Here's why journalists are not responding to your emails + So many calls for pitches
Read my bi-weekly Substack to learn about travel and tourism media best practices for seasoned and budding PR and journalists.
Last week, I set out to write a story about conquering my fear and overcoming whatever I set my mind to, but I failed. The amazing team at PADI sponsored my open water scuba diving certification training during my stay at the Sandals St Vincent. I did really well during the 20-hours of eLearning & aced my tests. But under water, I was not a great student. I understood all the mechanic of how all the components worked to keep your bouncy, regulate your breathing, equalize your sinuses, draining your mask, etc. But the hard part was removing the aiding devices to undergo different scenarios UNDER WATER! It was not scary, but uncomfortable & physically challenging. I realized my limitations and did not continue with the class. But my husband, a pro swimmer & yoga practitioner, did very well. And he wasn’t even interested in scuba diving in the first place. He was only doing it for me, and I pushed him to get certified, which he did on his birthday!
So, I am now looking for an outlet that would accept a story about trying new things, but letting go of the idea of perception, and accepting one’s failures without regrets. Know anyone who would be interested in my story?
How to Get Journalist and Editor Attention to Maximize Your Efforts and Get Winning Results?
I was having lunch with Deborah Stone from Atlanta-based Pineapple PR to discuss our upcoming media fireside chat at the Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference next week. This lady, by the way, is a pioneer when it comes to travel media, starting her own company 30 years ago and growing it to be one of the most successful firms in the Southeast. We could talk for hours about our experiences!
One of the things we were discussing is the challenges in gaining a journalist’s attention. We are inundated with thousands of emails each week, while having to produce fresh content, be on the road, and take care of our households. Our attention span is shrinking, and the travel media pool is growing. So how can you stand out to get your message across?
Here are some ways I have found PR had grabbed my attention as a writer:
Be personal. When you write an email not addressed to anyone specific, it means it is not meant for me. I will most likely not read it. Make an extra effort to Follow me on Instagram to see what I just posted or where I traveled to, find a common connection, and start your email with a personal conversation. This will make me believe you are a real human and not a bot & that you actually care to get to know me.
Here’s a one fun I got recently:
I was in Saskatchewan this weekend too! Im doing a Canada cross country road trip, from Quebec to British Columbia, where I will be staying for a few months. Did you try any Saskatoon berries while you were there? they have way more antioxidants than wild blueberries! What are your plans for Fargo?
Best,
Jen
Let me give you an example of an email I will delete without reading:
Press releases are OUT. Instead of sending a press release, send me a well crafted pitch. Tailor your pitch based on my interests and past work. It is really easy to scroll through all my published work as I keep it all on my website. You can search by destination, keyword, hotel name or topic. I find its better than Muckruck as that doesn’t pick up all my stories.
Here is the worst pitch I get, week after week, from the same person. They clearly have no idea of what I am working on. It doesn’t tell me anything about her clients. And even though I do round up stories, they generally follow a theme & have much more information!
Keep it short and sweet, but not in the above bullet-point format. I don’t want pictures or videos in the attachments (links are fine). A 2-paragraph email that has a unique and juicy story that I have not seen published already, will likely catch my attention. Just avoid using these words that I mentioned in my previous Substack.
End with an invitation to visit, not “can provide pictures and information.” You should have enough information to want me visit the place, eat the food, or talk to the personality involved. And if your email did succeed in getting my interest, you should also be ready to curate the experience.
Do not follow up with another email, phone call, text, or LinkedIn message. If you didn’t get a response the first time, perhaps reword your email & send another story angle. Also, by following my Substack you would know exactly what I am looking for, at what time, & your previous pitch may be more relevant to me now.
Deborah asked me how I felt about receiving announcement gift boxes delivered to my door. I told her that the gesture shows that someone made an extra effort, and I will always send them a Thank you note, and hear what they have to say. Now, I have also received boxes with plastic cups, visors, keychain holders & really tacky logo items, that made me NOT want to go to this place. Be tasteful, include some things that represent the local producers or tell a story. This Zozobra box from New Mexico Tourism Board introduced me to a ritual I wasn’t aware of. After receiving the box, I researched everything about it & wanted to go attend in person!
Tip for sending gifts: Check the recipient’s travel schedule. I have returned home from trips to find melted chocolates and sun aged wine on my patio!
Love this destination introduction gift box from New Mexico! Another big trend these days is road shows, where a representative from a resort or a destination travels around meeting with journalists one-on-one over lunch or coffee. I have been to many such meeting when people come to Atlanta. Honestly, I look forward to meeting someone I have already established relationship with before.
For example, I never refuse an invite from Erica Benken from Giant Noise no matter who she brings along as a client, because I like her as a friend.
What I have seen happen is that the media budget is often all spent on the road show, leaving nothing left for FAM trips. Most of the time, there is no follow-up after the meeting, and the expectation is that the journalist will write a story based on the conversation.
Similarly, there are fun parties thrown by destinations to get a lot of members of the media in one place. I have been to several of these with red carpets, open bars, fine dinners and international dignitaries present. These are great for networking and hanging out. The information shared is very high-level and not meant to produce content. It is mainly to introduce someone to the destination. However, these events cost money and there is no budget left after.
Call me a traditionalist but I still prefer a Zoom call over any of the methods above. I find that talking to someone is the most efficient way to understand each other’s needs, identify interests and story angles, and gauge budgets, timings, etc. It saves money and time in having to fly out here, drive someplace, fill up an entire hour and having the gap in your workday. Not all meetings are going to result in mutually beneficial work, which is fine.
And if you really wanted to treat me to lunch, send me an Uber Eats gift card. We can do a virtual lunch over Zoom & save you some carbon footprint.
Lastly, I cannot stress enough the power of relationships. If you have a good rapport with a journalist, they will read your emails first, and respond to you even if they are not interested in the pitch at the time. I give PRIORITY ACCESS to my paid Substack subscribers so they are guaranteed to receive a response from me.
For example: A few weeks ago, someone responded to my call for pitches from my Substack. Her pitch was not quite there, so I gave her clear feedback, and asked her to gather more information in the gaps I highlighted, & I would be happy to look at it again. She followed my advice & sent me a revised pitch after 2 days, which I shared with my editor & the story was picked up right away. It will be published this month on HuffPost!
Join Deborah and me at the Media Panel on September 16 at 3:30pm in Atlanta for more fun conversations…
I will also be the KEYNOTE SPEAKER at the luncheon on Sept 16th & be doing book signings at the Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference in Atlanta.
From Oct 8-10, join me at IMEX Las Vegas, where I will be speaking at 3 sessions - Dining for Social Good, Cultural Tips to Help You Soar, 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. 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 BIPOC stories from the front lines.
I have also spoken on behalf of Destinations at consumer events, such as The New York Times Travel Show, Travel Adventure Show and many others.
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Watch An Inspiring Travel TED Talk
I did 3 TEDx talks about travel in 2023. Watch them on YouTube by clicking on the links below...
Why you need to travel in silence
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Buy a Travel Kids Book
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.
PITCH REQUESTS
Here is what I am looking for at the moment…rolling deadline unless mentioned.
Bucket list destinations you can only get to on a cruise
Best river cruises in the world
Best hotels in the world to ring in the new year
Best hotels in the world at airports for long layovers
South Asian (Indian) culinary trends, cookbooks, products
Culinary stories from around GA
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)
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.