Reading · Aly Walansky's Newsletter

Today, we’re going back to basics. Like, really basic. Because one of the loveliest things people tell me all the time is: “I read your newsletter every single day with my morning coffee!”

In obvious news, as a creative person who is by definition incredibly insecure, this makes me very happy. Except sometimes, five minutes later, that same person will ask me what I’m currently working on, what my general content areas are, or what my current outlets are. Or they’ll pitch me for a story while completely ignoring the instructions directly above that story lead.

And then I think: Wait. Are you READING the newsletter every day, or are you opening the newsletter every day?

Either one is your right, of course, but these are different activities. So today, instead of our usual Monday agenda, I thought we’d do something useful: a guided tour of my newsletter. A roadmap, if you will. A TV Guide to Aly.

Think of this as the little laminated safety card in the seat-back pocket of your next flight. Except instead of telling you how to locate your nearest emergency exit, I’m telling you where the job leads are and all the value you can find in tools of the trade.

I know the essay at the beginning of each email tends to get the most response. That’s where we talk about pitching. And events. And media relationships. And why tracking numbers matter. And why your out-of-office can have a personality. And why sometimes a Kansas concert can somehow become a lesson about PR.

And I love that part! But my daily monologue is only one part of the email. If you read the opening and then close the newsletter, you may have gotten something useful from it — but you have also potentially missed an actual opportunity.

So please: SCROLL.

There is gold below the fold.

This is usually where you’ll find whatever is on my mind that day. Sometimes it’s a lesson based on something that happened to me professionally. Sometimes it’s a rant. Sometimes it’s advice. Sometimes it’s something ridiculous that happened in my life that I have somehow turned into a metaphor about media relations. You know. The usual.

This is the part designed to help us all get a little better at working together.

But then we get into the service-y stuff.

When I have upcoming travel, I usually tell you. That is not because I assume you are all deeply invested in my life and location. It means: If I am coming somewhere relevant to you or your clients, this is your opportunity to tell me. Maybe there’s a restaurant I should know about. Maybe there’s a hotel I should stop by for a drink or a tour. Maybe your client is based there. Maybe you live there and we should grab coffee or a martini. Maybe you have a genuinely useful recommendation.

Read the specifics, though. If I say lodging is already handled, please don’t pitch me lodging. If I say I’m somewhere for 24 hours, understand that I probably cannot fit a 12-hour tour of your vineyard three hours and a boat ride away into that window.

The details are there for a reason.

I share job leads as a free service to this community. They are not sponsored listings. There is no charge to submit one. There is no charge to read one. If your agency or company is hiring and you’d like me to share it, send it to me. If you’re looking for a job, READ THIS SECTION. If you know someone who would be perfect for one of the roles, SEND IT TO THEM. This section only works if we use it as a community resource. And yes, I hear DAILY from people who found opportunities through this newsletter. That makes me ridiculously happy.

This is another section I think some people scroll right past without realizing what it is. Tools of the Trade is where I share resources I think may actually make your job easier. Media databases. Pitching platforms. Courses. Services. Industry resources. Special offers I’ve arranged for readers. Some are partnerships or affiliate relationships; some are simply things I use, like, or think you should know about. I will always make the nature of that relationship clear.

But the point of this section is: Hey, we’re all trying to do our jobs better. Here are some things that might help.

And sometimes there are discounts specifically for this community, so you may literally be leaving money on the table by skipping it.

This one is very important. Every day, I share stories that have recently published or been freshly updated. If you pitched me for something and are wondering whether it ran:

CHECK HERE.

If you’re trying to understand the kinds of stories I’m writing:

CHECK HERE.

If you want to see how I cover a certain category before pitching me:

CHECK HERE.

And because I obviously cannot re-list every story I have ever written in every single newsletter, I also share links to my author pages so you can find older work.

Bookmark them!

That is your archive.

Also, please feel free to share my stories! Tag me! Send them to your clients! Put them on LinkedIn! Print them out and wallpaper your office with them!

Okay, maybe not that last one. Unless you want to.

THIS IS THE MONEY SECTION. This is where I tell you what I am actively sourcing. Not what I might write someday. Not what I wrote six months ago. Not a vague indication of categories I enjoy covering.

Actual current editorial opportunities.

And this section can change DAILY.

Something listed yesterday may disappear today because I have what I need. Something completely new may appear. A deadline may be approaching. I may need products. I may need experts. I may need chefs. I may need travel recommendations. I may need gift ideas. I often need something incredibly specific.

Which brings me to perhaps the most important instruction in this entire owner’s manual:

If I say I need a chef, please do not send me your CEO. If I ask for commentary, don’t just send me a press release. If I ask for a specific format, use that format. If I give you a deadline, that deadline is not decorative.

And if I tell you how to contact me, contact me that way.

Please don’t hit reply to this newsletter with your pitch unless I specifically tell you to. Start a fresh email to me at alywalansky@gmail.com, and give it a useful subject line identifying the story you are pitching. This makes it infinitely easier for me to find you when I’m actually working on that assignment.

Which, presumably, is what we both want.

You can comment on posts! Please do! I love when something we discuss here becomes an actual conversation among journalists, publicists, business owners and everyone else hanging out in this little community. You don’t have to agree with me. You don’t have to have a profound insight. Sometimes “OMG THIS HAPPENED TO ME TOO” is an extremely valuable contribution.

If you read something here and think:

Oh my God, Susan needs to read this.

Send it to Susan! Share the post. Forward the newsletter. Post it on LinkedIn. This community has grown almost entirely because you guys keep bringing other smart people into it, and I am eternally grateful for that.

Also: hi, Susan!! Welcome.

The daily newsletter is free.

The story leads are free.

The job leads are free.

A ton of the resources I share are free.

I have always wanted the core of this community to remain accessible.

But there is also a paid subscription option for people who want to go deeper and support what I’m building here.

That’s where you’ll find additional industry insight posts, workshops/AMAs and other subscriber extras as they come up.

If you read this every day and regularly get something useful from it, upgrading is also a very lovely way of saying, “Hey Aly, your work has value to me.”

Which means more than you know.

And yes: there is an upgrade button right here on Substack.

You can also purchase group subscriptions for your team.

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Plot twist! After this entire newsletter telling you to read the newsletter, I am now telling you that you don’t necessarily have to read every word. You just need to know how to use it. Maybe today’s essay isn’t relevant to you. Fine!

Scroll to Job Leads. Check Tools of the Trade. Look at what’s newly published.

ALWAYS scan what I’m working on.

See if there’s anything actionable for you or your clients.

The entire process can take two minutes.

Think of this newsletter less like something you need to sit down and dutifully consume from beginning to end and more like a daily dashboard.

Some days you’ll want everything on it. Some days you’ll need one thing. But you need to know where that one thing lives.

Read/skim the opening. Is today’s topic useful to you?
Check announcements/travel. Is there something relevant coming up?
Scan Job Leads. For yourself, your company or someone you know.
Peek at Tools of the Trade. Anything useful or newly added?
Check newly published work. Did something you’ve been waiting for go live?
READ WHAT I’M WORKING ON. Are you or your client a fit?
Read the directions before pitching. I am begging you.
Comment, share or upgrade if you’re feeling the love.

That’s it.

You have now completed Aly’s Newsletter Orientation.

There will be no final exam.

Although if you email me a pitch by replying directly to this newsletter tomorrow, I reserve the right to assume you totally didn’t read this.

Happy Monday!

P.S. If you made it all the way down here, congratulations: you have officially demonstrated that you know how to scroll. Please put this achievement on LinkedIn.

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Upcoming travel: Anyone who plans to be in Vegas for IMM Luxe in a few weeks? Drop me a line! Also: I’ll be in Dallas for a few days in October. If you want to try to meet up for a drink or coffee or have a client you are hoping I can check out (or general recommendations) - drop me a line! (Note: Thanks so much but where I’m staying is all set!) I’ll also BRIEFLY be in Fort Lauderdale in November (just for about 24 hours!), KYP when I know more!

Reminder: Job leads are freely shared as a service to this community, and there’ll NEVER be any charge. It’s here to help me help you, and I’ll keep it in as long as you need. Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com if there’s any job leads you wish me to include!

Lou Hammond Group is hiring a Vice President (9+ years) in NYC and Atlanta, and a Senior Account Executive (4+ years) in NYC, Atlanta and Denver. The agency has a strong focus in travel, working with domestic and international destinations, cruise lines, hotels, attractions, economic development, and real estate. Agency experience, either working in an agency or managing agencies, is required. If you or someone you know is interested, please email careers@louhammond.com.

FINN Partners is currently looking for incredible PR talent to join across three senior and mid-level roles: Associate Vice President – Luxury Travel PR, Account Supervisor – Travel PR, and Senior Account Executive – Travel. If you’re passionate about travel storytelling, high-impact PR strategies, and working with top-tier travel brands, check out the links above or pass this along to someone in your network who would be a great fit!

I still have some space available the remainder of 2026!

I would love to join your team on Zoom, a phone call, or in-person and conduct a team Q&A where I answer any of your questions about planning events, media dinners, mailers, trips, pitching, followups, etc — giving you a very necessary media perspective from someone who has been in the trenches for decades and is excited to help ease your own path. Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com if you are interested in chatting more and setting something up and we can discuss rates and details. 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.

Please take a second 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!) — and there’s lots of gift guides published there, too!

Also, can we please be friends? Be sure to follow me on Instagram while you’re at it!

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before they’ve got enough answers. Newshook watches 12+ platforms,
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plan too) → https://www.newshook.io/?ref=aly

The Recipe for Press Media Directory is an essential and affordable database that targets the right magazine editors and freelance writers for pitching products and projects in food, fashion, interiors, travel, business and lifestyle. Created by former editor, Amy Flurry, the directory features emails, titles, active social media addresses, and a notes section with submission guidelines for each contact. This is why leading publicists, editors, and entrepreneurs across the country, including me, widely use and recommend it! Annual subscription price is just $195 and absolutely packed with value. Another perk of the subscription: you receive a Pitch Tip newsletter once a month highlighting the updates and newly added editors and serves as a reminder of the movement and shifts happening in the industry. This is PR gold for publicists!

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.

Have a client or service you think would be a fit for this section? Drop me a note at alywalansky@gmail.com anytime, I look forward to hearing from you!

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: These 23 summer essentials help me to keep cool and comfortable during seasonal heat waves
Forbes.com: Some Like It Hot: 19 Spicy Dishes To Try Immediately
Forbes.com: 15 Delicious Ways To Appreciate Spuds On National Potato Day
Yahoo: Headed to college this year? The 25 most crucial back-to-school dorm essentials
Southern Living: I Tried Trader Joe’s New $2 Seasoning—And Now I’m Putting It On Everything
Southern Living: 5 Store-Bought Salad Dressings Chefs Always Keep In Their Kitchens
Travel & Leisure: I’m a Frequent Business Traveler, and I Found 6 Comfy Airplane Outfits That Still Look Put Together—From $8
Apartment Therapy:The 18 Best Prime Day Travel Deals, Vetted by Pro Travelers (Starting at $8!)
Travel & Leisure: This Plane Seat Cushion Is My Secret to Arriving at Destinations Pain-free
Food Network: 25 Little Treats You Can Score for Free on Your Birthday
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
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
Southern Living: I’ve Tried Every Way To Bake A Potato—This 1 Wins Every Time
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: 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.

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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.

Yes, indeed the time has come. I’m starting to source for holiday gift guides! For an idea of the type of formatting and content I write for my various guides, visit my Yahoo author page here - and please hit follow while you’re there to receive all my new content!

I’ll give more information in the coming weeks, but you can absolutely start polishing off those pitches any time you’re ready :) My content is generally not going to encompass parenting, sports, kids, automotive, but will include travel, home, gadgets, office, tech, wellness, beauty/fashion/accessories, culinary, and other topics.

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!

I’m working on the final few nomination categories of the season for Newsweek’s Readers’ Choice Awards contests.

The first section is a return to the casino floor with categories that include Best Casino Entertainment Venue, Best Casino Outside of Las Vegas, Best Casino Resort Las Vegas, Best Hotel Casino, Best Casino Dining, Best Sports Betting App (and yes, I know I did nominations these same contests last year and the year before that, but these are for this year — feel free to email again if you have before whether or not you ended up on the nominee or winners list!).

Next category, while (yes) we’re still enjoying summer, we’re imagining a Snow Day with categories that include Best Snow Tubing Park, Best Ski Resort, Best Ski Resort for Families,Best Après-Ski Destination, and Best Ski School. And just a reminder there’s a bunch of categories currently live and open for voting, so be sure to click the link above and check out if you or your client are among the nominees!

If you think I should consider you or your client when I submit my list of nominations, drop me an email at alywalansky@gmail.com.

Looking for southern chefs and southern food safety experts to comment on stories related to:

Is It Safe To Eat Eggs With Double Yolks?
Is It Safe To Eat Eggs With Cloudy Whites?
Favorite Southern Soda of Southern Chefs
Do you need to string celery? (remove strings before cooking or eating it)

If you have anyone who wants to weigh in, please drop me an email asap and be sure to email me before submitting commentary so I can share specific questions and guidance.

I’m a contributor to Dining Out NYC (see a recent story I did for them on the Las Vegas influence on NYC’s culinary scene), and always open to pitches related to NYC dining trends, and openings, news, and so forth.

I’m sourcing for product pitches and expert commentary related to smart solutions or product that creates storage out of thin air. Think: a closet, counter space, an extra tier or shelf inside of a cabinet, as well as surprising items to organize around the house, affordable (or splurgy!) finds that solve a very specific problem. Think: IKEA, Costco, Sam's Club, Amazon, HomeGoods, Dollar General, Dollar Tree. Halloween is coming up — Any retailer secrets around the fall/Halloween season to help people save money? Do you have any fall productivity gems? Do you have a productivity hack that differs from the tried-and-true’s like the Pomodoro method, etc? Do you have some way of staying moving that has changed your life? I’m looking for ways to save money. How do you save money at Costco, at the thrift store, at the grocery store, etc? How do you keep your budget intact as prices rise?

I’m sourcing creative drinks/dishes for National Bacon Day, National Cheeseburger Day, and National Queso Day!

To pitch, please include:

Name of drink/dish
Restaurant/bar where it can be ordered (as well as city, state, URL)
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!

Monday: How to read this newsletter and make sure you are getting the most value possible (Your very own quick and easy Aly’s newsletter roadmap!)

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