4 Gift Guide Assignments for You to Pitch
Looking for some seriously awesome gifts for cyclists, travelers, and National Parks lovers!
Joni Sweet is a seasoned writer, editor, and content strategist with 13+ years of media experience. In this newsletter, Joni reveals her current assignments and insider tips to help PR professionals sharpen their pitches, avoid rookie mistakes, land coverage for their clients, and build stronger relationships with writers. Get ready for candid advice, a touch of sass, and secret strategies to make your pitches stand out.
Hi friends!
Before I dive into anything work related, I have something very important to share with you.
Grizzly bears.
I got a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see them on a trip to British Columbia last week and I’m still invigorated. It was chilly and rainy, which felt like just the right vibe for these magnificent creatures.
This week, I’ve got a ton of recent stories to share with you, and a podcast appearance! If you’ve ever been curious about the woman behind this Substack and how I got to where I am today, give this episode of The Write Start a listen.
Finally, it seems like an appropriate time to share some gift guide assignments I’m working on, since Amanda Lauren and I just wrapped up our first-ever holiday gift guide pitching workshop! We were thrilled with the turnout and all the great questions you asked. If you weren’t able to join and you’d like to receive the recording, please let me know—it’s available to anyone who pays to subscribe to both of our Substacks.
Now, a quick word from this week’s amazing sponsor, Rephonic, and onto my current sourcing needs.
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Current assignments (can you help?)
Here’s a snippet of what I’m working on (I have a lot more in the works, but I am only seeking pitches for these assignments). If you want to pitch, please send me a new email, rather than replying to this Substack. Thanks!
Best Products: Best Self-Cleaning Litter Boxes
I’m turning my two cats, Tofu & Tempeh, into test subjects for a review of the best self-cleaning litter boxes. If you represent a brand that offers self-cleaning litter boxes, please get in touch! I need to get samples ASAP. No firm deadline yet. Email: jonimsweet@gmail.com
Forbes gift guides (please read instructions)
I’ve got 4 gift guide assignments for Forbes (and maybe 1-2 more, but that’s TBD at this point). The topics are:
-Best gifts for cyclists
-Best gifts for National Parks enthusiasts
-Coolest adventure travel gifts
-Best travel stocking stuffers under $100
Here’s exactly what your pitch needs to be considered:
Mention of which gift guide you’re pitching for (it’s easier for me if you send separate emails for different gift guides, but I don’t mind if those emails include multiple products).
Brief description of each product (2-3 sentences, bullets are fine), including why it’s a good fit for that particular gift guide (if it’s not 100% clear; obviously I know that a bike helmet could make a great gift for a cyclist, so instead please focus on what makes that particular helmet worth including).
No more than 4-5 products per pitch. Please focus on the hero products that deserve the focus in these gift guides, rather than sending me links to every single thing your client makes.
A Google Drive or DropBox folder of images of the products you’re pitching (horizontal images STRONGLY preferred). NO ATTACHMENTS. If you do not include images, I am unable to consider your pitch.
Link to where the product is sold. I do NOT care about affiliates for these stories, nor do I care if the product is sold at a big online retailer. This is your chance to get a direct link to your client’s website, so long as they offer relatively quick shipping and decent customer service.
Finally, please make sure you’re actually pitching gifts, not random products. Generally speaking, a bottle of nutritional supplements or protein powder probably won’t make a great gift. A beautiful hat, luxe wallet, or artsy new bike bell are all examples of lovely gifts.
If you’d like to pitch, please make sure you include all of the above info and email jonimsweet@gmail.com no later than Oct. 31. I will confirm receipt if I get your pitch, and I will let you know if it’s selected for the gift guide, so there is absolutely no need whatsoever to send a follow-up once I let you know I received your message.
In other words, please do not follow up! I am anticipating 500+ emails for these 4 gift guides, so you can imagine how much of a nightmare it is to then have follow-ups from each of those 500 senders hit my inbox the following week. 😵💫 Thank you so much!
Let’s work together!
Feeling like you're pitching into a black hole? I get it. PR can be seriously frustrating when you’re not getting feedback from journalists.
Don’t just guess what might work—get the answers you need to make informed, impactful decisions in a Flash Consulting session.
Whether you need affiliate marketing advice, media strategy help, or just someone to tell you why your pitches are not landing, I’m here to give you the honest insights you’ve been missing. Book a Flash Consulting session today.
(Psst… if you’re a paid subscriber, you get a discount on this! Email me for the code!)
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Several PR agencies have asked me whether I offer agency-wide staff trainings, and guess what? I finally do. I’ve created an hour-long workshop designed to sharpen your team’s writing skills, boost their pitching game, and give them the insider knowledge they need to make their pitches stand out to journalists. And if you’re looking for something specific, I can also custom-tailor a workshop to fit your team's unique needs.
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(Told you I’ve been busy!)