Pitches Wanted: Travel Edition
Plus: Grab my ultimate HGG checklist
Happy Monday!
Quick little life update: I’m working temporarily as a contract editor at Reader’s Digest to help update a cluster of travel articles. These will be moving quickly over the next month or so, and I’ll be looking to weave appropriate experts into the articles. My first few are listed below.
Are you knee-deep in holiday gift guide pitching? Read on to learn about a workshop I’m hosting this week (recording will be available if you can’t make the date/time) … the info I’ll be sharing is sure to improve your response rates and increase editorial coverage for the gift guide season!
Thanks and have a great week,
Jill
Sign up today for “The Ultimate Checklist of EVERYTHING You NEED to Include in Your HGG Pitches”
Nicole Pajer and I are co-hosting it and have a FULLY updated 2024 presentation to share (our 2023 workshop was super popular)!
Date: Wednesday, October 16
Time: 11 am PST/2pm EST
Note: If you can’t make it live, no worries. We’ll record it and you can watch on your own time. And you’ll even have a chance to submit a Q&A ahead of time to make sure you get your questions answered.
During this one-hour session, we’ll cover:
HGG best practices pitching tips from 2 journalists who write holiday gift guides for top-tier publications all season long (and have for years!)
Examples of sample subject lines that were SO good, we opened those emails (and we receive 500-1,000 pitches a day)!
A checklist of everything you should include in your HGG pitches
Advice for how to make YOUR pitch stand out in a writer’s crowded inbox
Tips for getting your SOURCES included in holiday gift guides (great for clients who don’t have products!)
A discussion of what’s trending this year and what we’re seeing in terms of themes for holiday gift guides
Examples of HGG pitches we’ve received that hit the mark — use these as your inspiration for format, content, etc.
Open Q&A session where we answered about a dozen questions
In the spirit of the holidays, we’re making this one our LEAST EXPENSIVE session ever!
Rate: $29 Paid TTC Substack Subscribers; $49 Free TTC Subscribers
(you can always upgrade for the discount AND it’ll give you access to our weekly paid posts and monthly Top Tier Talks, too)
We did a 2023 version and boy did we get some great feedback on how it made such a difference in people’s holiday pitches!
Testimonials we received from this workshop in 2023:
“Great session ladies! Thank you so much! You two always add so much value to every session. Much appreciated!”
“This session was SO good. Thank you both so much. Beyond helpful. Can't wait to send out my pitches.”
“When you have been in the PR industry for more than 15 years, you may think there's ‘nothing new’ to learn. As we publicists try to continue to work in partnership with journalists, I appreciated the advice that was shared by Jill & Nicole in their HGG Workshop where I did in fact learn many new things! Being able to hear best practices, share tactics, and ask questions in real time during the workshop was so valuable. A big thank you to them for taking the time out of their busy schedules to support our efforts, which in turn help our clients get more hits!”
Ready to sign up? Questions about the session?
Send an email to info@toptierconsulting.NET and we’ll collect payment and send you the link for the Zoom session.
Jill’s 2024 Holiday Gift Guide Resource Central
Here are all the resources I’ve created (or co-created for Top Tier Consulting with Nicole Pajer) to help you land even more editorial coverage this season. Seriously, use these links as your bible for the next few months:
Holiday Gift Guide Q&A with Jill, Aly and Alice (sign up for access to this recording from August 2024)
Christmas in August Zoom Q&A with Affiliate Marketing Expert Sarah Karger (this August 2024 Zoom recording will answer ALL your affiliate-related HGG questions!)
Learn How to Pitch your Clients as Sources for Holiday Stories
Holiday Gift Guide Workshop with Nicole Pajer (we shared sample subject lines, a checklist of what to include, advice for how to stand out amongst the stiff competition, examples of pitches we loved, and did a Q&A session)
A Real-Life Example of an HGG Product Pitch Format that Most Writers Will Delete (hint: Don’t do this!)
A Handy-Dandy Checklist of 10 Things to Double-Check Before Sending Your Pitch
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***Recently Published Pieces***
(Thank you for your help!)
Reader’s Digest: The First Thing You Should Do When You Board a Cruise
US News & World Report: Utopia of the Seas: The Best Dining, Amenities and More on Royal Caribbean's Newest Ship
AARP: A Suspected Blood Clot Landed Me in a Cruise Ship Medical Center
The Points Guy: 10 Best Asia Cruises
The Points Guy: 8 Best Australia/New Zealand Cruises
Southern Living: Royal Caribbean’s New Utopia of the Seas
Town & Country: A Savannah Itinerary for Every Traveler
Southern Living: 12 Tips To Know Before Taking Your First-Ever Cruise, According To Veteran Cruisers
US News & World Report: Crystal Symphony Review: First Impressions of Crystal's Revamped Ship
Southern Living: 11 Etiquette Mistakes You Might Be Making on a Cruise
Reader’s Digest: July Luggage Review: I Tested the Carry-On Pro on Multiple Overseas Flights
Insider: I Tried Princess Cruise’s Premier Package and It’s One of the Best Deals At Sea
Taste of Home: Amish Chicken and Noodles
Copper Courier: 8 Phoenix Rooftop Bars
Virtuoso: The Sun Princess Sets Sail with Some of the Most Exciting Entertainment at Sea
Reader’s Digest: After 20 Ocean Cruises, I Took My First River Cruise—Here Are 6 Ways It Was Better
EatingWell: 10 Foods Rich in Vitamin K, Recommended by Dietitians
Reader’s Digest: I took the Beis Front Pocket Carry-On on Multiple International Trips, and It’s a Winner
Copper Courier: Puff, Puff, Pass .. The Best 4/20 Promos and Deals Around the Valley
Taste of Home: How Long Does Rice Last in the Fridge?
Copper Courier: Where to buy farm-fresh eggs in Tucson
Copper Courier: 10 Best Pizza Joints in Phoenix
The Points Guy: Holland America restaurants: The ultimate cruise guide to food and dining on board
Travel Market Report: What to Expect When Riding Brightline
Travel Market Report: The 3 Highest End Suites on the Crystal Symphony
Copper Courier: 7 Places to See and Smell Wildflowers Near Phoenix
Travel Market Report: Cruise Ships and Celebrity Chefs: A Perfect Pairing the Industry Continues to Crave
The Points Guy (my first for this outlet): Princess Cruise drink packages
Southern Living: Why I Switched to a Wooden Cutting Board and I’ll Never Go Back to Plastic
Southern Living: Should You Drain Canned Vegetables?
Taste of Home: How to Store Avocados
Taste of Home: How to Store Garlic So it Stays Fresh
Taste of Home: How to Make Amish Chicken and Noodles
Reader’s Digest: 9 Best Culinary Cruises for the Most Delicious Trip You’ll Ever Take
Reader’s Digest: The Surprising Reason You Shouldn’t Bring Camouflage Clothing on a Cruise
EatingWell (my debut article!): A Longevity Expert Swears by Eating Minestrone Soup Every Day — Here’s Why
Southern Living: How to Close a Wine Bottle Without a Cork
Southern Living: Yes, You Can Freeze Spaghetti Squash; Here’s How
Taste of Home: Le Creuset Everyday Pan Review: It’s Literally the Only Pan You Need
Southern Living: The Best Types of Sweet Potatoes for Eery Favorite Southern Dish
Yoga Journal: 21 Unexpected, Meaningful, Stress-Reducing, Must-Have Yoga Gifts for Your Loved Ones
Fodor’s: I Was Quarantined on a Cruise Ship, Here’s What it Was Like
Southern Living: Why It’s So Important to Brown Your Meat Before Cooking
U.S. News & World Report: 9 Bucket-List Cruises for Seniors and Retirees
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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—— Current Editorial Needs ——
1. Reader’s Digest: Need Cruise Ship Employees Who Can Answer Questions About Cruise Code Words
Things like Code Alpha, Code Bravo, Code Oscar, etc.
This will be a quickie email interview that needs to be complete by EOD Tuesday — I’m not just looking for the definitions, which are easy to Google, but someone who can provide some insights and compelling commentary about them
Please send your credentials first, not commentary
Subject line: Cruise Ship Code Word Expert
Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com
Pitch by: EOD Tuesday, October 15
2. Reader’s Digest: Need an Airport or TSA Expert to Discuss U.S. Airports with the Longest TSA Wait Times
Which cities are the worst offenders and why
This will be a quickie email interview that needs to be complete by EOD Wednesday — I have specific interview questions, so please just send your credentials and not commentary.
Subject line: TSA/Airport Expert
Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com
Pitch by: EOD Wednesday, October 16
3. Franklin Prosperity Report
Looking for side hustles appropriate for the 55+ community that pay more than $15/hour.
Open to experts who can speak on this topic AND businesses/brands that offer a great side hustle option.
Subject line: Senior Side Hustles
Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com
Pitch by: EOD Wednesday, October 16
More Useful Info
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, Aly Walansky, Nicole Pajer, and Joni Sweet.
Have you signed up for my OTHER Substack newsletter yet? It’s a joint venture with Nicole Pajer and we do deep dives into the media industry to help PR pros increase their ROI. Check it out here!