Sorry for being out of commission for past couple of weeks. I am catching up on emails and sleep after my travels to Vienna, a wedding in San Francisco, Atlanta’s Michelin Guide release, multiple Halloween parties, and preparing for my next TedX talk on November 10th!
So, in this issue I am not asking for immediate pitches, but letting you know of some of the ongoing stories I am working on.
I am going to talk to you about how, when and what to pitch…
HOW
But first, please DO NOT text me a pitch! There’s no way you will receive a response from me while I am in a different time zone enjoying my Sacher torte.
Something to be mindful of when approaching travel writers is that we are often on the road TRAVELING. If I am on a press trip, I want to be fully present there and don’t work on other assignments. I will also not answer my cell phone while I am on international roaming. And I certainly don’t want to be thinking about someone who is doing amazing things in New York, while I am in Tokyo (locations have been changed for anonymity).
WHEN
Knowing who you are talking to is important and only takes a couple of minutes to find out when would be the right time to pitch them. Follow me on Facebook or Instagram to see where I am at currently before you send an email (not Text, not LinkedIn or Instagram message). I will more than likely respond to or file your Email for when it’s the right time for it.
In terms of days of the week, it really doesn’t matter to me as much, as to editors. I really don’t have any set business hours & you can often find me responding at odd hours of the day and across time zones.
However, pitching a story about Halloween, the week before will NEVER work for me. I work on long lead times and it would be best if you start thinking about the next year NOW.
WHAT
Given that, I generally don’t write about national something days, please don’t send me stories about upcoming national cocktail, doughnut or pizza day. Instead, I would be interested in stories around awareness and seasons.
I put together this handy list for you to refer to for 2024 calendar…as well as examples of some stories that have worked in the past.
(remember to pitch several months before)
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