Help Me Help You
Plus leads, obvi
Happy Wednesday, all!
Did you have a relaxing Fourth of July weekend? I wrote 3 articles, but still managed to enjoy some down time, too. My fiancé and I went out for an Omakase-style dinner in Scottsdale over the holiday weekend and it was AMAZING! If you wanna see the 11 courses we ate, check out the Instagram Reel I made about it!
Question: Did you send me a very expensive sleeping bag? I received a press package with a fancy sleeping bag last week … no note, no return address, no marketing materials included, and no conversation about such a package anywhere in my inbox. No emails from that brand, either. Please shoot me an email if you sent it!
(Speaking of random press packages, I have a forthcoming paid subscriber newsletter coming out that talks all about the do’s and don’ts of press packages, so look for that this month!)
Another important question: What are your thoughts on Forbes coverage these days? Do your clients want it? Do you love it? Does it still hold the prestige it always has? I’d love to hear your thoughts … either drop a comment below or shoot me an email. Thanks!
Finally, in my Ask Me Anything session last week (which was a ton of fun, if you missed it — minus the doom and gloom portion where I talked candidly about the state of the publishing industry and share some helpful tips on how to navigate it), a publicist asked if it’s OK to introduce journalists to staff editors at various magazines. The answer is ABSOLUTELY (but check with us first, to make sure we want to write for that pub, LOL). In fact, we’d be so grateful. Why?
Many of us, myself included, have lost our contacts at publications recently because editors are being laid off/moving jobs/switching roles … and once that happens, we have to break into that pub ALL OVER AGAIN. It’s exhausting, demoralizing, and pretty much the worst part of our job. So, if you have great relationships with any editors who you think might be looking for some new freelancers to work with and would like to introduce me, please shoot me an email and let’s start that conversation. These introductions can help your get clients placed, help me stay afloat as a solopreneur (I’ve lost several clients and outlets over the last month, due to layoffs and budget cuts), and good deeds/paying it forward never goes unnoticed in this industry. Help me help you and we’ll weather this weird storm together!
Assignment leads are listed below. Thank you all and have a great week!
Jill
PS: I’m headed to Cabo next week … so if you rep a restaurant I should check out, please shoot me an email!
Book Your July Pitch Perfecting Party Today!
Still thinking about booking a Pitch Perfecting Party with me? Just shoot me an email (use subject line: Pitch Perfecting Party) and I’ll share pricing details and available time slots for this 45-minute 1:1 strategy session.
Here are some testimonials from recent sessions:
“Wow. I had a pitch review session with Jill and it was both humbling and extraordinary. Humbling because, after 20+ years in the media relations field, there was still so much for me to learn, as I discovered in my session with Jill. It was also extraordinary because Jill quickly, expertly and with warm candor helped me understand what a journalist really needs to build a story. She gave me great pointers and explained the “why” behind her recommendations. PR professionals should make a session with Jill a course requirement – we would do better work and journalists would get the pitches they can actually use.” — Pam Abrahamsson, Director, PRA Public Relations
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“Working with Jill was easy, fun and enlightening. She pointed out several nuances about pitches and subject lines that I wouldn't have known about otherwise. She also shed some much needed light on best practices for pitching an expert that is working with a brand!” — Molly Antos, Dadascope Communications
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“I had the chance to be a part of Jill’s Pitch Perfecting Party, and I found her insight extremely helpful! She critiqued 4 of my pitches and had so many tweaks and suggestions I completely missed or didn’t think to include. When a writer/journalist offers to take the time to give honest feedback on the work you present to people in their field, it’s so valuable. PR can be challenging, especially in today’s market, with Affiliate Marketing and brands not being up to par. But having journalists not open or read your pitch entirely can be awful and a severe roadblock in our jobs. Thank you so much, Jill, for taking the time to pour through some of my pitches and give me your honest feedback. It was worth every penny!” — Amy Bartko, Chatterbox
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“My strategy session with Jill was insanely valuable. I received critical feedback on a media pitch that wasn’t getting any traction. Jill provided feedback on my pitch, the product itself, new story angles, and even publishing verticals I hadn’t even thought of. Nothing compares to one-on-one time with a writer like Jill, I believe it’s a must for PR pros.” — Jordanne Pallesen, Owner, Julep Marketing
Book a Virtual Q&A With Your Entire Agency!
I’m booking Ask Me Anything sessions with PR agencies, where I provide industry insights (I’ve been in magazine publishing for 22 years), pitching and follow up best practices, feedback on your pitches, and more. Email me (use subject line: Agency Q&A) for pricing/availability.
Here’s a few testimonials:
"We are so grateful to Jill for an honest discussion on what REALLY works when pitching! It was also helpful to get insight into what a writer/editor's day looks like and how to better accommodate flooded in-boxes. Once again, the landscape of PR is changing, and we really appreciated that our team could ask Jill questions on how to best navigate the current media climate. I highly recommend booking a session with Jill!" — Chelsea Gladden, Founder, Everything Branding
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“Having Jill as a resource is worth every penny. She provided some great insight and tips for our agency to perfect our pitching skills. I would highly recommend her to every PR pro!” — Robyn Patterson, Founder, Mack Media Relations
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“Our team learned valuable tips about pitching travel media from Jill Schildhouse. Her expertise provided tremendous insight and we all came away with new ideas to help us better serve clients.” — Stephanie Wilson, Owner, Wicked Creative
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“Media is changing at a rapid pace and there are inconsistencies from outlet to outlet. Publicists are struggling to keep track of it all while trying to foster relationships and advise clients on best practices. I’ve been receiving Jill’s newsletter for almost a year and have always appreciated her candidness. When I saw she was offering these Q&A sessions, I jumped on the chance to learn something and have fun doing it. I can’t say enough wonderful things about our experience with Jill. We talked about everything: from email subject line and the information she likes to see in the body of an email, what she deems to be the appropriate followup methods, to the way her editor's assign stories, the importance of affiliate platforms, and we even taught her a few things about branded partnerships! Her insight was invaluable. We plan to make this a regular activity!” — Sara Spiegel, founder of w/ Sara PR
Let’s Collaborate on an Instagram Campaign!
Follow my travels on Instagram — and with 17k followers, I’m available for your clients’ brand campaigns and collaborations, too! Happy to share my media kit and rate sheet upon request.
Get Answers to All Your Affiliate Marketing Questions
Do you have questions about navigating affiliate marketing? Publicist Sarah Karger and former editor Dana Baardsen have co-created a course called Ultimate Masterclass and Introduction to Affiliate Marketing for Publicists and it’ll answer ALL of your questions!
Recently Published Pieces (Thanks for your help!)
TripSavvy: 14 Best Scottsdale, Arizona Hotels (I’ve lived in Phx for 19 years, so this was a very fun one!)
Reader’s Digest: Bryce and I, along with other TMB editors, tested a bunch of air fryers
Seventeen: Meet the Winner of HP’s Girls Save the World Challenge (my first for this pub!)
Clean Eating: Have You Tried Supplementing with Oral Hylauronic Acid, yet?
TripSavvy: 7 Best Oregon Coast Hotels
Clean Eating: 10 Natural and Reef-Safe Sunscreens
Clean Eating: 3 Reasons to Switch to Natural Sunscreen This Summer
Clean Eating: Expert-Backed Tips for Getting More Sleep
Scottsdale City Lifestyle: San Diego Zoo
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, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn (and please connect with me yourselves!)
—— Current Editorial Needs ——
1. Reader’s Digest: Best Luggage Sets for 2022
(Last Chance!)
Looking for the VERY BEST luggage sets for 2022
MUST BE an actual SET (2 or more suitcases bundled together = a set)
ALL BRANDS MUST BE AFFILIATE PARTNERS (Skimlinks, Amazon, Macys, Nordstrom, etc). All Amazon products must have at least 500 ratings with at least a 4-star average.
Subject line: Luggage Sets + Brand Name
Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com
Pitch by: EOD TODAY!!
2. Taste of Home: Need an UNAFFILIATED Registered Dietitian
Looking for an UNAFFILIATED RD to weigh in on the health benefits of pumpkin seeds
The expert cannot be tied to a brand. No exceptions.
Send credentials, not commentary
Subject line: Pumpkin Seeds RD
Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com
Pitch by: EOD tomorrow
3. Franklin Prosperity Report: Home Office Solutions That Will Save Small Business Owners Time and Money
These products/apps should be geared toward small business owners/solopreneurs who work from home … hit me with some really cool stuff they don’t already know about!
You must be able to demonstrate a time savings or money savings (or both!) with your pitch
Subject line: Franklin Home Office Solutions
Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com
Pitch by: EOD Friday
4. Franklin Prosperity Report: Best Cruise Deals
Looking for the very best cruise deals for this fall … deals should go through the end of October, as this will go in the Sept issue
Share the cruise line, itinerary, what the deal is and why it’s so great
Subject line: Franklin Cruise Deals
Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com
Pitch by: EOD Friday
More Useful Info
Agency-wide Substack subscriptions available: Just shoot me an email with how many publicists will need access to my paid newsletter and I’ll send you a custom quote (which includes a group discount, of course!).
Sponsorship opps: Do you have a course/book/conference/tool/service that you’d like to promote to the 2,400+ publicists who subscribe to my newsletter? Contact me today to discuss sponsorship opportunities for the month of July!
Other journalist newsletters definitely worth subscribing to: Be sure to follow my trusted colleagues so you can stay up-to-date on their pitching needs: Alice Dubin, Bryce Gruber, Aly Walansky, and Nicole Pajer.
All my clients love Forbes!
Forbes is STILL so important to clients. I've spent time educating that their format has changed over the years with the contributor network, but it still carries so much credibility to be able to say "we've been featured in Forbes."