Sourcing for a Bunch of Travel & Food Articles Before I Head to Bonaire
Plus: Links to a bunch of recently published pieces your clients might be in!
Happy Monday, subscribers!
Between my birthday, travel, work, and holidays, I’ve been a bit quiet for the first half of April …. unless you tuned into last week’s AMA session cohosted with Aly and Alice last week, in which case you heard me talk a lot about press trip do’s and don’ts. The session was well-attended and we fielded SO many good questions! We’ll be sharing some of the highlights of that session with paid subscribers in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for the cliff’s notes version of what you missed!
Speaking of press trips, some of the amazing destinations I’ll be heading to in 2023 include:
April: Bonaire (the lesser-known of the ABC islands, and I’ve already been to Aruba and Curacao several times each, so I’m excited to see the B!)
May: Finland (sneak peek at the world’s largest cruise ship being built)
June: Alaska land tour and cruise (my 3rd time to Alaska)
August: Possibly South America … stay tuned!
September: Puerto Rico (for the Society of American Travel Writers’ annual conference)
October/Nov: Texas and Israel (and maybe Jordan!)
Nov/December: Middle East cruise (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, etc.)
I’ve never been to Asia or South America, so it looks like I’ll hit 2 new continents this year (and 4 in total!). And possibly 7 or 8 new countries! Needless to say, I’ll be on the road a total of just over 90 days this year, so it’s going to be a very busy next three quarters! And just think of all the fun articles I’ll get to pitch/write!
Scroll on down to see what I’m working on this week before heading to Bonaire on Friday (including my first assignment for U.S. News & World Report!). And make sure you’re following along on Instagram to see all my travel adventures. And yes, I’m quite active on Twitter, too (and that’s where I post my super urgent calls for pitches between Substacks, so you might want to follow me there, too!).
Have a great week,
Jill
PS: If you haven’t yet signed up for this Substack that I run with Nicole Pajer, you’re missing out on some really cool content, like:
How to Prove to Media That a Product/Topic is Really Trending
The Hidden Dangers of Relying on ChatGPT for Your PR Efforts
How to Give New Life to an Old Pitch
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In late 2022, I was a guest on The Pitchin’ and Sippin’ Podcast with Lexie Smith of THEPRBAR. In it, I discuss how I got my start in magazines and freelancing, pitching preferences, how to break into freelance writing, different ways publicists can become a journalist’s BFF, my Top Tier Consulting sessions, and, of course, Substack.
If you missed it, check it out:
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***Recently Published Pieces***
(Thank you for your help!)
Taste of Home: How to Thaw Pork Chops Safely
Reader’s Digest: Best Time to Visit Arizona
Reader’s Digest: Best Time to Visit the Grand Canyon
Reader’s Digest: I’ve Tried Every At-Home Manicure System and This is the Best!
Reader’s Digest: The Best Time to Visit Alaska
Reader’s Digest: Best Subscription Boxes
Travel + Leisure: The Ultimate Cruise Packing List
Southern Living: 10 Ideas for Creating the Perfect Mimosa Bar
Southern Living: Tzimmes for Passover
Southern Living: Apricot Chicken for Passover
Southern Living: Can You Eat Sprouted Onions
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. Southern Living: What is a Dutch Oven?
Looking for a chef or brand (like Le Creuset or Staub) to discuss all things Dutch Oven related.
Please send credentials, not commentary. I’ll send you specific questions to answer.
Subject line: Dutch Oven Expert
Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com
Pitch by: noon Tuesday (and I’ll need questions answered by Wednesday)
2. Southern Living: How to Cook Yellow Squash
Looking for a chef to share a handful of different ways to cook yellow squash, including some simple recipes.
Please send credentials, not commentary. I’ll send you specific questions to answer.
Subject line: Yellow Squash Chef
Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com
Pitch by: EOD Wednesday
3. Taste of Home: Need an UNAFFILIATED Registered Dietitian
Looking for an unaffiliated RD to answer some questions about foods that have more protein than eggs
Please send credentials, not commentary. I’ll send you specific questions to answer.
Subject line: Taste of Home Protein RD
Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com
Pitch by: EOD Wednesday
4. Reader’s Digest: The Most Affordable Cruises (I also need to interview a cruise expert!)
READ THIS FIRST: I’m looking for the cheapest cruise options … but this story needs to be evergreen, so I’m NOT looking for one-time deals/promos/specials that expire.
In your pitch, please include the following (pitches without all this info won’t be considered):
Name of the cruise line
Which specific cruise is the cheapest … link to the exact itinerary
Cost: $XXX for X-day cruise (you can give ranges so this is more evergreen/less dependent on deals, or can say something like "as low as $XXX")
Describe the cruise line and what makes it one of the cheapest.
Note where its ships sail to (where can you vacation if you sail on this cruise line?).
Note whether the cruise line typically offers any promotions, like "Carnival tends to offer off-season deals" or "Look out for Royal Caribbean's 'second passenger sails free' promotion, which the company typically offers annually." That'll help readers find the cheapest cruise without the text getting hung up on a (fleeting) deal happening right now.
Mention any other features/benefits of this cruise line that demonstrate customer value and experience (like wi-fi included or free laundry, etc.)
Include the Tripadvisor URL to the cheap cruise you mentioned in the second bullet point
Also looking for a cruise expert to answer a few questions about how to find cheap cruises… a travel agent would be ideal!
Subject line: Affordable Cruise + Name of Cruise Line
Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com
Pitch by: EOD Friday
5. U.S. News & World Report: If you rep any attractions (things to do) in Kauai, please reach out
NOT looking for anything connected to restaurants or hotels
Subject line: Kauai attraction + Name of attraction
Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com
Pitch by: EOD Wednesday
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Sorry for the 2023 comment, haha, but I'm headed to Bonaire in 2 months and this was so exciting to see! I'm going to crawl through some more of your posts to see if you have any tips. Thanks!
I'm excited to see your adventures on IG!!