis!)

To pitch for any of these please include:

• Name of drink/dish

• description

• quote from chef/bartender about dish (and name and title of person being quoted)

• and LINK to image, with an identifying file name, and any appropriate photo credits included

  (I know I give these guidelines over and over, but every day I get dozens of pitches that disregard them, so it bears repeating! <3)!

Also, are you a bar or restaurant doing a special drink/dish in honor of Pride, Knicks, or the World Cup? Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com asap please! All the same parameters will apply when emailing.

Yahoo Creators

I’ve published a handful of Father’s Day gift guides, but I’m still sourcing for final updates to these guides over the next week or so. To pitch me for these, please be sure to include name of product, description, link to imagery, price, and retailer availability - even better if it’s available at Amazon or another major online retailer. If it’s available at several retailers, please share all the links. Leaning toward gadget, tech, office, travel, culinary wellness, and home gifts in these ones.

I’m also working on a roundup of the best places to eat at LGA, EWR, MSY and JFK. If you have anything to pitch me, send info my way :)

Thanks!

Subscribe now

Share

Last night, my gal Jill and I had dinner at Nobu.

And, as we ordered our lychee martinis, and thumbed through the menu, we started discussing how work and life had gotten us to various Nobus over the years, both together and in our separate work and personal travels. And whether it was in New York, or Las Vegas, or Malibu or Atlantic City or the Bahamas or on a cruise ship, despite being in completely different cities, countries, or circumstances, the experience is always remarkably reliable, consistent, and wonderful.

The menu feels familiar, the service feels familiar, the sushi and martinis and miso black cod are all exactly what you remember and love.

And because of that, whatever unfamiliar place you’re in suddenly feels familiar.

I joked to Jill that walking into a Nobu, no matter where our travels take us, feels a little like finding your country’s embassy. You’re still technically somewhere else. But suddenly you’re on familiar ground.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that’s exactly how the best professional relationships work.

The publicists I trust, the editors I trust, the sources I trust, the brands I trust.

None of them became trusted because of one email exchange. They became trusted because they delivered the same consistently reliable interaction over and over and over again.

Reliability is underrated

Everyone wants to be memorable or disruptive, but sometimes the most powerful thing you can be is reliable.

You know who I love? I love the source who always gets back to me, the publicist who always follows directions as far as submission deliverables, the brand/publicist that never overpromises or overinflates. The event or host team that never leaves me wondering where I’m supposed to be or how I’m getting home. The person who makes my life easier every single time we work together. That’s who gets remembered.

As you are reading this, I think everyone immediately recognizes the feeling. Maybe it’s Nobu. Maybe it’s Starbucks, where I can go in any city, in any airport, and get my exact same order and have it look and taste the same. Maybe it’s a hotel brand that instantly feels like home, no matter what city you are in. Maybe it’s ordering the same dirty martini with blue cheese olives at every steakhouse you visit.

We’ve all had that moment where we’re traveling or tired or have a lot we’re juggling and dealing with all at once, and then see something familiar and just breathe.

That feeling is worth a fortune in hospitality, but it’s worth a fortune in media relationships, too. The publicists you answer first. The sources you call back. The editors whose feedback you trust. The friends whose texts you always open. They’re all providing the same thing: Predictability. And predictability, when it’s positive, becomes trust. Trust becomes preference. Preference becomes loyalty.

In media and PR, we spend so much time trying to become someone’s favorite. But first, become someone’s safe bet, become the email they open without hesitation. Become the source they call first. Become the person who consistently does what they say they’re going to do. Because when everything else feels uncertain, people gravitate toward what they trust.

Be someone’s Nobu.

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Give a gift subscription

Share

Book your consulting session!

I still have some space available the remainder of 2026!

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.

Share

Be sure to follow me on the Yahoo Creators platform. I’m 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!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Leave a comment

Share

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!

Share

Leave a comment

Tools of the Trade

It's June now and we're in the last weeks of dad/grad gift guide season, but holiday season is going to be here very soon. Now is when it's most crucial to hone our pitching skills and put our best effort forward. The Recipe for Press Media Directory is a one-stop resource for everything you need to do just that. It's an essential and affordable database aimed toward top editors, digital editors and freelance writers in home, food, fashion, travel, business and lifestyle. Founded by former editor and author Amy Flurry in 2014, the directory features emails, titles, active social media addresses, and a notes section with submission guidelines. It's created for people in the trenches by someone who knows how editors want to be pitched. This is why leading publicists, editors, and entrepreneurs across the country, including me, widely use and recommend it! Annual subscription price is $195.

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

Exciting news from our friend Sarah Karger (who you’ve seen as the star expert panelist for several of our gift guide pitching workshops!) - she 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.

Share

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: I Travel for Work, and These Are the 5 Genius Hacks That Save Me From Luggage Messes and Spills—From $4

• Southern Living: I Tried Trader Joe’s New Marinated Mozzarella Balls—Now I’m Using Them In Nearly Every Meal

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And This Cruise Hack Gets Me An Empty Pool, No Buffet Lines, And A Better Vacation

• Yahoo: Honor his spirit of adventure with 20 travel-centric Father’s Day gifts

• Southern Living: I’ve Tried Every Way To Bake A Potato—This 1 Wins Every Time

• Forbes.com: 15 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Lobster This Summer

• Yahoo: 15 Father’s Day gifts perfect for the foodie dad

• Yahoo: 12 Father's Day gifts he'll love if his man cave is all about the music

• Forbes.com: 7 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Falafel This Summer

• Travel & Leisure: Travelers Swear by This Personal Safety Device

• Southern Living: This Store-Bought Baked Beans Brand Was The Clear Favorite Among Southern Chefs.

• Dining Out NY: Vegas is Taking Over New York, One Flashy Dinner at a Time

• Southern Living: Can You Freeze Baked Beans Without Ruining The Texture?

• Travel & Leisure: Frequent Fliers Say This Genius Hack Makes It Feel Like They’ve Upgraded Their Seat—and It’s Only $35

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Frequent Solo Traveler, and This Genius Safety Device Gives Me Peace of Mind in Every Airbnb

• Food Network: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day

• Yahoo: The best cooling fans of 2026, tested and reviewed

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And My Friends And I Are Obsessed With This App For Tracking Each Other’s Flights

• Travel & Leisure: I Fly Around the Country for Work, and This Roomy Tote Is My No. 1 Airport Essential for Looking Put Together.

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Solo Traveler of 25 Years, and These Are the 18 Products I Swear By for Personal Safety in 2026

• Travel & Leisure: Traveling Alone Can Be Expensive—Here Are 15 Budget-friendly Hacks That Save Me Money

• Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook

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.

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

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.

Tip: If you want any guidance on how to pitch for gift guides more successfully, be sure to check out the complete webinar recording linked here — it’s free!

Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!

Food Network

I’m rounding up chain restaurants and QSRs doing special freebies, deals, and discounts in honor of Father’s Day. Same format as my usual deals roundups (see a recent one here: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day), just send me what the deal is, where it is valid, how to claim it, and any related images and social media links by EOW.

I’m also sourcing for a a roundup of little treats you can get for free on your birthday, so if you have any to pitch for this one, please do by EOW.

Newsweek Readers Choice

Some Newsweek Readers Choice Awards updates: This week, the AIRLINE TRAVEL nominations launched, and HOME GOODS winners were announced yesterday too (think mattresses, sheets, vacuums, air purifiers, etc). Stop by to see who won!

Meanwhile I’m working on nominations in the following new categories, so email me if your clients may be a potential fit so I can take a look.

TREAT YOURSELF
Best Massage Chain (e.g., Massage Envy, Hand & Stone, Elements Massage)
Best Ice Cream Chain (e.g., Cold Stone, Ben & Jerry’s, Salt & Straw)
Best Bakery Chain (e.g., Levain, Crumbl, Magnolia Bakery)
Best Pampering Product
Best Clean Beauty Brand
Best Beauty Retailer (e.g., Sephora, Ulta)

BRIGHT FUTURES
Best Supplemental Learning Program (e.g., Code Ninjas, Mad Science, Engineering for Kids)
Best Test Prep Provider (e.g., Princeton Review, Kaplan, Magoosh)
Best Language Learning App (e.g., Duolingo, Babbel, Rosetta Stone)
Best Online Tutoring for Students (e.g., Wyzant, Varsity Tutors, Preply)
Best Online Learning for Professionals (e.g., Coursera, MasterClass, LinkedIn Learning)

EAT YOUR HEART OUT
Best Chain Pizza (e.g., Domino’s, Papa John’s, Marco’s)
Best Chicken Chain (e.g., Chick-fil-A, Raising Cane’s, Popeyes)
Best Burger Chain (e.g., In-N-Out, Five Guys, Shake Shack)
Best Breakfast Chain (e.g., First Watch, IHOP, Cracker Barrel)

Forbes.com

It’s almost International Sushi Day, and I’m looking for the best and most creative/interesting sushi experiences, sushi rolls, and sushi presentations around. I’m also doing the same for National Caviar Day as well as, of course, my personal favorite — National Martini Day (now, think out of the box on this one, amazing creative martinis are fab, but so are amazing dishes INSPIRED by martinis!)

To pitch for any of these please include:

• Name of drink/dish

• description

• quote from chef/bartender about dish (and name and title of person being quoted)

• and LINK to image, with an identifying file name, and any appropriate photo credits included

  (I know I give these guidelines over and over, but every day I get dozens of pitches that disregard them, so it bears repeating! <3)!

Also, are you a bar or restaurant doing a special drink/dish in honor of Pride, Knicks, or the World Cup? Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com asap please! All the same parameters will apply when emailing.

Yahoo Creators

I’ve published a handful of Father’s Day gift guides, but I’m still sourcing for final updates to these guides over the next week or so. To pitch me for these, please be sure to include name of product, description, link to imagery, price, and retailer availability - even better if it’s available at Amazon or another major online retailer. If it’s available at several retailers, please share all the links. Leaning toward gadget, tech, office, travel, culinary wellness, and home gifts in these ones.

I’m also working on a roundup of the best places to eat at LGA, EWR, MSY and JFK. If you have anything to pitch me, send info my way :)

Thanks!

Subscribe now

Share

I‘m in New Orleans this week, mixing a little work with a little fun. (As I will always do when traveling, because isn’t that the point of life?)

Yesterday, on the ride from the airport, I was chatting with my driver about what I was most excited to eat while I was here.

“Gumbo,” I answered immediately.

I love gumbo. Seriously, it’s my favorite comfort food, and if there’s one place in the world where I trust people to know what they’re doing with gumbo, it’s obviously New Orleans.

That’s when he gave me a surprising warning.

He told me that truly great gumbo can actually be difficult to find in busy restaurants. Not because restaurants don’t know how to make it, because it takes time to do right.

The roux alone requires patience and attention. The flavors develop slowly. The ingredients have to work together. The cook has to know when to leave it alone and when to intervene. You can’t rush it.

And, of course, because I’m me I started to think about how that also applies to our world.

The roux comes first.

Anyone who has ever made gumbo knows the roux is the foundation. Nobody is posting Instagram photos about making that perfect roux, but if you get it wrong, everything built on top of it suffers.

But doesn’t PR works the same way? The foundation is relationships, trust, credibility.

Sure, you are hungry for that big feature or that viral moment, but you have to build that roux first. You can’t just skip straight to the finished bowl.

But, as any home chef knows, then come the ingredients. Every ingredient contributes something different.

Think, again, of gumbo. You have the stock, the vegetables, the seafood, the sausage, the seasoning.

Individually, all these ingredients are good, but together, they’re what make the dish.

Brand visibility works the same way. A press mention alone won’t do it. Neither will social media or events or partnerships or pitches and followups.

None of these components can rely on that one ingredient. They’re layering multiple ingredients together until something bigger emerges.

And then, like the great gumbo I’m seeking, comes the hard part.

Waiting.

The flavors need time to develop. The reason gumbo is better when made at home than in a busy restaurant is because great gumbo isn’t going to generally happen with the chef starting over every fifteen minutes. They need the experience and the time to trust the process.

Someone sends a pitch on Monday, follows up Tuesday, follows up again Wednesday, only to then wonder why they aren’t seeing results by Friday.

Those who tend to get results are the ones willing to show up consistently, contribute value, build relationships, and allow momentum to develop over time because they understand that some things simply cannot be rushed.

No one is ever going to make gumbo in a microwave, and no one should be doing PR that way either.

Much like our discussion yesterday regarding the Knicks, things worth having usually take longer than we’d like.

Yes, that applies to great stories and relationships, but also great gumbo.

So if you’re feeling frustrated because the story hasn’t landed yet, the relationship isn’t producing immediate results, or the visibility isn’t happening as quickly as you’d hoped, remember: The best gumbo in New Orleans wasn’t made in a microwave, neither is the best PR.

P.S. Currently conducting extensive and highly scientific gumbo research throughout New Orleans. If you have any suggestions, drop me a line!

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Give a gift subscription

Share

Book your consulting session!

I still have some space available the remainder of 2026!

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.

Share

Be sure to follow me on the Yahoo Creators platform. I’m 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!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Leave a comment

Share

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!

Share

Leave a comment

Tools of the Trade

It's June now and we're in the last weeks of dad/grad gift guide season, but holiday season is going to be here very soon. Now is when it's most crucial to hone our pitching skills and put our best effort forward. The Recipe for Press Media Directory is a one-stop resource for everything you need to do just that. It's an essential and affordable database aimed toward top editors, digital editors and freelance writers in home, food, fashion, travel, business and lifestyle. Founded by former editor and author Amy Flurry in 2014, the directory features emails, titles, active social media addresses, and a notes section with submission guidelines. It's created for people in the trenches by someone who knows how editors want to be pitched. This is why leading publicists, editors, and entrepreneurs across the country, including me, widely use and recommend it! Annual subscription price is $195.

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

Exciting news from our friend Sarah Karger (who you’ve seen as the star expert panelist for several of our gift guide pitching workshops!) - she 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.

Share

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: I Travel for Work, and These Are the 5 Genius Hacks That Save Me From Luggage Messes and Spills—From $4

• Southern Living: I Tried Trader Joe’s New Marinated Mozzarella Balls—Now I’m Using Them In Nearly Every Meal

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And This Cruise Hack Gets Me An Empty Pool, No Buffet Lines, And A Better Vacation

• Yahoo: Honor his spirit of adventure with 20 travel-centric Father’s Day gifts

• Southern Living: I’ve Tried Every Way To Bake A Potato—This 1 Wins Every Time

• Forbes.com: 15 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Lobster This Summer

• Yahoo: 15 Father’s Day gifts perfect for the foodie dad

• Yahoo: 12 Father's Day gifts he'll love if his man cave is all about the music

• Forbes.com: 7 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Falafel This Summer

• Travel & Leisure: Travelers Swear by This Personal Safety Device

• Southern Living: This Store-Bought Baked Beans Brand Was The Clear Favorite Among Southern Chefs.

• Dining Out NY: Vegas is Taking Over New York, One Flashy Dinner at a Time

• Southern Living: Can You Freeze Baked Beans Without Ruining The Texture?

• Travel & Leisure: Frequent Fliers Say This Genius Hack Makes It Feel Like They’ve Upgraded Their Seat—and It’s Only $35

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Frequent Solo Traveler, and This Genius Safety Device Gives Me Peace of Mind in Every Airbnb

• Food Network: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day

• Yahoo: The best cooling fans of 2026, tested and reviewed

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And My Friends And I Are Obsessed With This App For Tracking Each Other’s Flights

• Travel & Leisure: I Fly Around the Country for Work, and This Roomy Tote Is My No. 1 Airport Essential for Looking Put Together.

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Solo Traveler of 25 Years, and These Are the 18 Products I Swear By for Personal Safety in 2026

• Travel & Leisure: Traveling Alone Can Be Expensive—Here Are 15 Budget-friendly Hacks That Save Me Money

• Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook

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.

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

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.

Tip: If you want any guidance on how to pitch for gift guides more successfully, be sure to check out the complete webinar recording linked here — it’s free!

Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!

Food Network

I’m rounding up chain restaurants and QSRs doing special freebies, deals, and discounts in honor of Father’s Day. Same format as my usual deals roundups (see a recent one here: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day), just send me what the deal is, where it is valid, how to claim it, and any related images and social media links by EOW.

I’m also sourcing for a a roundup of little treats you can get for free on your birthday, so if you have any to pitch for this one, please do by EOW.

Newsweek Readers Choice

Some Newsweek Readers Choice Awards updates: This week, the AIRLINE TRAVEL nominations launched, and HOME GOODS winners were announced yesterday too (think mattresses, sheets, vacuums, air purifiers, etc). Stop by to see who won!

Meanwhile I’m working on nominations in the following new categories, so email me if your clients may be a potential fit so I can take a look.

TREAT YOURSELF
Best Massage Chain (e.g., Massage Envy, Hand & Stone, Elements Massage)
Best Ice Cream Chain (e.g., Cold Stone, Ben & Jerry’s, Salt & Straw)
Best Bakery Chain (e.g., Levain, Crumbl, Magnolia Bakery)
Best Pampering Product
Best Clean Beauty Brand
Best Beauty Retailer (e.g., Sephora, Ulta)

BRIGHT FUTURES
Best Supplemental Learning Program (e.g., Code Ninjas, Mad Science, Engineering for Kids)
Best Test Prep Provider (e.g., Princeton Review, Kaplan, Magoosh)
Best Language Learning App (e.g., Duolingo, Babbel, Rosetta Stone)
Best Online Tutoring for Students (e.g., Wyzant, Varsity Tutors, Preply)
Best Online Learning for Professionals (e.g., Coursera, MasterClass, LinkedIn Learning)

EAT YOUR HEART OUT
Best Chain Pizza (e.g., Domino’s, Papa John’s, Marco’s)
Best Chicken Chain (e.g., Chick-fil-A, Raising Cane’s, Popeyes)
Best Burger Chain (e.g., In-N-Out, Five Guys, Shake Shack)
Best Breakfast Chain (e.g., First Watch, IHOP, Cracker Barrel)

Forbes.com

It’s almost International Sushi Day, and I’m looking for the best and most creative/interesting sushi experiences, sushi rolls, and sushi presentations around. I’m also doing the same for National Caviar Day as well as, of course, my personal favorite — National Martini Day (now, think out of the box on this one, amazing creative martinis are fab, but so are amazing dishes INSPIRED by martinis!)

To pitch for any of these please include:

• Name of drink/dish

• description

• quote from chef/bartender about dish (and name and title of person being quoted)

• and LINK to image, with an identifying file name, and any appropriate photo credits included

  (I know I give these guidelines over and over, but every day I get dozens of pitches that disregard them, so it bears repeating! <3)!

Also, are you a bar or restaurant doing a special drink/dish in honor of Pride, Knicks, or the World Cup? Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com asap please! All the same parameters will apply when emailing.

Yahoo Creators

I’ve published a handful of Father’s Day gift guides, but I’m still sourcing for final updates to these guides over the next week or so. To pitch me for these, please be sure to include name of product, description, link to imagery, price, and retailer availability - even better if it’s available at Amazon or another major online retailer. If it’s available at several retailers, please share all the links. Leaning toward gadget, tech, office, travel, culinary wellness, and home gifts in these ones.

I’m also working on a roundup of the best places to eat at LGA, EWR, MSY and JFK. If you have anything to pitch me, send info my way :)

Thanks!

Subscribe now

Share

Another Monday, another airport. This is a travel day for me, but for today’s email I wanted to write about a discussion topic that has been really hot around the country, but especially in my hometown of NYC.

I’ll start with a confession: I know approximately three things about basketball: One, the ball is big. Two, the ball is orange. And three, everyone in New York is currently losing their minds because the Knicks are in the NBA Finals.

Apparently this is a very big deal. Not because they made it to the Finals.

But because of how long it took.

The Knicks haven’t won a championship since the early 1970s. That was before I was born, meaning they haven’t won a championship in my lifetime - and I’m pretty darn old. But it also means there are fans who have spent literal decades waiting for this moment. People who watched games as kids and are now watching as grandparents.

That’s totally wild.

And while I can’t tell you a thing about offensive rebounds or defensive schemes or whatever it is people are yelling about at the bar watching parties every single one of your spirits clients are having, I do know a thing or two about spending years working toward something that doesn’t happen on your preferred timeline.

Which is why the Knicks story feels oddly familiar: Not as a sports story, but as a PR story.

Most success stories look instant from the outside

People love to talk about the moment something “takes off.”

Maybe the article that goes viral, the restaurant that suddenly becomes impossible to book. The newsletter that “blew up.”

What they rarely talk about are the years before that. The hundreds of pitches, the ignored emails, the events attended, the relationships built, the stories that got three clicks, the projects nobody noticed, the newsletters sent to 37 subscribers. The work that happened when there was absolutely no evidence it would eventually pay off.

We celebrate the championship. We rarely celebrate the decades that came before it.

Remember The Knicks aren’t where they are because they sent six followup emails. Everyone wants instant results from PR while one of the biggest stories in New York is literally the result of decades of patience.

New Yorkers understand this better than anyone

Maybe that’s why people are so emotional about this. It’s not just about winning, it’s about enduring.

New Yorkers are uniquely qualified to appreciate stubbornness.

We stand in line for bagels, we wait 45 minutes for brunch, I routinely commute an hour to meet someone for a cocktail.

So of course we’re emotionally attached to a team that just kept showing up year after year, even when there was no reason to believe this would be the year. That’s not sports fandom.

That’s every media career I’ve ever witnessed.

The hardest part is continuing before you get results

This is true whether you’re building a newsletter, growing a brand, launching a restaurant, pitching journalists, trying to become a freelance writer, growing a social media audience, or building a consulting business.

The hardest part isn’t success. The hardest part is continuing when success hasn’t arrived yet, because there is a long stretch where all you have is faith and hope.

The kind where you keep sending the newsletter. Keep refining the pitch. Keep improving the product. Keep showing up. Keep building relationships.

Keep doing the work. Not because it’s working today, because you believe it can work eventually.

If there is one thing PR professionals consistently underestimate, it’s how long things take.

You expect to place a feature after the first pitch, or build a relationship after the first coffee, or gain the visibility after the first campaign.

But most meaningful things are built through accumulation. You send one pitch, then another. One conversation, then another. One small piece of coverage, then another.

Until eventually people look at the result and call it an overnight success.

Whether you’re a Knicks fan or not, I think there’s something comforting about watching people celebrate a victory that took decades to happen. In a world obsessed with overnight success, it’s a nice reminder that sometimes the best stories take a very, very long time to write.

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Give a gift subscription

Share

Book your consulting session!

I still have some space available the remainder of 2026!

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.

Share

Be sure to follow me on the Yahoo Creators platform. I’m 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!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Leave a comment

Share

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!

Share

Leave a comment

Tools of the Trade

It's June now and we're in the last weeks of dad/grad gift guide season, but holiday season is going to be here very soon. Now is when it's most crucial to hone our pitching skills and put our best effort forward. The Recipe for Press Media Directory is a one-stop resource for everything you need to do just that. It's an essential and affordable database aimed toward top editors, digital editors and freelance writers in home, food, fashion, travel, business and lifestyle. Founded by former editor and author Amy Flurry in 2014, the directory features emails, titles, active social media addresses, and a notes section with submission guidelines. It's created for people in the trenches by someone who knows how editors want to be pitched. This is why leading publicists, editors, and entrepreneurs across the country, including me, widely use and recommend it! Annual subscription price is $195.

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

Exciting news from our friend Sarah Karger (who you’ve seen as the star expert panelist for several of our gift guide pitching workshops!) - she 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.

Share

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: I Travel for Work, and These Are the 5 Genius Hacks That Save Me From Luggage Messes and Spills—From $4

• Yahoo: Honor his spirit of adventure with 20 travel-centric Father’s Day gifts

• Southern Living: I’ve Tried Every Way To Bake A Potato—This 1 Wins Every Time

• Forbes.com: 15 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Lobster This Summer

• Yahoo: 15 Father’s Day gifts perfect for the foodie dad

• Yahoo: 12 Father's Day gifts he'll love if his man cave is all about the music

• Forbes.com: 7 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Falafel This Summer

• Travel & Leisure: Travelers Swear by This Personal Safety Device

• Southern Living: This Store-Bought Baked Beans Brand Was The Clear Favorite Among Southern Chefs.

• Dining Out NY: Vegas is Taking Over New York, One Flashy Dinner at a Time

• Southern Living: Can You Freeze Baked Beans Without Ruining The Texture?

• Travel & Leisure: Frequent Fliers Say This Genius Hack Makes It Feel Like They’ve Upgraded Their Seat—and It’s Only $35

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Frequent Solo Traveler, and This Genius Safety Device Gives Me Peace of Mind in Every Airbnb

• Food Network: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day

• Yahoo: The best cooling fans of 2026, tested and reviewed

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And My Friends And I Are Obsessed With This App For Tracking Each Other’s Flights

• Travel & Leisure: I Fly Around the Country for Work, and This Roomy Tote Is My No. 1 Airport Essential for Looking Put Together.

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Solo Traveler of 25 Years, and These Are the 18 Products I Swear By for Personal Safety in 2026

• Travel & Leisure: Traveling Alone Can Be Expensive—Here Are 15 Budget-friendly Hacks That Save Me Money

• Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook

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.

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

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.

Tip: If you want any guidance on how to pitch for gift guides more successfully, be sure to check out the complete webinar recording linked here — it’s free!

Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!

Food Network

I’m rounding up chain restaurants and QSRs doing special freebies, deals, and discounts in honor of Father’s Day. Same format as my usual deals roundups (see a recent one here: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day), just send me what the deal is, where it is valid, how to claim it, and any related images and social media links by EOW.

I’m also sourcing for a a roundup of little treats you can get for free on your birthday, so if you have any to pitch for this one, please do by EOW.

Newsweek Readers Choice

Some Newsweek Readers Choice Awards updates: This week, the AIRLINE TRAVEL nominations launched, and HOME GOODS winners were announced yesterday too (think mattresses, sheets, vacuums, air purifiers, etc). Stop by to see who won!

Meanwhile I’m working on nominations in the following new categories, so email me if your clients may be a potential fit so I can take a look.

TREAT YOURSELF
Best Massage Chain (e.g., Massage Envy, Hand & Stone, Elements Massage)
Best Ice Cream Chain (e.g., Cold Stone, Ben & Jerry’s, Salt & Straw)
Best Bakery Chain (e.g., Levain, Crumbl, Magnolia Bakery)
Best Pampering Product
Best Clean Beauty Brand
Best Beauty Retailer (e.g., Sephora, Ulta)

BRIGHT FUTURES
Best Supplemental Learning Program (e.g., Code Ninjas, Mad Science, Engineering for Kids)
Best Test Prep Provider (e.g., Princeton Review, Kaplan, Magoosh)
Best Language Learning App (e.g., Duolingo, Babbel, Rosetta Stone)
Best Online Tutoring for Students (e.g., Wyzant, Varsity Tutors, Preply)
Best Online Learning for Professionals (e.g., Coursera, MasterClass, LinkedIn Learning)

EAT YOUR HEART OUT
Best Chain Pizza (e.g., Domino’s, Papa John’s, Marco’s)
Best Chicken Chain (e.g., Chick-fil-A, Raising Cane’s, Popeyes)
Best Burger Chain (e.g., In-N-Out, Five Guys, Shake Shack)
Best Breakfast Chain (e.g., First Watch, IHOP, Cracker Barrel)

Forbes.com

It’s almost International Sushi Day, and I’m looking for the best and most creative/interesting sushi experiences, sushi rolls, and sushi presentations around. I’m also doing the same for National Caviar Day as well as, of course, my personal favorite — National Martini Day (now, think out of the box on this one, amazing creative martinis are fab, but so are amazing dishes INSPIRED by martinis!)

To pitch for any of these please include:

• Name of drink/dish

• description

• quote from chef/bartender about dish (and name and title of person being quoted)

• and LINK to image, with an identifying file name, and any appropriate photo credits included

  (I know I give these guidelines over and over, but every day I get dozens of pitches that disregard them, so it bears repeating! <3)!

Also, are you a bar or restaurant doing a special drink/dish in honor of Pride, Knicks, or the World Cup? Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com asap please! All the same parameters will apply when emailing.

Yahoo Creators

I’ve published a handful of Father’s Day gift guides, but I’m still sourcing for final updates to these guides over the next week or so. To pitch me for these, please be sure to include name of product, description, link to imagery, price, and retailer availability - even better if it’s available at Amazon or another major online retailer. If it’s available at several retailers, please share all the links. Leaning toward gadget, tech, office, travel, culinary wellness, and home gifts in these ones.

I’m also working on a roundup of the best places to eat at LGA, EWR, MSY and JFK. If you have anything to pitch me, send info my way :)

Thanks!

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I generally don’t send an newsletter out on Fridays during Summer Fridays season, but I have a few assignments pending, as well as some admin updates, so lets get to it!

Some Newsweek Readers Choice Awards updates: This week, the AIRLINE TRAVEL nominations launched, and HOME GOODS winners were announced yesterday too (think mattresses, sheets, vacuums, air purifiers, etc). Stop by to see who won!

Meanwhile I’m working on nominations in the following new categories, so email me if your clients may be a potential fit so I can take a look.

TREAT YOURSELF
Best Massage Chain (e.g., Massage Envy, Hand & Stone, Elements Massage)
Best Ice Cream Chain (e.g., Cold Stone, Ben & Jerry's, Salt & Straw)
Best Bakery Chain (e.g., Levain, Crumbl, Magnolia Bakery)
Best Pampering Product
Best Clean Beauty Brand
Best Beauty Retailer (e.g., Sephora, Ulta)

BRIGHT FUTURES
Best Supplemental Learning Program (e.g., Code Ninjas, Mad Science, Engineering for Kids)
Best Test Prep Provider (e.g., Princeton Review, Kaplan, Magoosh)
Best Language Learning App (e.g., Duolingo, Babbel, Rosetta Stone)
Best Online Tutoring for Students (e.g., Wyzant, Varsity Tutors, Preply)
Best Online Learning for Professionals (e.g., Coursera, MasterClass, LinkedIn Learning)

EAT YOUR HEART OUT
Best Chain Pizza (e.g., Domino's, Papa John's, Marco's)
Best Chicken Chain (e.g., Chick-fil-A, Raising Cane's, Popeyes)
Best Burger Chain (e.g., In-N-Out, Five Guys, Shake Shack)
Best Breakfast Chain (e.g., First Watch, IHOP, Cracker Barrel)

And as for traditional pending sourcing requests and assignments, scroll below, there’s some new content brewing across several outlets (including, yes, last-min Father’s Day gift guide sourcing.)

Travel update: I’ll be working from NOLA all next week! (One of my fave cities to eat!) - my schedule is pretty packed already, but totally send your recs if you have any, I always love reading them!

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Get 30% off a group subscription

Give a gift subscription

Share

Book your consulting session!

I still have some space available the remainder of 2026!

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.

Share

Be sure to follow me on the Yahoo Creators platform. I’m 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!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Leave a comment

Share

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!

Share

Leave a comment

Tools of the Trade

It's June now and we're in the last weeks of dad/grad gift guide season, but holiday season is going to be here very soon. Now is when it's most crucial to hone our pitching skills and put our best effort forward. The Recipe for Press Media Directory is a one-stop resource for everything you need to do just that. It's an essential and affordable database aimed toward top editors, digital editors and freelance writers in home, food, fashion, travel, business and lifestyle. Founded by former editor and author Amy Flurry in 2014, the directory features emails, titles, active social media addresses, and a notes section with submission guidelines. It's created for people in the trenches by someone who knows how editors want to be pitched. This is why leading publicists, editors, and entrepreneurs across the country, including me, widely use and recommend it! Annual subscription price is $195.

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

Exciting news from our friend Sarah Karger (who you’ve seen as the star expert panelist for several of our gift guide pitching workshops!) - she 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.

Share

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: I’ve Tried Every Way To Bake A Potato—This 1 Wins Every Time

• Yahoo: 15 Father’s Day gifts perfect for the foodie dad

• Yahoo: 12 Father's Day gifts he'll love if his man cave is all about the music

• Forbes.com: 7 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Falafel This Summer

• Travel & Leisure: Travelers Swear by This Personal Safety Device

• Southern Living: This Store-Bought Baked Beans Brand Was The Clear Favorite Among Southern Chefs.

• Dining Out NY: Vegas is Taking Over New York, One Flashy Dinner at a Time

• Southern Living: Can You Freeze Baked Beans Without Ruining The Texture?

• Travel & Leisure: Frequent Fliers Say This Genius Hack Makes It Feel Like They’ve Upgraded Their Seat—and It’s Only $35

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Frequent Solo Traveler, and This Genius Safety Device Gives Me Peace of Mind in Every Airbnb

• Food Network: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day

• Yahoo: The best cooling fans of 2026, tested and reviewed

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And My Friends And I Are Obsessed With This App For Tracking Each Other’s Flights

• Travel & Leisure: I Fly Around the Country for Work, and This Roomy Tote Is My No. 1 Airport Essential for Looking Put Together.

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Solo Traveler of 25 Years, and These Are the 18 Products I Swear By for Personal Safety in 2026

• Travel & Leisure: Traveling Alone Can Be Expensive—Here Are 15 Budget-friendly Hacks That Save Me Money

• Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook

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.

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

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.

Tip: If you want any guidance on how to pitch for gift guides more successfully, be sure to check out the complete webinar recording linked here — it’s free!

Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!

Food Network

I’m rounding up chain restaurants and QSRs doing special freebies, deals, and discounts in honor of Father’s Day. Same format as my usual deals roundups (see a recent one here: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day), just send me what the deal is, where it is valid, how to claim it, and any related images and social media links by end of next week.

I’m also sourcing for a a roundup of little treats you can get for free on your birthday, so if you have any to pitch for this one, please do by early next week :)

Forbes.com

It’s almost International Sushi Day, and I’m looking for the best and most creative/interesting sushi experiences, sushi rolls, and sushi presentations around. I’m also doing the same for National Caviar Day, International Falafel Day and National Lobster Day, as well as, of course, my personal favorite — National Martini Day (now, think out of the box on this one, amazing creative martinis are fab, but so are amazing dishes INSPIRED by martinis!)

To pitch for any of these please include:

• Name of drink/dish

• description

• quote from chef/bartender about dish (and name and title of person being quoted)

• and LINK to image, with an identifying file name, and any appropriate photo credits included

  (I know I give these guidelines over and over, but every day I get dozens of pitches that disregard them, so it bears repeating! <3)!

Also, are you a bar or restaurant doing a special drink/dish in honor of the Knicks this week? Or the World Cup next week? Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com! All the same parameters will apply when emailing.

Yahoo Creators

I’m sourcing for Father’s Day gift guides. To pitch me for these, please be sure to include name of product, description, link to imagery, price, and retailer availability - even better if it’s available at Amazon or another major online retailer. If it’s available at several retailers, please share all the links.

Leaning toward gadget, tech, office, travel, culinary wellness, and home gifts in these ones. I’m also specifically working on a guide geared toward the dad who loves to make music or play with his band in the garage - think man cave, with purpose.

Thanks!

Subscribe now

Share

We’ll get more to the topic of today’s subject header at the bottom of today’s email, after the nuts and bolts of today’s information. So scroll down to see what that word is and why it’s problematic!

For those following along in the Newsweek’s Readers’ Choice Awards nominations, all the airport travel/airline/lounge category nominations went live yesterday. Check out if your client is included! Also, the home goods category voted has concluded and all the winners are now live on the site as well.

Several gift guides are now live: 13 Father's Day gifts he'll love if his man cave is all about the music, 20 essential gifts to help the recent graduate get ready for their first apartment, and 15 Father’s Day gifts perfect for the foodie dad, with more to come. Check out the links above to have an idea of the format of these stories and the kind of pitches I’m generally looking for. And scroll down for more about what I’m currently working on and what remains pending.

Also: A personal note — thanks so much for all the incredible emails and messages yesterday following my panel. It meant the world to me and made me feel so loved and supported!

Also: I’ll be in New Orleans all week next week on a combination work/fun trip. My schedule is pretty wrapped up but always happy and grateful for all recommendations!

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Give a gift subscription

Share

Book your consulting session!

I still have some space available the remainder of 2026!

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.

Share

Be sure to follow me on the Yahoo Creators platform. I’m 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!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Leave a comment

Share

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!

Share

Leave a comment

Tools of the Trade

It's June now and we're in the last weeks of dad/grad gift guide season, but holiday season is going to be here very soon. Now is when it's most crucial to hone our pitching skills and put our best effort forward. The Recipe for Press Media Directory is a one-stop resource for everything you need to do just that. It's an essential and affordable database aimed toward top editors, digital editors and freelance writers in home, food, fashion, travel, business and lifestyle. Founded by former editor and author Amy Flurry in 2014, the directory features emails, titles, active social media addresses, and a notes section with submission guidelines. It's created for people in the trenches by someone who knows how editors want to be pitched. This is why leading publicists, editors, and entrepreneurs across the country, including me, widely use and recommend it! Annual subscription price is $195.

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

Exciting news from our friend Sarah Karger (who you’ve seen as the star expert panelist for several of our gift guide pitching workshops!) - she 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.

Share

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: I’ve Tried Every Way To Bake A Potato—This 1 Wins Every Time

• Yahoo: 15 Father’s Day gifts perfect for the foodie dad

• Yahoo: 12 Father's Day gifts he'll love if his man cave is all about the music

• Forbes.com: 7 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Falafel This Summer

• Travel & Leisure: Travelers Swear by This Personal Safety Device

• Southern Living: This Store-Bought Baked Beans Brand Was The Clear Favorite Among Southern Chefs.

• Dining Out NY: Vegas is Taking Over New York, One Flashy Dinner at a Time

• Southern Living: Can You Freeze Baked Beans Without Ruining The Texture?

• Travel & Leisure: Frequent Fliers Say This Genius Hack Makes It Feel Like They’ve Upgraded Their Seat—and It’s Only $35

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Frequent Solo Traveler, and This Genius Safety Device Gives Me Peace of Mind in Every Airbnb

• Food Network: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day

• Yahoo: The best cooling fans of 2026, tested and reviewed

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And My Friends And I Are Obsessed With This App For Tracking Each Other’s Flights

• Travel & Leisure: I Fly Around the Country for Work, and This Roomy Tote Is My No. 1 Airport Essential for Looking Put Together.

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Solo Traveler of 25 Years, and These Are the 18 Products I Swear By for Personal Safety in 2026

• Travel & Leisure: Traveling Alone Can Be Expensive—Here Are 15 Budget-friendly Hacks That Save Me Money

• Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook

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.

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

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.

Tip: If you want any guidance on how to pitch for gift guides more successfully, be sure to check out the complete webinar recording linked here — it’s free!

Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!

Food Network

I’m rounding up chain restaurants and QSRs doing special freebies, deals, and discounts in honor of Father’s Day. Same format as my usual deals roundups (see a recent one here: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day), just send me what the deal is, where it is valid, how to claim it, and any related images and social media links by end of next week.

Forbes.com

It’s almost International Sushi Day, and I’m looking for the best and most creative/interesting sushi experiences, sushi rolls, and sushi presentations around. I’m also doing the same for National Caviar Day, International Falafel Day and National Lobster Day, as well as, of course, my personal favorite — National Martini Day (now, think out of the box on this one, amazing creative martinis are fab, but so are amazing dishes INSPIRED by martinis!)

To pitch for any of these please include:

• Name of drink/dish

• description

• quote from chef/bartender about dish (and name and title of person being quoted)

• and LINK to image, with an identifying file name, and any appropriate photo credits included

  (I know I give these guidelines over and over, but every day I get dozens of pitches that disregard them, so it bears repeating! <3)!

Yahoo Creators

I’m sourcing for Father’s Day gift guides. To pitch me for these, please be sure to include name of product, description, link to imagery, price, and retailer availability - even better if it’s available at Amazon or another major online retailer. If it’s available at several retailers, please share all the links.

Leaning toward gadget, tech, office, travel, culinary wellness, and home gifts in these ones. I’m also specifically working on a guide geared toward the dad who loves to make music or play with his band in the garage - think man cave, with purpose.

Thanks!

Subscribe now

Share

So, what is that word that gets every journalist’s goat? And why is it misleading, problematic, and also insulting?

This is will be under the paywall, available to paid subscribers. Upgrade now to read (and take advantage of my special seasonal discount, too!).

Read more

Today is panel day!

I know a lot of you already emailed me that you are attending the conference, and I’m so excited to say hello when I see you there. If you do want to attend this afternoon, you still can! Just email the contact in the post below!

Today, I wanted to chat about a funny trend I’ve been noticing in my own living life and interacting with people.

People will enthusiastically tell me how much they love my Substack. How they read it “every day.” It’s as much of their morning routine as coffee and a shower are. How they’re “always keeping up with what I’m doing/where I’m going/what I’m eating/drinking.”

I’m obviously super flattered, of course. That’s so lovely!

But then, within approximately 30 seconds, they’ll ask me about an outlet I haven’t written for in a decade. Or what I’m working on right now. Or they’ll mention they’ve “never heard of” a publication I write for every single day. And mention in this Substack every single day. Or they’ll ignore every single pitching/photo/submission instruction I repeat over and over and over again.

I want to make clear, I’m not sharing this because I’m in any way offended. This is not an ego thing. I’m fascinated because I actually think this says something bigger about how we consume content.

I think it’s fair to say that some people who subscribe are not actually actively reading my newsletter. More, they orbit. Maybe you skim the subject line or first paragraph on occasion. Or, maybe you just subscribe because you think you need to, but don’t have any interest in reading this or being a a part of this community (in which case, you’re not even seeing this text.) But there’s also something VERY funny about:
“I read your Substack every day”
being immediately disproven by:
“So what do you write about again?”

(Fun fact, sometimes when people tell me how much they love my Substack and how religiously they read it and then a minute later say something that exhibits they don’t actually ever read it, I will casually browse my subscriber analytics later that day just to confirm my suspicions for myself, and I’m always right. Every single time.)

I think we need to discuss the disconnect between performative familiarity and actual attention.

Performative familiarity is such a thing in our industry where everyone is networking-adjacent all the time and trying to signal how informed and engaged and interested and supportive they are, even if they aren’t actually really any of those things.

As in, I’ll get a pitch:

“I’m obsessed with your work.”
but then they name one thing from 2018. Have we all been in a coma since then? Are we all awake now? Who knows.

Recognition vs. engagement

I think one of the most important things to understand in our realm is recognition and engagement are not the same thing.

A lot of people may recognize a name, a newsletter, an Instagram handle.
They know this person exists. They maybe even vaguely care this person exists. But engagement is different. Engagement means they actually absorb the content.

They know what I currently cover, where I currently contribute, how I prefer to receive pitches, what kinds of stories I actually want, the instructions I repeat constantly, the boundaries I have already explained 900 times.

Recognition says:
“Oh yeah, I know her newsletter!”

Engagement says:
“Oh, she writes for this outlet daily and these weekly and prefers photo links over attachments, also she talks a lot about Uber vouchers and perishable mailers.”

I want to be clear, this is not something I’m taking personally. But when someone ignores my pitching guidelines or asks me about an outlet I ceased writing for years ago, it doesn’t necessarily mean:
“They don’t respect my work.”

Sometimes it simply means:
“They recognize me more than they engage with me.”

Which, to be fair, is how most people consume content now.

We are all operating in a constant blur of newsletters, posts, podcasts, TikToks, headlines, screenshots, and tabs we swear we’re going to come back to later. People consume content ambiently now, kind of how we flip channels on the television. And that ambient familiarity can create the illusion of deep knowledge.

Which is how you end up with conversations like:

“I read your Substack every day!”
“Oh thank you!”
“So where are you writing these days?”

This is why people pitch the wrong things, why they ignore instructions, why they reference outdated outlets, why they ask questions already answered publicly, and why they claim to read everything every day but don’t know about anything I’ve written about extensively.

But what remains funny is the performance of familiarity that gets so aggressive that it immediately collapses under basic follow-up questions.

For example:

“I love your Substack.”
“Oh thank you!”
“So where are you writing these days?”

I can usually tell pretty quickly who actually reads the newsletter versus who just likes the idea of reading it based on whether they follow pitching instructions, send photos the requested way, understand my coverage areas, know what outlets I currently contribute to, and realize I’ve explained certain boundaries approximately 700 times already.

Which is not to say everyone must read every word I write. God knows I’m behind on half the newsletters I subscribe to, too.

But maybe we can collectively retire the performance of “I’m fully caught up!” when what we really mean is: “I support you generally and occasionally skim while waiting for an Uber.”

That’s more than enough, and you have my full understanding and respect. And, for any who have read this far, we’re all on the same page here!

So no, you do not actually need to pretend you’ve read every newsletter.

You do not need to perform complete familiarity with my career, my coverage, my preferences, my bylines, or my pitching guidelines if you actually are completely unfamiliar.

A simple:
“I try to keep up when I can!”
is perfectly lovely and completely normal.

Because the alternative is confidently asking me where I write immediately after telling me you read the place where I repeatedly explain where I write.

Job leads!

CROWE PR is hiring a Senior Integrated PR Manager (CPG focus) and an Integrated PR Director (Health + Innovation): more information can be found here.

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Give a gift subscription

Share

Book your consulting session!

I still have some space available the remainder of 2026!

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.

Share

Be sure to follow me on the Yahoo Creators platform. I’m 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!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Leave a comment

Share

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!

Share

Leave a comment

Tools of the Trade

It's June now and we're in the last weeks of dad/grad gift guide season, but holiday season is going to be here very soon. Now is when it's most crucial to hone our pitching skills and put our best effort forward. The Recipe for Press Media Directory is a one-stop resource for everything you need to do just that. It's an essential and affordable database aimed toward top editors, digital editors and freelance writers in home, food, fashion, travel, business and lifestyle. Founded by former editor and author Amy Flurry in 2014, the directory features emails, titles, active social media addresses, and a notes section with submission guidelines. It's created for people in the trenches by someone who knows how editors want to be pitched. This is why leading publicists, editors, and entrepreneurs across the country, including me, widely use and recommend it! Annual subscription price is $195.

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

Exciting news from our friend Sarah Karger (who you’ve seen as the star expert panelist for several of our gift guide pitching workshops!) - she 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.

Share

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: I’ve Tried Every Way To Bake A Potato—This 1 Wins Every Time

• Yahoo: 15 Father’s Day gifts perfect for the foodie dad

• Yahoo: 12 Father's Day gifts he'll love if his man cave is all about the music

• Forbes.com: 7 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Falafel This Summer

• Travel & Leisure: Travelers Swear by This Personal Safety Device

• Southern Living: This Store-Bought Baked Beans Brand Was The Clear Favorite Among Southern Chefs.

• Dining Out NY: Vegas is Taking Over New York, One Flashy Dinner at a Time

• Southern Living: Can You Freeze Baked Beans Without Ruining The Texture?

• Travel & Leisure: Frequent Fliers Say This Genius Hack Makes It Feel Like They’ve Upgraded Their Seat—and It’s Only $35

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Frequent Solo Traveler, and This Genius Safety Device Gives Me Peace of Mind in Every Airbnb

• Food Network: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day

• Yahoo: The best cooling fans of 2026, tested and reviewed

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And My Friends And I Are Obsessed With This App For Tracking Each Other’s Flights

• Travel & Leisure: I Fly Around the Country for Work, and This Roomy Tote Is My No. 1 Airport Essential for Looking Put Together.

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Solo Traveler of 25 Years, and These Are the 18 Products I Swear By for Personal Safety in 2026

• Travel & Leisure: Traveling Alone Can Be Expensive—Here Are 15 Budget-friendly Hacks That Save Me Money

• Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook

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.

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

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.

Tip: If you want any guidance on how to pitch for gift guides more successfully, be sure to check out the complete webinar recording linked here — it’s free!

Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!

Food Network

I’m rounding up chain restaurants and QSRs doing special freebies, deals, and discounts in honor of Father’s Day. Same format as my usual deals roundups (see a recent one here: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day), just send me what the deal is, where it is valid, how to claim it, and any related images and social media links by end of next week.

Forbes.com

It’s almost International Sushi Day, and I’m looking for the best and most creative/interesting sushi experiences, sushi rolls, and sushi presentations around. I’m also doing the same for National Caviar Day, International Falafel Day and National Lobster Day, as well as, of course, my personal favorite — National Martini Day (now, think out of the box on this one, amazing creative martinis are fab, but so are amazing dishes INSPIRED by martinis!)

To pitch for any of these please include:

• Name of drink/dish

• description

• quote from chef/bartender about dish (and name and title of person being quoted)

• and LINK to image, with an identifying file name, and any appropriate photo credits included

  (I know I give these guidelines over and over, but every day I get dozens of pitches that disregard them, so it bears repeating! <3)!

Yahoo Creators

I’m sourcing for Father’s Day gift guides. To pitch me for these, please be sure to include name of product, description, link to imagery, price, and retailer availability - even better if it’s available at Amazon or another major online retailer. If it’s available at several retailers, please share all the links.

Leaning toward gadget, tech, office, travel, culinary wellness, and home gifts in these ones. I’m also specifically working on a guide geared toward the dad who loves to make music or play with his band in the garage - think man cave, with purpose.

Thanks!

Subscribe now

Share

There are certain workdays where you know before you even wake up that your “office” will not actually be an office. Or a desk.

Today, for me, looks something like: Lunch meeting. Another meeting.
A media preview. Drinks. Dinner. All in very different places.

For those playing along at home, that means the majority of my actual workday — emails, edits, follow-ups, scheduling, pitching, organizing, invoicing, calendar juggling, “just circling back!” replies, writing and (if miracles do not cease) actual story filing — will happen from the backseat of Ubers while trying not to spill coffee on my laptop.

I’m not sharing this as a form of self-congratulation for having the most Monday of Mondays (and the day before speaking on the most important panel I’ve done this year, no less!). I’m sharing it because I know I’m not alone.

So many of us in media, PR, hospitality, events, freelance life, consulting, and creative industries work in motion more often than we work at a desk. We work from airports. Hotel lobbies. Coffee shops. Gate areas. Ride shares. Event hallways. The corner banquette of your favorite steakhouse before dinner starts.

For us, “backseat productivity” is actually a real professional skill. In fact, it’s a survival skill.

So here are my best practices for surviving — and even thriving — during the all-day-commuting workday.

1. The night before is an essential component

The biggest mistake you can make on a transit-heavy day is waking up disorganized. If today is going to be chaotic, the night before needs to be calm.

That means charge EVERYTHING. Put chargers in your bag. Bring a portable battery. Download anything important in advance. Save addresses ahead of time (I actually text myself all the places and addresses and times I need to be at before starting the day any time I have one of these types of days), screenshot confirmation emails in case service gets weird and you need to connect with someone on the ground, pre-plan your outfit so you’re not scrambling in the morning, make sure your laptop bag isn’t carrying 14 unnecessary things from last week.

Future You will be deeply grateful.

2. Separate deep-desk work with mobile-work

This one changed my life.

There are certain tasks that are great for Uber rides: Inbox cleanups, follow-ups, scheduling, admin, brainstorming notes, social posting, Voice notes to yourself (AND catch-up to your besties, of course), pitch triage, calendar organization.

And there are certain tasks that absolutely should NOT happen while bouncing over potholes on Flatbush Avenue: Writing emotionally nuanced copy, heavy editing, contracts, math, anything requiring intense concentration (see again: math), tasks where one typo becomes a catastrophe.

Not every task belongs in transit mode.

3. Your phone is your friend.

I think a lot of us guilt ourselves into believing “real work” only counts if it’s done from a laptop. (True story: Who only makes “big purchases” or sends important emails from a laptop, never a phone?) Like casual stuff is cool for the phone, but anything SERIOUS requires a computer.

Meanwhile, some of the most efficient professionals I know can practically run an empire from their phones. A few things that genuinely help to flag emails instead of mentally bookmarking them, use voice-to-text notes, keep a running Notes app brain dump, use calendar reminders aggressively, answer quick things immediately instead of “later,” save draft responses when you’re interrupted.

You do not need perfect conditions to be productive. You just need to get stuff done.

4. Build tiny pockets of efficiency

The magic of days like these is not giant uninterrupted focus blocks. It’s actually just momentum.

My day today will look like this: Answer three emails while waiting for the Uber. Send one follow-up while walking into the event. Review a document during traffic. Organize photos between meetings. Clear five texts while waiting for the next Uber. Tiny pockets add up shockingly fast. Things will get done.

5. Your battery percentage is basically your emotional stability

I don’t make the rules. There is no stress quite like 3% battery, one missing charger, an showroom preview address you can’t pull up, and a publicist texting “just checking your ETA :)”

Bring a portable charger, backup cable, wall plug, extra phone cord, and possibly yet another iced coffee.

6. Accept that the day won’t be perfectly linear

This is the biggest one.

Transit-heavy days require flexibility. Your Uber will hit traffic. A meeting will run over. Someone will be late. You’ll answer one email and suddenly create seven more. You’ll accidentally spend 20 minutes trying to find the entrance to a hotel event space hidden behind a curtain and three escalators.

That’s normal. Productivity on these days is less about perfection and more about adaptability. Honestly, some of my most productive days happen when I’m barely sitting still.

We all need to get better at learning how to build a workflow that moves with you. And if you’ve ever answered emails from the backseat of a car while balancing your laptop, coffee, and dignity simultaneously, just know you’re absolutely not the only one.

Reminder: I have an exciting panel coming up TOMORROW in NYC, and you’re all invited (email the address in the photo for an invitation and more information!) - a bunch of you have emailed that you are registered to attend the conference, and our panel, and I’m so excited!

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Give a gift subscription

Share

Book your consulting session!

I still have some space available the remainder of 2026!

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.

Share

Be sure to follow me on the Yahoo Creators platform. I’m 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!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Leave a comment

Share

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!

Share

Leave a comment

Tools of the Trade

It's June now and we're in the last weeks of dad/grad gift guide season, but holiday season is going to be here very soon. Now is when it's most crucial to hone our pitching skills and put our best effort forward. The Recipe for Press Media Directory is a one-stop resource for everything you need to do just that. It's an essential and affordable database aimed toward top editors, digital editors and freelance writers in home, food, fashion, travel, business and lifestyle. Founded by former editor and author Amy Flurry in 2014, the directory features emails, titles, active social media addresses, and a notes section with submission guidelines. It's created for people in the trenches by someone who knows how editors want to be pitched. This is why leading publicists, editors, and entrepreneurs across the country, including me, widely use and recommend it! Annual subscription price is $195.

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

Exciting news from our friend Sarah Karger (who you’ve seen as the star expert panelist for several of our gift guide pitching workshops!) - she 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.

Share

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: I’ve Tried Every Way To Bake A Potato—This 1 Wins Every Time

• Yahoo: 15 Father’s Day gifts perfect for the foodie dad

• Yahoo: 12 Father's Day gifts he'll love if his man cave is all about the music

• Forbes.com: 7 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Falafel This Summer

• Travel & Leisure: Travelers Swear by This Personal Safety Device

• Southern Living: This Store-Bought Baked Beans Brand Was The Clear Favorite Among Southern Chefs.

• Dining Out NY: Vegas is Taking Over New York, One Flashy Dinner at a Time

• Southern Living: Can You Freeze Baked Beans Without Ruining The Texture?

• Travel & Leisure: Frequent Fliers Say This Genius Hack Makes It Feel Like They’ve Upgraded Their Seat—and It’s Only $35

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Frequent Solo Traveler, and This Genius Safety Device Gives Me Peace of Mind in Every Airbnb

• Food Network: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day

• Yahoo: The best cooling fans of 2026, tested and reviewed

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And My Friends And I Are Obsessed With This App For Tracking Each Other’s Flights

• Travel & Leisure: I Fly Around the Country for Work, and This Roomy Tote Is My No. 1 Airport Essential for Looking Put Together.

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Solo Traveler of 25 Years, and These Are the 18 Products I Swear By for Personal Safety in 2026

• Travel & Leisure: Traveling Alone Can Be Expensive—Here Are 15 Budget-friendly Hacks That Save Me Money

• Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook

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.

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

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.

Tip: If you want any guidance on how to pitch for gift guides more successfully, be sure to check out the complete webinar recording linked here — it’s free!

Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!

Food Network

I’m rounding up chain restaurants and QSRs doing special freebies, deals, and discounts in honor of Father’s Day. Same format as my usual deals roundups (see a recent one here: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day), just send me what the deal is, where it is valid, how to claim it, and any related images and social media links by end of next week.

Forbes.com

It’s almost International Sushi Day, and I’m looking for the best and most creative/interesting sushi experiences, sushi rolls, and sushi presentations around. I’m also doing the same for National Caviar Day, International Falafel Day and National Lobster Day, as well as, of course, my personal favorite — National Martini Day (now, think out of the box on this one, amazing creative martinis are fab, but so are amazing dishes INSPIRED by martinis!)

To pitch for any of these please include:

• Name of drink/dish

• description

• quote from chef/bartender about dish (and name and title of person being quoted)

• and LINK to image, with an identifying file name, and any appropriate photo credits included

  (I know I give these guidelines over and over, but every day I get dozens of pitches that disregard them, so it bears repeating! <3)!

Yahoo Creators

I’m sourcing for Father’s Day gift guides. To pitch me for these, please be sure to include name of product, description, link to imagery, price, and retailer availability - even better if it’s available at Amazon or another major online retailer. If it’s available at several retailers, please share all the links.

Leaning toward gadget, tech, office, travel, culinary wellness, and home gifts in these ones. I’m also specifically working on a guide geared toward the dad who loves to make music or play with his band in the garage - think man cave, with purpose.

Thanks!

Subscribe now

Share

Happy Friday!

I wasn’t planning on sending out an email today, because Summer Fridays and all, but I have a few stories I want to wrap up in the next few days — and that means I’m sending out a final call-to-action for my EOW laptop warriors.

Scroll down to my pending assignments section for more, and get those emails to me ASAP.

Reminder: I have an exciting panel coming up next week in NYC, and you’re all invited (email the address in the photo for an invitation and more information!) - a bunch of you have emailed that you are registered to attend the conference, and our panel, and I’m so excited!

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Give a gift subscription

Share

Book your consulting session!

I still have some space available the remainder of 2026!

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.

Share

Be sure to follow me on the Yahoo Creators platform. I’m 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!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Leave a comment

Share

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!

Share

Leave a comment

Tools of the Trade

It's June now and we're in the last weeks of dad/grad gift guide season, but holiday season is going to be here very soon. Now is when it's most crucial to hone our pitching skills and put our best effort forward. The Recipe for Press Media Directory is a one-stop resource for everything you need to do just that. It's an essential and affordable database aimed toward top editors, digital editors and freelance writers in home, food, fashion, travel, business and lifestyle. Founded by former editor and author Amy Flurry in 2014, the directory features emails, titles, active social media addresses, and a notes section with submission guidelines. It's created for people in the trenches by someone who knows how editors want to be pitched. This is why leading publicists, editors, and entrepreneurs across the country, including me, widely use and recommend it! Annual subscription price is $195.

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

Exciting news from our friend Sarah Karger (who you’ve seen as the star expert panelist for several of our gift guide pitching workshops!) - she 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.

Share

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: I’ve Tried Every Way To Bake A Potato—This 1 Wins Every Time

• Southern Living: This Store-Bought Baked Beans Brand Was The Clear Favorite Among Southern Chefs.

• Dining Out NY: Vegas is Taking Over New York, One Flashy Dinner at a Time

• Southern Living: Can You Freeze Baked Beans Without Ruining The Texture?

• Travel & Leisure: Frequent Fliers Say This Genius Hack Makes It Feel Like They’ve Upgraded Their Seat—and It’s Only $35

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Frequent Solo Traveler, and This Genius Safety Device Gives Me Peace of Mind in Every Airbnb

• Yahoo: 12 Father’s Day gifts perfect for the foodie dad

• Food Network: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day

• Yahoo: The best cooling fans of 2026, tested and reviewed

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And My Friends And I Are Obsessed With This App For Tracking Each Other’s Flights

• Travel & Leisure: I Fly Around the Country for Work, and This Roomy Tote Is My No. 1 Airport Essential for Looking Put Together.

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Solo Traveler of 25 Years, and These Are the 18 Products I Swear By for Personal Safety in 2026

• Travel & Leisure: Traveling Alone Can Be Expensive—Here Are 15 Budget-friendly Hacks That Save Me Money

• Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook

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.

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

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.

Tip: If you want any guidance on how to pitch for gift guides more successfully, be sure to check out the complete webinar recording linked here — it’s free!

Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!

Food Network

I’m rounding up chain restaurants and QSRs doing special freebies, deals, and discounts in honor of Father’s Day. Same format as my usual deals roundups (see a recent one here: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day), just send me what the deal is, where it is valid, how to claim it, and any related images and social media links by end of next week.

Forbes.com

It’s almost International Sushi Day, and I’m looking for the best and most creative/interesting sushi experiences, sushi rolls, and sushi presentations around. I’m also doing the same for National Caviar Day, International Falafel Day and National Lobster Day, as well as, of course, my personal favorite — National Martini Day (now, think out of the box on this one, amazing creative martinis are fab, but so are amazing dishes INSPIRED by martinis!)

To pitch for any of these please include:

• Name of drink/dish

• description

• quote from chef/bartender about dish (and name and title of person being quoted)

• and LINK to image, with an identifying file name, and any appropriate photo credits included

  (I know I give these guidelines over and over, but every day I get dozens of pitches that disregard them, so it bears repeating! <3)!

Yahoo Creators

I’m sourcing for Father’s Day gift guides. To pitch me for these, please be sure to include name of product, description, link to imagery, price, and retailer availability - even better if it’s available at Amazon or another major online retailer. If it’s available at several retailers, please share all the links.

Leaning toward gadget, tech, office, travel, culinary wellness, and home gifts in these ones. I’m also specifically working on a guide geared toward the dad who loves to make music or play with his band in the garage - think man cave, with purpose.

Thanks!

Subscribe now

Share

I need everyone to know that I did not expect a college hockey romance series to send me spiraling.

And yet, here we are. I’ve binged it twice in the past two weeks. Who even am I?

But apparently, I’m not alone. If your social feeds currently look like mine, then you’ve probably seen approximately 47,000 people discussing the Off Campus universe lately. This massively popular hockey romance book series turned streaming obsession is so hot none of us have talked about Conrad Fisher in at least five minutes. (Except damn, now I’m thinking about him again.) Sigh.

Anyway. Suddenly everyone is emotionally invested in charming hockey players with communication issues and suspiciously excellent hair.

And while on the surface this has absolutely nothing to do with PR, media, pitching, journalism, or brand relationships, it actually kind of has everything to do with them.

Because underneath all the romance tropes and locker room tension and fake dating chaos is something very familiar: Relationships. Reputation. Trust. Timing. Emotional intelligence. And occasionally: crisis management.

Fake Dating = Performative Media Relationships

Let’s start here.

One of the biggest romance tropes in these stories is fake dating: two people entering into a strategic arrangement where both sides are technically getting something out of it.

That’s not that far off from how some media relationships begin. There’s generally an exchange happening. But here’s where both romance novels and PR get it right: The relationships that actually work are the ones that eventually stop feeling transactional.

You can always tell when someone is only being “warm” because they need coverage this week. And you can also tell when someone has invested in an actual long-term professional relationship built on trust, reliability, respect, and mutual understanding.

One feels manipulative. The other feels collaborative.

(And yes, much like fake dating plots, one side often catches feelings first.)

Reputation Rehabilitation Is a Real Thing

AKA: The “everyone thinks this person is one thing, but there’s more beneath the surface” plot.

That is basically reputation management in a nutshell. In PR, brands and people are constantly trying to evolve public perception. You cannot “speech” your way out of a reputation problem. The best reputation rehabilitation is consistent behavior over time.

Not one dramatic email, flashy launch, or a “we value relationships!” statement. It’s about consistency, responsiveness, following through, and being reliable.

That’s the real redemption arc.

People talk.

Another thing the hockey romance universe gets right is that teams talk. Everyone knows who’s reliable, who’s difficult, who’s respectful, who follows through, who makes everyone else’s job harder, who people actually want to work with, and the media/PR world is no different.

This industry runs on conversations. People absolutely remember the publicist who never sent the details, the journalist who rude and demanding, and never actually covered the restaurant/property/mattress, the brand that bait-and-switched attendees, the team that made things seamless and easy. Your reputation enters rooms before you do.

(Which, honestly, is also true for fictional hockey captains.)

Timing Is Everything

Part of why Off Campus is exploding right now isn’t just because people suddenly discovered romance with hot hockey players with a heart of gold.

It’s because it landed at the exact intersection of sports romance popularity, BookTok culture, bingeable streaming adaptations, comfort-watch energy, ensemble casts, fake dating tropes, emotionally unavailable men learning communication skills, and us ALL needing an escape from the dumpster fire that is the world around us right now.

The audience was already primed for it, and that’s one of the biggest lessons, too.

Sometimes a pitch fails not because the story is bad, but because the timing is wrong. And sometimes a story takes off because it joins a conversation people are already eager to have. The smartest pitching doesn’t just ask:
“Is this good?”

It asks: “Is this relevant right now?”

Final Thoughts From Someone Who Somehow Turned Hockey Romance Into a Media Strategy Discussion

At the end of the day, the reason these stories work is because they’re built around relationships, trust, chemistry, communication, and emotional intelligence. So is this industry.

Also, if we’re being fair, every single one of us reading this (or writing this, if we’re talking about me) has at least once felt like the exhausted team captain trying to stop a disaster from making the situation worse before launch day. So maybe the overlap was inevitable.

Now if anyone needs me, I’ll be pretending I’m “researching media dynamics” while absolutely consuming rom-com content.

Travel news: I’ll be in New Orleans for a combination work-and-play trip in less than two weeks. It’s a pretty quick in-and-out trip, but def let me know if there’s anything you think we should squeeze in while there :)

(Don’t forget, I have an exciting panel coming up next week in NYC, and you’re all invited (email the address in the photo for an invitation and more information!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Give a gift subscription

Share

Book your consulting session!

I still have some space available the remainder of 2026!

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.

Share

Be sure to follow me on the Yahoo Creators platform. I’m 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!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Leave a comment

Share

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!

Share

Leave a comment

Tools of the Trade

It's June now and we're in the last weeks of dad/grad gift guide season, but holiday season is going to be here very soon. Now is when it's most crucial to hone our pitching skills and put our best effort forward. The Recipe for Press Media Directory is a one-stop resource for everything you need to do just that. It's an essential and affordable database aimed toward top editors, digital editors and freelance writers in home, food, fashion, travel, business and lifestyle. Founded by former editor and author Amy Flurry in 2014, the directory features emails, titles, active social media addresses, and a notes section with submission guidelines. It's created for people in the trenches by someone who knows how editors want to be pitched. This is why leading publicists, editors, and entrepreneurs across the country, including me, widely use and recommend it! Annual subscription price is $195.

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

Exciting news from our friend Sarah Karger (who you’ve seen as the star expert panelist for several of our gift guide pitching workshops!) - she 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.

Share

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: I’ve Tried Every Way To Bake A Potato—This 1 Wins Every Time

• Southern Living: This Store-Bought Baked Beans Brand Was The Clear Favorite Among Southern Chefs.

• Dining Out NY: Vegas is Taking Over New York, One Flashy Dinner at a Time

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Frequent Solo Traveler, and This Genius Safety Device Gives Me Peace of Mind in Every Airbnb

• Yahoo: 12 Father’s Day gifts perfect for the foodie dad

• Food Network: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day

• Yahoo: The best cooling fans of 2026, tested and reviewed

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And My Friends And I Are Obsessed With This App For Tracking Each Other’s Flights

• Travel & Leisure: I Fly Around the Country for Work, and This Roomy Tote Is My No. 1 Airport Essential for Looking Put Together.

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Solo Traveler of 25 Years, and These Are the 18 Products I Swear By for Personal Safety in 2026

• Travel & Leisure: Traveling Alone Can Be Expensive—Here Are 15 Budget-friendly Hacks That Save Me Money

• Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook

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.

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

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.

Tip: If you want any guidance on how to pitch for gift guides more successfully, be sure to check out the complete webinar recording linked here — it’s free!

Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!

Food Network

I’m rounding up chain restaurants and QSRs doing special freebies, deals, and discounts in honor of Father’s Day. Same format as my usual deals roundups (see a recent one here: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day), just send me what the deal is, where it is valid, how to claim it, and any related images and social media links by end of next week.

Forbes.com

It’s almost International Sushi Day, and I’m looking for the best and most creative/interesting sushi experiences, sushi rolls, and sushi presentations around. I’m also doing the same for National Caviar Day, International Falafel Day and National Lobster Day, as well as, of course, my personal favorite — National Martini Day (now, think out of the box on this one, amazing creative martinis are fab, but so are amazing dishes INSPIRED by martinis!)

To pitch for any of these please include:

• Name of drink/dish

• description

• quote from chef/bartender about dish (and name and title of person being quoted)

• and LINK to image, with an identifying file name, and any appropriate photo credits included

  (I know I give these guidelines over and over, but every day I get dozens of pitches that disregard them, so it bears repeating! <3)!

Yahoo Creators

I’m sourcing for Father’s Day and Graduation Day gift guides. To pitch me for these, please be sure to include name of product, description, link to imagery, price, and retailer availability - even better if it’s available at Amazon or another major online retailer. If it’s available at several retailers, please share all the links.

Leaning toward gadget, tech, office, travel, culinary wellness, and home gifts in these ones. And, yes, these are ALL earned media. There are no fees for any of my guides. I’m also specifically working on a guide geared toward the dad who loves to make music or play with his band in the garage - think man cave, with purpose.

Thanks!

Subscribe now

Share

Happy Wednesday, or as many of us prefer to know it, Hump Day.

And if you think of it, it kind of works, because every single week there’s always some sort of hump standing between us and functioning like normal people.

Sometimes it’s the follow-up hump. Sometimes it’s the “please stop texting pitches to my personal phone” hump. Sometimes it’s the “why did this event invite arrive 14 minutes before the event starts” hump.

So I thought it might be fun to start a little Wednesday series where we tackle one very specific industry hurdle (or hump, if you will) each Wednesday — the annoying habits, recurring frustrations, logistical nightmares, and inbox-induced emotional spirals we all collectively experience.

Not to complain. (OK, maybe a little to complain), but mostly to help all of us work smarter, communicate better, and make each other’s lives easier.

So with that…

This Week’s Hump: The Timing Hump

AKA: “We’d love to invite you to an event tomorrow at 1 PM.”

…sent at 8:47 PM the night before.

This actually just happened to me. I was invited to a dinner that sounded absolutely lovely for tonight…last night. Weirdly enough, I already had plans.

Now, I get it. You know I do. I understand sometimes things come together late. Budgets get approved late. Clients move slowly. Venues change. Schedules shift.

But when you invite me to something 24 hours out, I dont’ think of all those things. I think you had a last minute cancellation and there I am, filling a hole at the table.

But lets ignore that very real reality for a hot second, because maybe that wasn’t the case. (And even if it is, hey, I get it), lets just talk logistics..

It’s seldom possible to just magically appear with no notice, particularly if it happens to be a daytime event. They take a whole lot of logistics and planning ahead.

Look at me. That event for me is an hour away, in another borough or state, during the workday, requiring transportation logistics, and yet it was pitched with the confidence of someone inviting me to walk downstairs to my mailbox.

Here’s the thing many people forget: For freelancers especially, attending an event isn’t just the event itself.

It’s travel time, prep time, the work we aren’t doing while attending, rearranging work agendas, changing our schedules, figuring out transportation, potentially moving interviews, meetings, or assignments.

A “quick lunch” in the city can quietly become a 5-hour commitment.

And when details come in too late — or invitations arrive last minute — many people simply can’t make it work, no matter how interested they are.

That’s not disinterest, it’s just logistics.

But there’s also what I mentioned initially, because nothing says “you were an afterthought” quite like: “We’d love to have you there tomorrow!”

Especially when the expectation is immediate enthusiasm, immediate RSVP, immediate attendance, and somehow immediate coverage too. Meanwhile I’m sitting there trying to figure out whether I have clean clothes, whether the Uber voucher covers more than half a wheel rotation, if i’m making today’s deadlines, and whether attending this luncheon means I’ll be answering emails at midnight.

The good news: This hump is actually very fixable.

How to Get Over the Timing Hump

For PR teams:

• Send invites as early as you can

• Even a save-the-date helps

• Respect workday timing realities

• Include transportation details early

• Don’t assume “just swing by” is realistic

• If details are still developing, communicate that transparently

• Understand that a “no” is often logistical, not personal

For media:

• RSVP honestly

• Don’t overcommit out of guilt

• Protect your schedule

• Build buffer time into your calendar

• Normalize saying no when timing simply doesn’t work

Ultimately, good timing doesn’t just increase attendance. It increases goodwill, and goodwill is the currency that keeps this entire industry functioning.

Anyway — congratulations on making it over Wednesday’s hump. Barely.

(Don’t forget, I have an exciting panel coming up next week in NYC, and you’re all invited (email the address in the photo for an invitation and more information!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Give a gift subscription

Share

Book your consulting session!

I still have some space available the remainder of 2026!

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.

Share

Be sure to follow me on the Yahoo Creators platform. I’m 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!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Leave a comment

Share

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!

Share

Leave a comment

Tools of the trade

It’s Gift Guide season. Get ready to pitch! The Recipe for Press Media Directory, is an invaluable and affordable database to top editors, digital editors and freelance writers in home, food, fashion, travel, business and lifestyle. Founded by former editor and author Amy Flurry in 2014, the directory features emails, titles, active social media addresses, and a notes section with submission guidelines. It’s widely used by leading publicists and entrepreneurs across the country. Annual subscription price is $195.

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

Exciting news from our friend Sarah Karger (who you’ve seen as the star expert panelist for several of our gift guide pitching workshops!) - she 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.

Share

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: I’ve Tried Every Way To Bake A Potato—This 1 Wins Every Time

• Southern Living: This Store-Bought Baked Beans Brand Was The Clear Favorite Among Southern Chefs.

• Dining Out NY: Vegas is Taking Over New York, One Flashy Dinner at a Time

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Frequent Solo Traveler, and This Genius Safety Device Gives Me Peace of Mind in Every Airbnb

• Yahoo: 12 Father’s Day gifts perfect for the foodie dad

• Food Network: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day

• Yahoo: The best cooling fans of 2026, tested and reviewed

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And My Friends And I Are Obsessed With This App For Tracking Each Other’s Flights

• Travel & Leisure: I Fly Around the Country for Work, and This Roomy Tote Is My No. 1 Airport Essential for Looking Put Together.

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Solo Traveler of 25 Years, and These Are the 18 Products I Swear By for Personal Safety in 2026

• Travel & Leisure: Traveling Alone Can Be Expensive—Here Are 15 Budget-friendly Hacks That Save Me Money

• Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook

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.

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

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.

Tip: If you want any guidance on how to pitch for gift guides more successfully, be sure to check out the complete webinar recording linked here — it’s free!

Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!

Forbes.com

It’s almost International Sushi Day, and I’m looking for the best and most creative/interesting sushi experiences, sushi rolls, and sushi presentations around. I’m also doing the same for National Caviar Day, International Falafel Day and National Lobster Day, as well as, of course, my personal favorite — National Martini Day (now, think out of the box on this one, amazing creative martinis are fab, but so are amazing dishes INSPIRED by martinis!)

To pitch for any of these please include:

• Name of drink/dish

• description

• quote from chef/bartender about dish (and name and title of person being quoted)

• and LINK to image, with an identifying file name, and any appropriate photo credits included

  (I know I give these guidelines over and over, but every day I get dozens of pitches that disregard them, so it bears repeating! <3)!

Yahoo Creators

I’m sourcing for Father’s Day and Graduation Day gift guides. To pitch me for these, please be sure to include name of product, description, link to imagery, price, and retailer availability - even better if it’s available at Amazon or another major online retailer. If it’s available at several retailers, please share all the links.

Leaning toward gadget, tech, office, travel, culinary wellness, and home gifts in these ones. And, yes, these are ALL earned media. There are no fees for any of my guides. I’m also specifically working on a guide geared toward the dad who loves to make music or play with his band in the garage - think man cave, with purpose.

National Burger Day is this week and I’m also looking for chefs to weigh in on the biggest mistakes they think people make making their burgers at home — and what they should be doing instead!

Thanks!

Subscribe now

Share

Before I begin today’s discussion, some fun newly published content I’m excited to share.

I’m writing now for Dining Out Magazine’s newly launched New York edition! Here’s my first piece: Vegas is Taking Over New York, One Flashy Dinner at a Time. Also new today, for Southern Living: I’ve Tried Every Way To Bake A Potato—This 1 Wins Every Time, as well as This Store-Bought Baked Beans Brand Was The Clear Favorite Among Southern Chefs. For Travel & Leisure: Travelers Swear by This Personal Safety Device, and for Yahoo: 12 Father’s Day gifts perfect for the foodie dad, and also for Yahoo: The best cooling fans of 2026, tested and reviewed.

Scroll down for lots of other newly published content and pending assignments, including gift guides!

Well, Monday is Tuesday this week.

That means today has all the emotional stability of airport WiFi, a group text of my friends attempting to make brunch plans, or someone in my inbox sending a “quick question!” with no actual question in the subject line.

Nobody fully knows what day it is. In fact, I bet half of us have already mentally extended Memorial Day through at least noon today.

Or, maybe you’re just opening laptop right now and whispering: “Absolutely not.”

I know. I’m Aly. You fully expect me to email you right now with fake motivational nonsense like: “Wake up and dominate the week!”

But, maybe today we can try something radically more useful, and work together on how re-enter people-ing without ruining your life by 10:14 AM.

Motivation Is Overrated. Systems Are Better.

I know a lot of you hate to admit this, because you see it as some sort of sign of weakness if people know the truth, but most productive people are not constantly inspired.

I think it’s more that we’re less reliant on dramatic emotional momentum.

We can’t do it. We just can’t. If our plan every week is: “This time I’ll become a brand-new person with perfect discipline,”

Chances are, you are going to have a meltown by approximately Wednesday afternoon. Especially after a holiday weekend.

So maybe the goal this week is not: “Become the most productive version of yourself.”

But rather: “Stabilize the ship.”

Rule #1: Do Not Start With Your Inbox

I know. You want to know what happened.

But opening your inbox first thing after a long weekend is just going to make everything rush in at once.

Instead, make coffee, and take a moment to review your actual priorities, look at your deadlines, and identify what truly matters this week,

THEN start your day.

Rule #2: Your First “Yes” Sets the Tone for the Week

Be careful what you agree to first.

Because as soon as you jump too fast into:
“Sure, I can probably make that work!”

You’re somehow agreeing to three cross-town meetings (or in my case, events) in one evening, on a day you already have two rush deadlines, a lunch, and already know you’re going to end up answering emails from your phone while chugging an oat milk latte in an Uber.

So before you catch yourself typing: “Happy to swing by!”

Consider this approach: “Thanks so much for thinking of me! Let me double-check timing and logistics and get back to you shortly.”

That’s not just a pause, it’s a boundary.

Rule #3: Stop Treating Rest Like a Mistake You Have to Apologize For

You are allowed to have enjoyed the holiday weekend.

You are allowed to rest, see friends, travel, grill things, drink rosé, ignore your inbox, or binge Off Campus for the second time in a single week (YOU GUYS, IT’S SO EFFING GOOD THAT I’VE ALMOST STOPPED MISSING CONRAD FISHER.)

BUT FINE. You did what you wanted to do this weekend, whatever that was. And that may or may not have included anything work-related. You do not need to punish yourself for this by becoming a productivity machine overnight.

The Tuesday-after-a-long-weekend urge to “catch up on everything immediately” is exactly how people end up three martinis deep by Thursday.

Tiny Useful Things That Actually Help

I’m not talking about “change your life” help. Something needs to change MY life first for me to be qualified to do that.

Just normal-person help. Pick your top three priorities before opening email.Answer easy emails in batches instead of all day long. Decline things quickly instead of procrastinating on the response. Build travel/commute time into your decisions realistically. Eat lunch before you become emotionally unstable. Remember that “working from home” is still working, and respect your agenda accordingly. Stop volunteering for chaos because you temporarily felt ambitious at 9:03 AM.

You do not need to win the week this week or every week. You just need to avoid accidentally handing your entire schedule, energy, and sanity over to other people.

That alone puts you ahead of most people.

(Don’t forget, I have an exciting panel coming up next week in NYC, and you’re all invited (email the address in the photo for an invitation and more information!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Give a gift subscription

Share

Book your consulting session!

I still have some space available the remainder of 2026!

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.

Share

Be sure to follow me on the Yahoo Creators platform. I’m 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!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Leave a comment

Share

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!

Share

Leave a comment

Tools of the trade

It’s Gift Guide season. Get ready to pitch! The Recipe for Press Media Directory, is an invaluable and affordable database to top editors, digital editors and freelance writers in home, food, fashion, travel, business and lifestyle. Founded by former editor and author Amy Flurry in 2014, the directory features emails, titles, active social media addresses, and a notes section with submission guidelines. It’s widely used by leading publicists and entrepreneurs across the country. Annual subscription price is $195.

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

Exciting news from our friend Sarah Karger (who you’ve seen as the star expert panelist for several of our gift guide pitching workshops!) - she 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.

Share

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: I’ve Tried Every Way To Bake A Potato—This 1 Wins Every Time

• Southern Living: This Store-Bought Baked Beans Brand Was The Clear Favorite Among Southern Chefs.

• Dining Out NY: Vegas is Taking Over New York, One Flashy Dinner at a Time

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Frequent Solo Traveler, and This Genius Safety Device Gives Me Peace of Mind in Every Airbnb

• Yahoo: 12 Father’s Day gifts perfect for the foodie dad

• Food Network: 20 Restaurant Deals To Snag for Memorial Day

• Yahoo: The best cooling fans of 2026, tested and reviewed

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And My Friends And I Are Obsessed With This App For Tracking Each Other’s Flights

• Travel & Leisure: I Fly Around the Country for Work, and This Roomy Tote Is My No. 1 Airport Essential for Looking Put Together.

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Solo Traveler of 25 Years, and These Are the 18 Products I Swear By for Personal Safety in 2026

• Travel & Leisure: Traveling Alone Can Be Expensive—Here Are 15 Budget-friendly Hacks That Save Me Money

• Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook

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.

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

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.

Tip: If you want any guidance on how to pitch for gift guides more successfully, be sure to check out the complete webinar recording linked here — it’s free!

Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!

Forbes.com

It’s almost International Sushi Day, and I’m looking for the best and most creative/interesting sushi experiences, sushi rolls, and sushi presentations around. I’m also doing the same for National Caviar Day, International Falafel Day and National Lobster Day, as well as, of course, my personal favorite — National Martini Day (now, think out of the box on this one, amazing creative martinis are fab, but so are amazing dishes INSPIRED by martinis!)

To pitch for any of these please include:

• Name of drink/dish

• description

• quote from chef/bartender about dish (and name and title of person being quoted)

• and LINK to image, with an identifying file name, and any appropriate photo credits included

  (I know I give these guidelines over and over, but every day I get dozens of pitches that disregard them, so it bears repeating! <3)!

Yahoo Creators

I’m sourcing for Father’s Day and Graduation Day gift guides. To pitch me for these, please be sure to include name of product, description, link to imagery, price, and retailer availability - even better if it’s available at Amazon or another major online retailer. If it’s available at several retailers, please share all the links.

Leaning toward gadget, tech, office, travel, culinary wellness, and home gifts in these ones. And, yes, these are ALL earned media. There are no fees for any of my guides. I’m also specifically working on a guide geared toward the dad who loves to make music or play with his band in the garage - think man cave, with purpose.

National Burger Day is this week and I’m also looking for chefs to weigh in on the biggest mistakes they think people make making their burgers at home — and what they should be doing instead!

Thanks!

Subscribe now

Share

It’s Thursday before Memorial Day weekend. I realize this means that a lot of you reading this are already mentally at a beach bar holding a spicy margarita and pretending you’re definitely not checking email.

If that’s you, good for you. I actually have fun lunch plans today - a rarity for me on a weekday - and I fully plan to embrace the moment and have a cocktail.

We all are already aware this is the final normal-ish workday before we collectively enter Summer Mode. Ya know, that magical stretch of the year where every inbox response takes days instead of minutes, everyone is “circling back Tuesday,” and nobody remembers what day it is until September.

So before we all disappear into airport lounges, delayed Amtraks, rooftop happy hours, family BBQs, and “working remotely” from what suspiciously looks like a pool, let’s discuss the unspoken rules of pre-long-weekend pitching.

I’m going to start by saying this is kind of delicate.

We fall into two categories today:

1. People trying to clean up loose ends before the holiday

2. People launching entirely new chaos at 4:52 PM

I am begging you: Do not be Person #2.

Nobody (and you know I love you!) wants to receive a 14-paragraph “quick opportunity,” an embargo launching Monday morning, a request for “thoughts ASAP before the weekend,” or a follow-up sent 11 minutes after the original email on the Thursday before Memorial Day.

At this exact moment, we’re all basically just trying to answer the important emails, confirm next week’s agenda logistics, locate our portable charger (wait, that’s just me?), and figure out whether they remembered to buy sunscreen.

This is not the moment for high-maintenance asks. In fact, I’d argue this is a rather big relationship-test moment.

People remember how you make them feel. Did your email create stress?
Did it dump urgency into someone’s inbox? Did it require six follow-ups and a PDF attachment the size of a feature film?

Or did you make someone’s life easier? Did you send clear logistics? Provide organized assets? Confirm details early? Close loops? Appreciate and acknowledge the reality of timing?

Most importantly, did you respect that people are humans with lives and travel plans and BBQ obligations and airport anxiety?

I know freelancers are especially visible online during weekends and holidays because many of us are still technically working. Hell, I’m the most guilty of all of this. I’lll 100% still be emailing and working a lot of the weekend. Including today post-martini lunch. But don’t take that for granted.

You may see us answering emails from airport gates, or you may spot us filing stories from hotel lobbies. You may witness us hotspotting from the backseat of an Uber, but this does NOT mean: “Perfect time to send that big ask!”

Just because my laptop is open, does not mean I’m emotionally available for added chaos.

Summer especially is where considerate and friendly professional relationships start separating themselves from transactional ones.

The people who thrive during this season are usually the ones who understand timing matters, tone matters, clarity matters, and not every email needs to become an emergency.

So if you need a little Thursday-before-a-long-weekend checklist, here you go:

GOOD things to send today:

• confirmed logistics

• finalized details

• concise updates

• easy-to-reference assets

• thoughtful check-ins

• Uber vouchers (obviously)

Things that can absolutely wait until Tuesday:

• “just bumping this!”

• massive asks

• fake urgency

• “following up on the below”

• “did you see my last email?”
  (sent 14 minutes after the first one)

Anyway, happy unofficial start of Summer Mode. May your inbox be calm, your out-of-office be respected, and your long weekend contain at least one very good drink.

See you Tuesday.
(Probably.)

(Don’t forget, I have an exciting panel coming up in a few weeks in NYC, and you’re all invited (email the address in the photo for an invitation and more information!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Give a gift subscription

Share

Book your consulting session!

I still have some space available the remainder of 2026!

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.

Share

Be sure to follow me on the Yahoo Creators platform. I’m 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!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Leave a comment

Share

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!

Share

Leave a comment

Tools of the trade

It’s Gift Guide season. Get ready to pitch! The Recipe for Press Media Directory, is an invaluable and affordable database to top editors, digital editors and freelance writers in home, food, fashion, travel, business and lifestyle. Founded by former editor and author Amy Flurry in 2014, the directory features emails, titles, active social media addresses, and a notes section with submission guidelines. It’s widely used by leading publicists and entrepreneurs across the country. Annual subscription price is $195.

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

Exciting news from our friend Sarah Karger (who you’ve seen as the star expert panelist for several of our gift guide pitching workshops!) - she 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.

Share

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!)

• Yahoo: They’ve graduated and are moving into their first apartment: Here’s 20 essential gifts perfect for this milestone

• Yahoo: These Healthy Dinners from Trader Joe’s Take 10 Minutes or Less

• Forbes.com: Musaafer’s Butter Chicken Experience Presents One Of Indian Cuisine’s Most Beloved Dishes In An Exciting And Unique Way

• Forbes.com: 25 Delicious Ways To Enjoy National Burger Month

• Southern Living: 7 New Trader Joe’s Items You’ll Want To Try This Spring

• Southern Living: Can You Eat Unripe Avocado? Here’s What To Know

• Southern Living: The $4 Trader Joe’s Dip I Put On Almost Everything

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And My Friends And I Are Obsessed With This App For Tracking Each Other’s Flights

• Apartment Therapy: This $3 Cleaning Gem Is a Staple in My Small Apartment

• Travel & Leisure: This Brand Is Amazon’s Best-kept Secret for Roomy, Budget-friendly Travel Bags—and Prices Start at Just $19

• Apartment Therapy: I Use This Living Room Staple as Pantry Storage, and It’s the Smartest Hack I’ve Tried

• Apartment Therapy, I Used the 10% Rule, and Now I Never Overpack My Carry-On

• Travel & Leisure: I Fly Around the Country for Work, and This Roomy Tote Is My No. 1 Airport Essential for Looking Put Together.

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Solo Traveler of 25 Years, and These Are the 18 Products I Swear By for Personal Safety in 2026

• Travel & Leisure: In-flight Theft Is Unfortunately a Thing, but These 12 Items Give Me Peace of Mind When I’m Traveling by Plane

• Travel & Leisure: Traveling Alone Can Be Expensive—Here Are 15 Budget-friendly Hacks That Save Me Money

• Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook

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.

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

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.

Tip: If you want any guidance on how to pitch for gift guides more successfully, be sure to check out the complete webinar recording linked here — it’s free!

Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!

Forbes.com

It’s almost International Sushi Day, and I’m looking for the best and most creative/interesting sushi experiences, sushi rolls, and sushi presentations around. I’m also doing the same for National Caviar Day, International Falafel Day and National Lobster Day, as well as, of course, my personal favorite — National Martini Day (now, think out of the box on this one, amazing creative martinis are fab, but so are amazing dishes INSPIRED by martinis!)

To pitch for any of these please include:

• Name of drink/dish

• description

• quote from chef/bartender about dish (and name and title of person being quoted)

• and LINK to image, with an identifying file name, and any appropriate photo credits included

  (I know I give these guidelines over and over, but every day I get dozens of pitches that disregard them, so it bears repeating! <3)!

Yahoo Creators

I’m sourcing for Father’s Day and Graduation Day gift guides. To pitch me for these, please be sure to include name of product, description, link to imagery, price, and retailer availability - even better if it’s available at Amazon or another major online retailer. If it’s available at several retailers, please share all the links.

Leaning toward gadget, tech, office, travel, culinary wellness, and home gifts in these ones. And, yes, these are ALL earned media. There are no fees for any of my guides. I’m also specifically working on a guide geared toward the dad who loves to make music or play with his band in the garage - think man cave, with purpose.

National Burger Day is this week and I’m also looking for chefs to weigh in on the biggest mistakes they think people make making their burgers at home — and what they should be doing instead!

Thanks!

Subscribe now

Share

(Hi friends :) My gal Sarah Karger is doing a partial takeover today to share some really useful intel — more from me later on in this email! <3 aly)

A guest checklist from Sarah Karger, Karger & Co.

Hey friends -- Sarah here! Aly was kind enough to let me take over a little corner of her newsletter because Prime Day is coming, and sooner than it normally does!

In case you’re living under a rock (or just a mound of client to-dos), Amazon Prime Day will be going down in June this year! While the dates are still under embargo, rumor has it the sale will take place between June 23 and 26. So, if you have clients who sell on Amazon, the prep work of getting their ducks in a row starts now.

One thing Aly talks about all the time are the pitches that win are the ones that make a writer’s job easier. That same principle applies when you’re positioning your clients for Prime Day coverage. The publicists who show up prepared with clear info, realistic timelines, and actual strategy are the ones editors want to work with, not just for this tentpole holiday - but in the future as well.

So before Prime Day hits, here is a quick checklist on what you should be asking your clients today:

1. What are your confirmed Prime Day deals, and when do they go live?

If your client can’t tell you the specific discount, the product, and the timing, you’re not ready to pitch. Editors and creators need facts and figures - not “we’re planning something exciting.”

Bonus points if you can clarify if they have any lightning deals and get those date/time specifics, too!

2. Do you have a Creator Connections campaign set up?

If the answer is either no or “what’s that?” -- that’s the gap you need to close before anything else. Creator Connections rewards publishers above and beyond the basket commission Amazon offers. Want to learn more? Sign up for this free webinar here happening May 28 at 12pm ET.

3. Which products are actually the hero products -- and why?

Not everything in your client’s catalog deserves to be under a spotlight. Which products have the best reviews? Which products convert - these are the products you should put forward for Prime Day.

4. Do you have high-res product images ready to go -- in a shared folder with open permissions? (Truth be told, this is more a question for you!)

If an editor has to request access to your Google Drive the night before their roundup goes live, you’ve lost. Have a clean, labeled, publicly accessible folder ready.

5. What’s the “before and after” price story?

“20% off” means nothing without context. “Normally $89 down to $49 -- the lowest it’s been all year” are headline making stats. Make sure you provide writers with the tangible insights so they can share the deal with readers. Is 20% $2? That’s not a story.

6. Are there any exclusivity windows or embargo dates?

Some brands offer early access and excitement, others need to protect sales leading up to the big day. So do you know which one your client is? And if they’re under embargo, get approval before sending to writers. You know what they say about assuming.

---

Prime Day is one of the biggest commerce moments of the year. Last year, U.S. online spending during the Prime Day window was estimated to reach $24.1 billion, a more than 30% year-over-year increase. People Inc. also reported a 56% lift in affiliate commerce revenue in Q3, a quarter that included Prime Day’s typical July timing.

If you want to go deeper on this, even how to enable Creator Connections, how to optimize your clients’ pitches for affiliate coverage, and how to actually build a Prime Day pitch strategy that gets results, I’m running a free live workshop on May 28th that covers all of it! And yes, 100% free. No catch. Sign up here.

I’d love to see you there.

-- Sarah Karger

Thanks so much, Sarah!

…and Aly is back! Or me, because I’m talking in the royal we for some reason…

Don’t forget, I have an exciting panel coming up in a few weeks in NYC, and you’re all invited (email the address in the photo for an invitation and more information!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Give a gift subscription

Share

Book your consulting session!

I still have some space available the remainder of 2026!

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.

Share

Be sure to follow me on the Yahoo Creators platform. I’m 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!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Leave a comment

Share

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!

Share

Leave a comment

Tools of the trade

It’s Gift Guide season. Get ready to pitch! The Recipe for Press Media Directory, is an invaluable and affordable database to top editors, digital editors and freelance writers in home, food, fashion, travel, business and lifestyle. Founded by former editor and author Amy Flurry in 2014, the directory features emails, titles, active social media addresses, and a notes section with submission guidelines. It’s widely used by leading publicists and entrepreneurs across the country. Annual subscription price is $195.

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

Exciting news from our friend Sarah Karger (who you’ve seen as the star expert panelist for several of our gift guide pitching workshops!) - she 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.

Share

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!)

• Yahoo: They’ve graduated and are moving into their first apartment: Here’s 20 essential gifts perfect for this milestone

• Yahoo: These Healthy Dinners from Trader Joe’s Take 10 Minutes or Less

• Forbes.com: Musaafer’s Butter Chicken Experience Presents One Of Indian Cuisine’s Most Beloved Dishes In An Exciting And Unique Way

• Forbes.com: 25 Delicious Ways To Enjoy National Burger Month

• Southern Living: 7 New Trader Joe’s Items You’ll Want To Try This Spring

• Southern Living: Can You Eat Unripe Avocado? Here’s What To Know

• Southern Living: The $4 Trader Joe’s Dip I Put On Almost Everything

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And My Friends And I Are Obsessed With This App For Tracking Each Other’s Flights

• Apartment Therapy: This $3 Cleaning Gem Is a Staple in My Small Apartment

• Travel & Leisure: This Brand Is Amazon’s Best-kept Secret for Roomy, Budget-friendly Travel Bags—and Prices Start at Just $19

• Apartment Therapy: I Use This Living Room Staple as Pantry Storage, and It’s the Smartest Hack I’ve Tried

• Apartment Therapy, I Used the 10% Rule, and Now I Never Overpack My Carry-On

• Travel & Leisure: I Fly Around the Country for Work, and This Roomy Tote Is My No. 1 Airport Essential for Looking Put Together.

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Solo Traveler of 25 Years, and These Are the 18 Products I Swear By for Personal Safety in 2026

• Travel & Leisure: In-flight Theft Is Unfortunately a Thing, but These 12 Items Give Me Peace of Mind When I’m Traveling by Plane

• Travel & Leisure: Traveling Alone Can Be Expensive—Here Are 15 Budget-friendly Hacks That Save Me Money

• Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook

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.

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

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.

Tip: If you want any guidance on how to pitch for gift guides more successfully, be sure to check out the complete webinar recording linked here — it’s free!

Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!

Forbes.com

It’s almost International Sushi Day, and I’m looking for the best and most creative/interesting sushi experiences, sushi rolls, and sushi presentations around. I’m also doing the same for National Caviar Day, International Falafel Day and National Lobster Day, as well as, of course, my personal favorite — National Martini Day (now, think out of the box on this one, amazing creative martinis are fab, but so are amazing dishes INSPIRED by martinis!)

To pitch for any of these please include:

• Name of drink/dish

• description

• quote from chef/bartender about dish (and name and title of person being quoted)

• and LINK to image, with an identifying file name, and any appropriate photo credits included

  (I know I give these guidelines over and over, but every day I get dozens of pitches that disregard them, so it bears repeating! <3)!

Yahoo Creators

I’m sourcing for Father’s Day and Graduation Day gift guides. To pitch me for these, please be sure to include name of product, description, link to imagery, price, and retailer availability - even better if it’s available at Amazon or another major online retailer. If it’s available at several retailers, please share all the links.

Leaning toward gadget, tech, office, travel, culinary wellness, and home gifts in these ones. And, yes, these are ALL earned media. There are no fees for any of my guides. I’m also specifically working on a guide geared toward the dad who loves to make music or play with his band in the garage - think man cave, with purpose.

National Burger Day is this week and I’m also looking for chefs to weigh in on the biggest mistakes they think people make making their burgers at home — and what they should be doing instead!

Thanks!

Subscribe now

Share

Just a quick hello this morning because I have a rare pre-breakfast consulting call scheduled in a little bit. I often host lunch and learn or stir & strategy (over martinis, that’d be) sessions with PR teams but this is my first morning coffee one. What shall I call this variation going forward? Coffee and convo? Brain food over breakfast? Learn and latte? Time will tell.

I actually ALSO have an afternoon consulting session scheduled for today (and it’s with some of my favorite people on earth). And after that an event. And then dinner plans. But also a story due today and a big editing project to work on. So, today is a lot…but first, I had to share something from my inbox you simply HAVE to see.

This morning, I received a pitch that instantly made me not want to cover the product. Not because the product is bad (in fact, it may be great, though I shall never see or try it so I honestly cannot tell you), not because the timing is wrong, or brand isn’t a fit (it could be!).

But because the pitch completely misunderstood what earned media actually is, what journalism actually is, what our relationship actually is, to a point that my blood is still absolutely boiling.

This morning, I received this line in a Father’s Day gift guide pitch:

“We’re being fairly selective with Father’s Day placements this season…”

Interesting start considering you emailed me.

The pitch continued by explaining that due to the brand’s “momentum” and “strong consumer traction,” they’d “ideally want to align around a prominent/top-tier placement within the roundup.”

I’m sorry. What?

Let’s clear something up because gift guide season seems to cause temporary industry amnesia for some, and I’m here to help. I’ve watched General Hospital for four decades. Between that, ER, The Pitt, and a love/hate relationship with Grey’s Anatomy, I could probably diagnose someone at this point.

But anyway, for those playing at home, all the gift guides I’m working on at present are earned media. They are very clearly labeled as such from the beginning when I do my call for sources. There’s no confusion unless you didn’t bother to read. This is not a sponsored placement. This is not a guaranteed feature, let alone guaranteed positioning or placement. Want that? Order a billboard. This is a not menu of tiers and pricing options. You want that? You have lots of options out there, but this is not that.

Again, this is earned media. And “earned” means the editor or journalist decides what fits, what gets included, where it appears, how it’s framed, and — let me be crystal clear with this! - whether it runs at all.

The idea that journalists should somehow prove themselves worthy of receiving not even a sample (of a product that BTW is in the health and hygiene arena and retails for under $40), but ASSETS during Father’s Day pitching season — while simultaneously drowning in hundreds of incoming pitches a day from brands just hoping to be considered — is an astonishing misunderstanding of the current media landscape.

You are pitching me. Not the other way around.

There’s many gift guides out there that are pay-to-play, or sponsored, and that’s 100% a different sort of interaction, and not what we’re discussing in this case. This post is about pitching me for my earned media gift guides. There is no sponsorship fee. No guaranteed positioning fee. No “premium placement package.” No invoice attached to inclusion.

Which means attempting to negotiate coverage position before a sample or retail links or any other information is even sent feels less like PR and more like someone confusing what editorial actually is.

And hey, if a brand wants to participate in sponsored placements, guaranteed placement or paid partnerships, that’s completely fine and completely a viable option. But pitch those opportunities appropriately. Don’t approach earned editorial coverage while trying to impose paid-media expectations onto it.

The fastest way to make me lose interest in your product is to make the interaction feel transactional, entitled, or conditional before I have even tried the thing or know if I’m even interested in the thing. Especially during gift guide season, where trust, professionalism, clarity, and respect for editorial independence matter more than ever.

A good publicist pitches a product with confidence. A bad one pitches it like they’re negotiating bottle service at a nightclub. I’ve been doing this job for well over two decades, trust me when I say I can tell the difference.

Don’t forget, I have an exciting panel coming up in a few weeks in NYC, and you’re all invited (email the address in the photo for an invitation and more information!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Give a gift subscription

Share

Book your consulting session!

I still have some space available the remainder of 2026!

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.

Share

Be sure to follow me on the Yahoo Creators platform. I’m 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!)

Subscribe now

Get 30% off a group subscription

Leave a comment

Share

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!

Share

Leave a comment

Tools of the trade

It’s Gift Guide season. Get ready to pitch! The Recipe for Press Media Directory, is an invaluable and affordable database to top editors, digital editors and freelance writers in home, food, fashion, travel, business and lifestyle. Founded by former editor and author Amy Flurry in 2014, the directory features emails, titles, active social media addresses, and a notes section with submission guidelines. It’s widely used by leading publicists and entrepreneurs across the country. Annual subscription price is $195.

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

Exciting news from our friend Sarah Karger (who you’ve seen as the star expert panelist for several of our gift guide pitching workshops!) - she 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.

Share

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!)

• Yahoo: They’ve graduated and are moving into their first apartment: Here’s 20 essential gifts perfect for this milestone

• Yahoo: These Healthy Dinners from Trader Joe’s Take 10 Minutes or Less

• Forbes.com: Musaafer’s Butter Chicken Experience Presents One Of Indian Cuisine’s Most Beloved Dishes In An Exciting And Unique Way

• Forbes.com: 25 Delicious Ways To Enjoy National Burger Month

• Southern Living: 7 New Trader Joe’s Items You’ll Want To Try This Spring

• Southern Living: Can You Eat Unripe Avocado? Here’s What To Know

• Southern Living: The $4 Trader Joe’s Dip I Put On Almost Everything

• Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And My Friends And I Are Obsessed With This App For Tracking Each Other’s Flights

• Apartment Therapy: This $3 Cleaning Gem Is a Staple in My Small Apartment

• Travel & Leisure: This Brand Is Amazon’s Best-kept Secret for Roomy, Budget-friendly Travel Bags—and Prices Start at Just $19

• Apartment Therapy: I Use This Living Room Staple as Pantry Storage, and It’s the Smartest Hack I’ve Tried

• Apartment Therapy, I Used the 10% Rule, and Now I Never Overpack My Carry-On

• Travel & Leisure: I Fly Around the Country for Work, and This Roomy Tote Is My No. 1 Airport Essential for Looking Put Together.

• Travel & Leisure: I’m a Solo Traveler of 25 Years, and These Are the 18 Products I Swear By for Personal Safety in 2026

• Travel & Leisure: In-flight Theft Is Unfortunately a Thing, but These 12 Items Give Me Peace of Mind When I’m Traveling by Plane

• Travel & Leisure: Traveling Alone Can Be Expensive—Here Are 15 Budget-friendly Hacks That Save Me Money

• Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook

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.

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

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.

Tip: If you want any guidance on how to pitch for gift guides more successfully, be sure to check out the complete webinar recording linked here — it’s free!

Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!

Forbes.com

It’s almost International Sushi Day, and I’m looking for the best and most creative/interesting sushi experiences, sushi rolls, and sushi presentations around. I’m also doing the same for International Falafel Day and National Lobster Day, as well as, of course, my personal favorite — National Martini Day (now, think out of the box on this one, amazing creative martinis are fab, but so are amazing dishes INSPIRED by martinis!)

To pitch for any of these please include:

• Name of drink/dish

• description

• quote from chef/bartender about dish (and name and title of person being quoted)

• and LINK to image, with an identifying file name, and any appropriate photo credits included

  (I know I give these guidelines over and over, but every day I get dozens of pitches that disregard them, so it bears repeating! <3)!

Yahoo Creators

I’m sourcing for Father’s Day and Graduation Day gift guides. To pitch me for these, please be sure to include name of product, description, link to imagery, price, and retailer availability - even better if it’s available at Amazon or another major online retailer. If it’s available at several retailers, please share all the links.

Leaning toward gadget, tech, office, travel, culinary wellness, and home gifts in these ones. And, yes, these are ALL earned media. There are no fees for any of my guides. I’m also specifically working on a guide geared toward the dad who loves to make music or play with his band in the garage - think man cave, with purpose.

National Burger Day is this week and I’m also looking for chefs to weigh in on the biggest mistakes they think people make making their burgers at home — and what they should be doing instead!

Thanks!

Subscribe now

Share