The best time to follow up after a press visit + Call for pitches
With 20+ years of experience, I am happy to share PR and travel media industry best practices...
Happy Monday! Thank you to all of you who read my last Substack and followed up.
Special thanks to…
Audra Winborne from Awesome Alpharetta for introducing to the most amazing concert venue in my own city!
Kimberly Miles from Fahlgreen Mortine who is making my dream of visiting Idaho come true!
Ali Burns from Praytell for inviting me back to Portland, OR next summer.
Best Time to Follow Up After a Media Visit
These stories are based on actual events.
Before I boarded my long haul flight for an individual media trip, I received an email asking for “my thoughts” on what and where I would publish my story about the property I was about to visit. There was no “have a safe trip!” or “enjoy your visit” pleasantries in the email. Just a direct, demanding message. The PR person followed up 3 times while I was still out traveling, stating “following up on this…” I did have my “out of office” automative responder set up but this did not mean anything to her. I enjoyed the destination but was annoyed by the representative. Though this will not impact my storytelling, it will make me think twice about working with this person or recommending them to other writers.
In the past, I have also received follow up emails from PR as soon as I have board my flight back from the destination, and repeated emails each week asking for produced work.
I understand that PR folks have to balance delicate relationships with journalists while deliver results to their clients. Having up front conversations with both is helpful, and only you can educate each parties.
Press trips are work for us. We typically spend long hours experiencing, thinking, talking, taking notes and photos, and doing social media, while catching up with our work emails, editor deadlines, and checking in on our families back home. Add to that the exhaustion of traveling, time changes, jet lag, upset stomach, and lack of sleep. We are grateful for these experiences, but would love if you see travel writers as normal human beings!
Here are some tips on when to follow up before or after press visits:
BEFORE VISIT: Go over the details of the media visit, potential story ideas and areas of interest before planning agreeing to host. Know that with freelancers, coverage is never guaranteed.
I wrote a dozen stories from a 3 weeks media visit in Australia
Send the final itinerary at least a week before departure and go over any revisions, questions & clarifications if needed. Include key contact information for each of the businesses listed on the itinerary.
Send a “have a safe trip!” WhatsApp message to the journalist so you can be in direct contact in case any issues come up.
DURING THE TRIP: Be available to respond to questions if the journalist or host reaches out with problems or concerns. No need to constantly check in or ask “how is your trip going?”
Do follow them on social & like their posts if they are active during the trip.
Some writers extend their trip to cover other properties or have personal time away. Make sure to note when the journalist is going to return to office.
AFTER their return, wait 3 days to send a follow up email to inquire how the trip went. Chances are, the writer would have already reached out to you themselves by then if they are caught up with emails and most importantly, sleep. I personally send a “Thank You for Hosting” email within one week of my return.
If you want descriptive details of every aspect of the trip, schedule a phone call with the journalist. I generally send highlights - good & bad - in my email, but am more than happy to go into details, thoughts & recommendations over a call.
It takes me up to a month to edit all my images, write my notes, follow up with those I met and start writing my pitches. You can certainly ask to provide any collaborative assistance during this time as well as NEW story angles that may have formed since the visit.
Pitching stories to publications is a longer process, but know that a freelance writer does not get paid until the story is published. It can take anywhere from 30 days to 2 years from the time I took the trip to seeing the story in print.
This holiday story took me 3 weeks from trip to pitch to print.
It is perfectly fine to follow up - I would say no more than every 3 months, with additional information and updates to help the writer with additional hooks. If the press trip centered around a one-time event & did not lead to a write-up, try to find creative related angles.
I went to Switzerland for Fête des Vignerons, a wine maker festival and wrote about a Black-African winemaker and a winter vacation.
When the story goes live, acknowledge the writer. Mention them in your newsletter, tag them on social media posts, and send them a token of appreciation.
Visit Portland sent me a bottle of wine when I mentioned them in the TIME Magazine Best Destinations list.
Know that a relationship with a writer does not have to end with just one story. My goal is to publish as many stories for you as possible, and give a shout out whenever there is an opportunity to mention a destination I am already familiar with. Follow what stories they are working on (for example through my Substack), send them your client updates, new client lists and schedule a once a year check in.
Nicole Barker from New Mexico Tourism Department does a great job of sending story ideas & goodies from NM regularly! I just learned about the 100-year old Zozobra ritual.
Always be polite and courteous with the writers. There’s no need to demand or harass.
If you are no longer working on the account, introduce the write to the new PR contact. And make sure to share this Substack with the new contact so they can familiarize themselves with freelance writer follow up etiquettes!
Where I am Speaking This Fall…
I am offering my expertise of traveling to 120 countries and writing for all major publications, as a Keynote Speaker. Some of the topics I cover are - cultural etiquettes, how food connects people, marketing to diverse audiences, journalist & media relations, how to plan effortless press trips, trend in multigenerational travel, sustainable travel, solo female travel, and stories from the front lines.
If you are planning a conference, regional meeting or an event where you may find my insights useful, take a look at my speaker profile.
I will be doing the keynote speech, book signing and media panel at the Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference in Atlanta.
AT IMEX Las Vegas, I will be speaking at 3 sessions - Dining for Social Good, Cultural Tips to Help You Soar, and Stories From the Front Lines.
Please reach out if you would like to grab a drink or have a one-on-one meeting with me in Atlanta or Las Vegas.
Recently Published
AmaDara cruise review for Fodor’s Travel
7 of the World’s Finest Hotels With Great Views for AAA The Extra Mile
Milledgeville Burger Week Will Inspire You to Add Global Flavors to Your Grill for Georgia Trend Magazine
Which US Ports Does Royal Caribbean Sail From? for AAA The Extra Mile
This Gorgeous Region in Greece is where the Greeks go on vacation for Travel+Leisure
9 Fabulous Resorts in Asia & the Pacific Worth Saving Your Marriott Bonvoy for Marriott Bonvoy
Fiji - Panoramic Getaway with a Masala Twist for Khabar Magazine (PRINT Cover Story)
Visit Filming Locations of Your Favorite TV Shows and Movies for AAA The Extra Mile
Review of Mango Indian Grill for Khabar Magazine (PRINT)
Hawkers Asian Street Food for Georgia Trend Magazine (PRINT)
Best International shopping for Explore Gwinnett (PRINT)
Atlanta’s 57 Best Bars for Atlanta Magazine (PRINT)
Have You Watched My TED Talks?
I did 3 TEDx talks about travel in 2023. Watch them on YouTube.
Why you need to travel in silence
Using travel to develop cultural intelligence
Stop dreaming and start living now
Got Kids Who Love To Read About Travel?
My favorite Media Visit is one that combines an individual visit to uncover stories that I am the best person to tell + keynote speech or panel discussion at an event + book signings + interviews on your local TV stations.
If you are interested in organizing a media visit in 2025, please contact me NOW as I am planning ahead.
Tips for Pitching
If you subscribe to my Substack, you will be the first one to receive my call for pitches! But first, here are some tips to ensure that your pitches have a higher likelihood to be considered.
Make sure to familiarize yourself with my previous work.
Personalize your emails. If I don’t see my name, I will assume you are a bot.
Include a catchy story headline with your pitch, one that grabs my editor’s attention as well.
Make sure the story is not already covered.
Include facts, insider tips, specific quotes, ideas that spark conversation (no generic statements).
Please make clear if the client is willing to host media to experience or send samples without asking for confirmed coverage.
DO NOT include pictures, attachments or large files in your email.
And lastly, no need to follow on pitches unless they have a time sensitive hook or scheduled media trip invite.
PITCH REQUESTS
Here is what I am looking for at the moment…
Latinx Voices in Food. Know of a chef, bartender, restauranteur, cookbook author or anyone in the culinary industry who is Latinx & can talk about the intersection between race, sex and culture with food, the treatment of workers in the labor force, sobriety, etc. (anywhere in the world, Deadline ASAP)
The Election Voices In Food. Looking for important and underrepresented voices in the food world - is there anyone fighting for food policy that we should talk to before the election? (USA only, Deadline ASAP)
The intersection of food + technology. What are some real ways people use tech in their everyday lives as this relates to food/the food industry/nutrition/our eating habits? (anywhere in the world, Deadline ASAP)
Hotels Where You May Run Into Celebrities. Juicy details and name dropping is a must! (US preferred, but can be anywhere in the world, Deadline Aug 19)
Restaurants, personalities, cookbooks, products and trends catering to South Asian (Indian) audiences living in the U.S. (USA only, Deadline ongoing)
Atlanta specific food and drink related trends, human interest stories, unique dishes that diners may have not heard of but must try! (Atlanta only, Deadline ongoing)
Chefs, entrepreneurs, culinary products, new restaurants, bars and cafes, food or drink trends, quirky festivals, recipe books, and human interest stories. (GA only, Deadline ongoing)
Gifts that give back. Travel, home, and lifestyle holiday gifts that are great for not only giving, but the companies stand for the betterment of specific causes - communities, environment, education, wildlife, etc. (Must be available to purchase online, Deadline Oct 1)
Products to pack for a scuba diving trip, winter cruise, African safari, gorilla trekking, polar adventure, European carnival. (Will need to provide samples, Deadline ongoing)
Coolest expeditions and adventures in the world. Think someone who has done everything already - what’s on the next bucket list? You may want to research what I have done already. (anywhere in the world, Deadline ongoing)
Specific destinations I am personally interested in traveling to in 2025 (doesn’t mean you cannot pitch other places)…
Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bolivia, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, Dominica, Ghana, Kazakhstan, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Mozambique, Namibia, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, Trinidad, Tunisia, Uzbekistan.
US - Hawaii, California, Idaho, Maine, New York, New Mexico, Arizona, Oregon.
Read my previous Substacks for lots of great tips including stories I am looking for and a monthly pitch calendar.
These are such great tips! I especially love the advice for PR people to follow up 3 days after a trip. That's usually when I'm back in action after resting, doing laundry, catching up on emails, etc., and have bandwidth to give a thoughtful response.