The Dopest Gift Guide Opp Ever + 3 More Assignments

Plus 7 recently published stories in The Points Guy, Insider, Reader's Digest, Southern Living and more

Hello from Denver, where I’m spending a couple days at a retreat with my business coach … can’t wait to absorb such topics as “leveraging your strength to achieve a powerful rest ethic” (what’s rest?!) and “From fear to fluency: building confidence in public speaking” (maybe it’ll improve my AMAs!) I love melding minds with this inspirational group of entrepreneurs twice a year!

Scroll down for open assignments and recently published pieces.

Have a great week,

Jill

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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)

• Examples of HGG Subject Lines that WORK!

• A Real-Life Example of an HGG Product Pitch Format that Most Writers Will Delete (hint: Don’t do this!)

• What NOT to Pitch in a Holiday Gift Guide

• A Handy-Dandy Checklist of 10 Things to Double-Check Before Sending Your Pitch

• 5 Golden Rules of Sending Press Packages

• 6 MORE Golden Rules of Sending Press Packages

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

• The Points Guy: 10 hotels with Michelin-starred restaurants — and how to use points to pay for them

• Insider: Meet these retired sisters in their 60s who live on cruises full time. They've already spent over 1,500 days at sea.

• Southern Living: The 8 Best Cruise Itineraries That Sail Out Of Southern Ports

• Reader’s Digest: Royal Caribbean Is Raising Its Gratuity Fee—Here’s What You Need to Know

• Reader’s Digest: A Swiftie’s Guide to New Orleans: 12 Things to See and Do

• Insider: I Flew 33 Hours to Vietnam But Was Denied Entry

• AARP: Smart Guide to Reducing Food Waste

• Reader’s Digest: The First Thing You Should Do When You Board a Cruise

• AARP: 25 Great Ways to Build Healthy Habits

• 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

• Insider: Here’s How I Maximize a Weekend in Sin City

• 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. Copper Courier: Holiday Stocking Stuffers and Gift Ideas for Cannabis Enthusiasts (yes, actual THC; not CBD)

• Products DO NOT need to be on an affiliate platform

• Products must be avaiable in Arizona (sold here or shipped here)

• Subject line: Cannabis Gifts

• Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com

• Pitch by: EOD Wednesday October 30

2. Reader’s Digest: Still Looking for Current or Former 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 Friday— 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 tomorrow

3. Reader’s Digest: Need an Airport or TSA Expert to Discuss The Rules About Bringing Food Onboard

• 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: Monday October 28

4. Reader’s Digest: Need a Couple Auto Experts to Discuss How Many Miles You Can Drive After the Gas Light Comes On

• I have specific interview questions, so please just send your credentials and not commentary.

• Subject line: Auto Expert

• Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com

• Pitch by: Monday October 28

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!