The Unexpected Hazards of Writing Product Reviews (spoiler: omg I'm embarrassed)
Plus tons of pitch requests (and I am writing for a new outlet, too!) + PR jobs!
Happy Monday!
It’s official: I’m not homeless anymore! We moved back into our house on Friday (after 9 long weeks in a hotel) and spent the weekend unpacking. There’s still PLENTY left to do (about 30 more boxes), but it feels SO good to be home! Once everything is squared away (we still won’t have a master bathroom for a couple months and need to hire a pro to rehang all our artwork), I’ll share pictures of our accidental remodel!
So many of you upgraded your subscription last week so that you could read my post on the 7 Ways You Might Be Unintentionally Annoying Your Media Contacts … and I received so much positive feedback on that list, too! Thank you! If you missed out, you can still upgrade and access the archives. Oh, and I’ll be hosting my first Ask Me Anything session in February, another perk of a paid subscription!
Ok, now it’s time for a funny/mortifying story:
As you may remember, I wrote a roundup late last year on the best sex toys for better orgasms … and I received myriad product samples for that piece, as writers often do.
Well, before the flood mitigation crew arrived to pack up all our belongings in November, I had the foresight to place alllll those spicy samples in a box myself and BURY that box in the garage. I figured my secret was safe. There were a few other boxes placed in our garage during the pack-out process (though 99.9% of everything went to an off-site vault), but I made sure this box was nowhere near those. I legit hid it.
Or so I thought.
The crew finished unpacking us on Friday morning, and we moved back into the house that afternoon. And right there, greeting us in the middle of the living room upon our official homecoming, was that box. Open. With spicy toys overflowing. They had clearly started to unpack it, realized what it was, and left it.
I’m sure my IMPRESSIVE toy collection must look like I run a side dominatrix business! And I never even got a chance to explain myself, LOL. I spent SO many days with that crew helping them pack/unpack… how mortifying! I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for their discovery ;) I’m sure they’ve seen worse … please tell me they’ve seen worse.
I should also mention that the name of the company that packed/unpacked/moved us is called Service Master (which also sounds oddly like a dominatrix business, doesn’t it?!).
Ok, now that you’ve all had a Monday morning chuckle: My pitch requests are below. Fun note: I just secured my first new client of 2022 (yay!!): Coupons.com.
Have a great start to your week, everyone.
Jill
—— Current Editorial Needs ——
1. Coupons.com: Need RD, farmer, or holistic nutritionist (URGENT)
Why does seasonal food matter?
Please send credentials, not commentary. I’ll respond with specific questions.
Subject line: Seasonal Food Expert
Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com
Pitch by: EOD Tuesday Feb 1
2. Taste of Home: Gluten-Free Meal Delivery Kits (Still looking!)
Rounding up the best gluten-free meal delivery kits
In your pitch, please include the following details:
Price: How much does each serving cost? Is a subscription required? Does the price decrease if your quantity increases?
Taste: Are these recipes chef-created? What info do you have on taste?
Ingredient quality: How are ingredients chosen? And are they high quality? Organic? Non-GMO?
Availability: Can you get the gluten-free meal kits nationally or just in certain cities?
Customization: Can you customize your orders with add-ons or other options?
Sustainability: What’s the packaging like? Is it recyclable? Does the brand participate in any other sustainable efforts?
Cross contamination: How do you ensure there’s no cross-contamination with gluten if the facility also produces gluten-containing options?
Subject line: Gluten-Free Meal Delivery Kits
Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com
Pitch by: EOD Tuesday Feb 1
3. The Healthy: Do Infrared Sauna Blankets REALLY Work?
Looking for an expert to discuss if these sauna blankets work, the health benefits, what to look for when buying one, etc.
And if you rep a Sauna Blanket or a TikTok/IG star who’s gone viral with a sauna blanket, please reach out too!
Subject line: Sauna Blanket Expert
Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com
Pitch by: EOD Wednesday Feb. 2
4. Franklin Prosperity Report: Costco Hacks (still need!)
Looking for a shopping expert who can comment on unexpected Costco hacks for saving even MORE money (this could be apps, how to use coupons, certain days of the week to shop, etc.)
Subject line: Costco Hacks
Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com
Pitch by: EOD Wednesday Feb. 2
5. Coupons.com: Need RD/private chef (or similar) to discuss meal planning
Meal planning can be overwhelming. This article will provide fledging meal preppers with an easy first-week guide that covers all the bases.
Please send credentials, not commentary. I’ll respond with specific questions.
Subject line: Meal Planning Expert
Email: JillSchildhouse@gmail.com
Pitch by: EOD Thursday Feb 3
Recently Published Pieces (Thanks for your help!)
Reader’s Digest: This Hair Straightener Comb Has Nearly 20,000 Five-Star Ratings on Amazon—Here’s Why
Health Central: How to Tell Your Child They Have a Chronic Medical Condition
Better Nutrition: Everything You Need to Know About Meal Prepping
Reader’s Digest: Amazon Shoppers are Obsessed With this $12 Lip Stain
Reader’s Digest: 25 Last-Minute Valentine’s Day Gifts That Still Show You Care
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!)
Food for Thought
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Hire Jill: Do you or your clients need blogs/web copy/marketing materials? I’m available for hire! You already know I’m a journalist, but you may not be familiar with my extensive editing/marketing background over the last 21 years (for such brands as AAA, CVS, Massage Envy, University of Phoenix, The Rich Dad Company and more). Feel free to check out my LinkedIn profile for details. I’d love to chat if you have a client or know someone who could benefit from my content services (blogs, marketing materials, brand stories, bios, white papers, email drip campaigns, etc.). Thank you for keeping me in mind for one-off or ongoing projects!
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PR Job Opportunities
Sabrina Levine Communications is looking for a PR Rockstar. NOTE: Email resumes to info@sabrinalevinepr.com instead of applying through Indeed.
Maverick Creative (now part of FINN Partners) is hiring for 2 open positions: One Account Executive + one Assistant Account Executive.
Hawkins International (also now part of FINN Partners) is hiring a New York City-based intern and a Senior Account Executive.
I can't stop laughing!!! OMG
OMG I'm losing it over this story Jill. I've got second-hand embarrassment!