A (Disappointing) Personal Example of Why There's No Such Thing as Confirmed Coverage

Plus: What I'm sourcing for this week and the HGG zoom session is SOLD OUT!

Happy Hump Day!

As I mentioned Monday, my overall cruise to Italy, Greece, Croatia and Turkey was pretty darn fabulous. Dad and I had a great time exploring so many cool cities! The cruise ship was great, the staff incredibly friendly, and the excursions were all well organized. The hot/humid weather was a bit draining, but every port was so beautiful … well, except for the one magical port I never got to see.

The pic on the left middle row is with my Reader's Digest editor, Aviva

Halfway through the cruise, I ate something that didn’t agree with me. I reached out to let the publicist know, hoping she would let the kitchen staff know of a potential food safety issue. This set a series of events into motion that ended with the cruise line insisting it was gastroenteritis and NOT food poisoning. I understand that they take a potential norovirus outbreak very seriously, but that’s not what this was. The nurse onboard even confirmed I had no fever.

As such, I was trapped in my room for 24 hours (even though I felt great after the 6-hour “purge” I endured) and entirely missed the one port I booked this cruise for and have been yearning to visit my entire life: Santorini. It was devastating to be stuck off the coast of my dream city, knowing I wasn’t even contagious at all.

What if I’d had an assignment tied to Santorini and had “confirmed coverage” for it? I wouldn’t have been able to write about it, since I never stepped ashore. That’s yet another reason why there is no such thing as confirmed coverage … any number of things can happen that are out of the writer’s control. Here are some more examples of why there’s no such thing as confirmed coverage.

Bright side? I came home from this cruise 4 pounds lighter … though I absolutely do NOT recommend this cruise diet/cleanse protocol at all. 0 stars. Sigh.

Read on for this week’s sources and assignments!

Jill

PS: EEEEK! WE HIT CAPACITY ON THE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE ZOOM SESSION IN JUST 2 HOURS. The response to this was unreal — and we wish we could welcome all of you, but (alas!) we’re limited by Zoom’s capacity limits.

Thank you so much for your interest and support in this session!

We are indeed a full house now and have closed the RSVP list, but Aly and Alice and myself have a plan to roll out some of the major takeaways after the event — so stay tuned!

PPS: A lot of the questions rolling in for the HGG Zoom are wondering, “How important it is to be on an affiliate program?” The answer is VERY. Most publications require it for consideration/inclusion in their gift guides and regular product round-ups throughout the year. If this concept is still new to you, I’d highly suggest signing up for this affordable affiliate marketing masterclass led by a publicist in the know (Sarah Karger) immediately!

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My Mother’s Book is Live on Amazon Now!

As most of you know, we hired a publicist to help promote my mom’s book … and it’s now live on Amazon. So many of you expressed interest in her book, so I wanted to include the link here:

https://www.amazon.com/How-Chat-Archangels-Inviting-Friends/dp/1960583565

In How to Chat With Archangels: Inviting Your Divine Best Friends Into Your Life, Debra shows you, step by step, her simple method for connecting and having incredible conversations with them. And she shares personal conversations that she’s enjoyed with the Archangels over the past twelve years.

Communicating with Archangels doesn’t take any special “powers”—it is a natural experience for human souls, available through our sixth sense, although it hasn’t been talked about or taught very often.

God created the Archangels to help humanity through all trials and challenges. Once you invite the Archangels into your life, you’ll be amazed at the love, support, and guidance you will receive. And you will receive all of this, and more, no matter your religious beliefs.

All that’s required is your open heart and gratitude.

Debra also shares what she calls “Archangelisms,” which are loving, divine messages she has received over the years—messages that will inspire you and touch your heart.

If you buy a copy, it would mean the world to us if you left a review on Amazon … you know first-hand how important those are :) Thank you!

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***Recently Published Pieces***
(Thank you for your help!)

• AARP: The Ultimate Guide to Alaska Cruising (my first travel article for AARP!)

• Taste of Home: How to Make White Rice Taste Better, According to Chefs

• Insider: I went on my first solo cruise. Here are 6 things you should know if you’re planning to try it.

• Southern Living: The Biggest Cruise Ship in the World is Coming to Florida

• Reader’s Digest: Away vs. Beis: Which Luggage Brand is Better? (PS: I’m taking my Away bag to Europe in case you were wondering)

• Taste of Home: How to Make Japanese Fried Chicken

• Reader’s Digest: Beis Carry-On Review

• Reader’s Digest: I Never Travel Without The Away Bigger Carry-On Suitcase—Here’s Why

• USA Today: This Outdoor Recliner Is Made for Lounging and I Can’t Keep My Family Out of It (my mom is the model!)

• Southern Living: How to Cook Rice

• Taste of Home: This is What the Numbers On Your Fruit Stickers Tell You About Your Produce

• Taste of Home: How to Make Shrimp Ceviche

• Taste of Home: How to Make French Onion Pork Chops

• Taste of Home: How to Wash Potatoes

• Reader’s Digest: 12 Best Caribbean Islands (you can read about my trip to Bonaire here!)

• Reader’s Digest: 16 Unexpected Things I Never Board a Cruise Ship Without (I got SO many of you in here!)

• Southern Living: Can You Eat Watermelon Seeds?

• Travel Market Report (my debut!): 8 Considerations for Booking a Small vs. Large Ship Alaskan Cruise

• Parade (my debut!): 10 Biggest Wedding Food Trends of 2023

• USA Today: Patio Essentials to Buy on Amazon Right Now

• Taste of Home: What is the Right Internal Temperature for Pork Chops?

• Travel + Leisure: 8 Best Portable Monitors

• Southern Living: Do You Really Need to Boil Your Wooden Spoons to Clean Them?

• Reader’s Digest: The Best Cruise Cabin for Every Type of Need

• U.S. News & World Report: What to Do in Kauai

Now, it's time to get the word out! When you and your clients share your coverage on social media, please be sure to tag my accounts: Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn (and please connect with me yourselves!).

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Got Affiliate Marketing Questions for 2023?

Yes, most publications require affiliate marketing for inclusion these days. Publicist Sarah Karger created a course called Ultimate Masterclass and Introduction to Affiliate Marketing for Publicists and it’ll answer ALL of your questions!

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—— Current Editorial Needs ——

 1. U.S. News & World Report: Bucket-List Cruises for Seniors and Retirees

• This article will explore the very best cruise lines for seniors/retirees

• Please include details about WHY your cruise line is perfect for this demographic AND include examples of specific amenities/services/offerings that support this claim

• Subject line: Cruise Line Name + Best for Seniors

• Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com

• Pitch by: EOD Tuesday, Sept 5

 2. U.S. News & World Report: Phoenix

• I’m updating this piece: https://travel.usnews.com/Phoenix_AZ/Things_To_Do/

• If you have any additional recommendations for “things to do” I’m happy to consider them (though most of my updates will be made based off my own first-hand experience living here for 20+ years)! Please send a pitch detailing the activity and why it’s a must-do tourist attraction.

• Not looking for anything tied to hotels/restaurants.

• Subject line: Best Things to Do In Phoenix

• Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com

• Pitch by: EOD Tuesday, Sept 5

 3. Taste of Home: Need a Chef to Talk About How to Store Fresh Ginger

• Please send credentials, not commentary. I have specific questions for the expert to answer.

• Hint: Sell me on why your client is right for this article … do they cook with ginger a lot? Are they strangely passionate about ginger? Do they grow their own?

• Subject line: Ginger chef

• Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com

• Pitch by: EOD Thursday, August 31

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