My Last Act of 2022? Going VIRAL on Twitter!
Plus: Assignments for Travel + Leisure, Health, TripSavvy, and Taste of Home
Happy 2023, everyone!
It feels like it’s been ages since we last connected … I hope you all had a relaxing end of 2022. My parents came in town for a couple days and we went to the Butterfly Wonderland, OdySea Aquarium and the UFO Experience (all at the Arizona Boardwalk in Scottsdale). Here’s a little footage of our scary alien abduction (right after this, my fiancé got the flu, so I’m not quite sure what they did to him on the spaceship, but he was out of commission for the entire rest of the holiday season!):
Well, I somehow went viral on Twitter for the first time in my life (a surprise retweet from Taylor Lorenz sure helped!), so that was a strange and unexpected end to the year. I think you might find value in my thread (please check it out and follow me on Twitter if you haven’t already!) … it’s been viewed 244,000 times so far! I hope it serves as a great reminder about the fine art of journalist/publicist relationships (read: balancing your client’s preferences/objectives with a writer’s assignment needs) as we start a fresh, new year. I would like to note that the publicist in question sent me a VERY apologetic email after she saw my tweet (honestly, I have so few followers I never expected she’d see it), and she said she’s taking my feedback to heart and adjusting her approach moving forward.
One of my favorite articles of 2022 posted at the very end of December, and I wanted to call attention to it here … mostly because it was such a fun piece to research and write for Business Insider: I Paid a Stylist $300 to Determine Which Colors Look Best on Me. But also because I think so many of you would enjoy your own color analysis session (something to think about if you’re looking to update your image or increase your confidence for a new year!).
I also wanted to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for joining me on this Substack journey for the last year… I got serious about Substack exactly a year ago and now have 3,800+ subscribers (which blows my mind!). I’ve appreciated your support and engagement every step of the way and look forward to continuing to deliver helpful industry insights, teachable moments, job opportunities, and, of course, my calls for pitches for assignments as we embark on 2023.
Have a great first week of the new year,
Jill
PS: Did you miss my December Ask Me Anything session? Here’s the link to the recording so you can catch up!
PPS: Did you miss this post about the 8 things publicists should be doing NOW to set themselves up for success in 2023? Nicole Pajer and I put these tips together and there’s still time for you to implement them!
Got Affiliate Marketing Questions for 2023?
Let’s face it: most publications require affiliate marketing for inclusion these days. Publicist Sarah Karger co-created a course called Ultimate Masterclass and Introduction to Affiliate Marketing for Publicists and it’ll answer ALL of your questions!
Pick My Brain: Book a Consulting Session
Nicole Pajer and I have teamed up for Top Tier Consulting, where we offer a variety of customized consulting packages for agencies and freelance publicists to help take your media hits to the next level. These include:
Pitch Perfecting Strategy Session (OUR MOST POPULAR SESSION!)
Become a Journalist’s BFF: Networking and Relationship Management Session (#2 MOST POPULAR!)
Hosting the Perfect Virtual and/or In-Person Media Event Session
Agency Q&A Session
Press Package 101 Session
Press Trips Invites and Itineraries Session
Hosting the Perfect Virtual and/or In-Person Media Event Session
We’re excited about this new venture and look forward to helping you become even better at what you do. Visit our website to learn more about the services and sessions we provide — we’re looking forward to working with you!
Have You Signed Up for My OTHER Substack?
Our weekly Top Tier Consulting posts are chockfull of meaty and actionable information. Here are some of the other important topics we’ve covered recently:
The Right (and Wrong) Ways to Handle Your Clients’ Titles When Submitting Them As Sources
8 Things Publicists Should be Doing NOW to Set Themselves Up for Success in 2023
8 Things That Make Writers Want to Work With Publicists Again
Part 2: A Look Inside the Process of How Writers Handle an Inbox Full of PR Pitches
Part 1: A Look Inside the Process of How Writers Handle an Inbox Full of PR Pitches
Please Share this Newsletter With Your Colleagues
If you find this newsletter valuable, please click the share button below and send it to your colleagues …. I’m especially looking for more travel publicists, publicists who rep healthcare and wellness professionals (dietitians, doctors, mental health, etc.), and of course product-focused publicists too! The more, the merrier!
***Recently Published Pieces***
(Thank you for your help!)
TripSavvy: The 18 Most Beautiful Islands in the World
Business Insider: I Paid a Stylist $300 to Determine Which Colors Look Best on Me
Southern Living: If You Aren’t Serving Prosciutto Egg Cups to Your Guest, You’re Hosting Brunch Wrong
Travel + Leisure: The Best Rolling Duffels, Backpacks and Weekenders (my first e-commerce piece for T+L!)
Southern Living: The Embarrassingly Easy 4-Ingredient Appetizer I Must Bring to Every Party (this has gone kinda viral!)
Insider: I’ve Lived in Scottsdale for 19 Years. Here are the 10 Biggest Mistakes I see Tourists Make When They Visit.
Taste of Home: How to Make Amish Chicken and Noodles (how good does this sound?!)
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!).
—— Current Editorial Needs ——
1. Taste of Home: How to Cook Cabbage So It's Less Gassy
Looking for an UNAFFILIATED registered dietitian to discuss why cabbage gives you gas AND ways to cook cabbage so it’s less gassy
Please send credentials, not commentary … I’ll send specific questions to my chosen source
Subject line: Cabbage Expert
Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com
Pitch by: EOD tomorrow (must be able to answer interview questions via email this week)
2. Travel + Leisure: Best Bodysuits of 2023
Looking for bodysuits in the following categories (so tell me where yours fits): Best budget, Best style, Most comfortable, Best with built-in bra, Best for plus size, Best for long torsos, Best long-sleeve, Best short-sleeve, best strapless, best tank top, best shapewear, Best blouse, best turtleneck, best mock neck, best versatile, best corset, best satin, best lace, Best puff sleeve, best lingerie, Best splurge, Best casual, Best one-shoulder.
Affiliate Requirements: Skimlinks, Rakuten, Impact, Pepperjam, ShareASale, and CJ. Amazon is good, too, as are major .com retailers.
Especially hoping to hear from the following brands: Skims, Everyone, Madewell and Andie
Subject line: Best Bodysuits + Insert The Product Name Here
Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com
Pitch by: EOD Friday
3. TripSavvy: The Cheapest Islands to Visit
Tell me about the AFFORDABLE island you rep (can be on any continent around the world!) and answer ALL of these questions within your pitch:
Where is it?
What makes it so inexpensive? Tell me about the affordability.
Share 3-5 budget-friendly things to do: where to eat, where to stay, what sights/attractions to see, etc.
Subject line: Cheapest Island + Insert Island Name Here
Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com
Pitch by: EOD Friday
4. Health: Best Low-Carb Meal Delivery Services
If you rep one of these brands (and ONLY these brands!!), please get in touch and I’ll let you know specifics: Green Chef, Fresh N Lean, Factor, Paleo On the Go, Pete’s Real Food, Trifecta, Everyplace, Daily Harvest
Subject line: Health + Name of Brand
Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com
Pitch by: EOD Thursday
More Useful Info
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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.
Love that spaceship pic! Lol Cheers to a new year!