Pink Skies
A fantastic concert; a new SLS; THAT NYT story; and a few source requests
This weekend, I took a quick trip with a dear friend to Antwerp. We stayed at one of my most favorite hotels in the world and saw a concert by LANY, an indie-pop group whose catchy, get-up-and-dance tunes have become a mainstay in our house.
The weekend was exactly what I needed: an easy getaway to a city I love; deep conversations about life as women of a certain age with a trusted girlfriend who truly gets it; and dancing and singing my heart out in the pit along among the superfans. (So what if most of them were decades younger?) I’ve been listening to LANY since my brother introduced me to their music a couple of years ago, and I kinda like that the band still isn’t super mainstream. It adds an element of insider cache, and also means that you can still catch them in some smaller, more intimate venues — where they continue to bring tears to the eyes of so many breathless fans (ahem) while simultaneously bringing down the house.
The only downside: a serious case of the post-concert blues, plus regret that I hadn’t made it to more shows. (That said, my brother and I saw them in Atlanta about a month ago — does two shows on two continents make me an official groupie yet?) There are just a couple of concerts left in the UK before the tour moves on to Asia and Australia — get thee to one if you can.
Subject Line Smackdown
It’s been a while since I’ve done a Subject Line Smackdown. If you’re new here, this is a semi-regular exercise in which I snapshot a few subject lines that have appeared in my inbox over the last few weeks and highlight why they work (or not). I keep it as anonymous as possible, but if you happen to recognize your subject line in the hot seat, I hope the feedback is helpful.
And on that note, a reminder that I offer strategy sessions to publicists/DMOs/PR agencies to help you create not only subject lines but pitches and other media outreach that stand out in this chaotic landscape. I do lunch and learns, one-on-one sessions, and other types of consulting. Shoot me an email to find out more about how my decades of media experience can help your team: blanebachelor [at] gmail [dot] com
Now, onto the subject lines!
You’re Invited … A++. It’s straightforward, it’s clearly labeled as an invitation, AND it’s for a trip in September, which is plenty of time for me to assess my calendar and see if it’s a fit. Brava!
XYZ Region Getaway: ABC Hotel Offers Deal [this one was tricky to redact, but that’s the gist of the subject line]: Pass. I used to write a deals column for CNT, but I don’t anymore, and alas my inbox is still overflowing with deals-centric pitches (despite repeated requests to be removed from these distribution lists). I rarely, if ever, pitch/place stories anymore with a deal/discount/offer/package as a hook, and I just don’t have the bandwidth to respond to them all. But I sure do wish there was an easier way to turn the firehose off. :/
… Launches Global World Ocean Month … Not ideal. There’s some good intel in the body of the pitch, but guess what’s missing? Yep, which month Global World Ocean Month actually is (I eventually found it, but buried way, way down in the body of the email). This key info should be in the subject line AND high up in the pitch.
Why … Food Scene Has Earned the Name “America’s ... Nice! It’s clear, straightforward, piques my interest with the curiosity gap, and makes me want to read more. It’s not a fit for me, coverage-wise, but I did open the email to learn more.
XYZ Region’s Summer Festival Season. What’s the angle? What’s the trend? What new info are you teasing? Also, it’s almost June — a wee bit late to be pitching a summer story.
… Launches NEW Celestial Program … Two key words here: NEW and celestial. My inner witchy woman is intrigued! I love stories about programming that ties into the esoteric, along with my love of all things haunted/spooky/creepy/mysterious.
THAT NYT Story …
In some travel writer circles, the eyeballs are still rolling hard at a story the New York Times recently published about its policy on press trips (here’s a gift link). This is old hat for any journo in the biz, but here’s the tl/dr version: The Times travel desk doesn’t allow writers to accept comps, down to a cup of coffee, and even though they reimburse for expenses, they try to avoid hiring writers who have accepted ANY sponsored travel (i.e., a flight or hotel costs) in the last three years, even while writing for other outlets with different (i.e., reasonable) policies.
The piece generated lots of chatter in several online writers’ groups (it’s an open secret in the industry that many journalists who contribute to the Times travel section routinely accept comps, putting them in clear violation of that policy). But it was also nice to see astute Times readers pushing back with some excellent points in the story’s comments section. Here are a few of my favorites:
“You (and we) must lose out on some valuable perspectives from freelancers who do their best to stay afloat financially in a tough journalistic profession. Or who don’t come from the moneyed classes. … Not sure how I as a reader benefit by you setting such a high ‘purity test’ that judges writers for their work for other publications.”
“Please get off your high horse, NYT. In labor law, this is known as ‘restriction of trade.’ As long as the freelancer completes the NYT's assignment in accordance with your rules, you have no legal right to police the way expenses are handled with other publications.”
“It’s often impossible for writers to cover the best travel stories for readers without partially paying to do their job themselves, which is unfair and unethical, or accepting some basic level of support (like a flight), which is villainized even if it’s not part of the story. No other business operates on this exploitative model while boasting about ethics.”
Don’t get me wrong: the Times is an excellent outlet and one I hope is around indefinitely in a world that needs strong journalism now more than ever. But this unreasonable policy — especially the three-year bit — is discriminatory, outdated, and long overdue for a change. (If you have opinions on this, please drop them in the comments below!)
Source Requests
A couple of timely source requests for larger packages that I’m hoping to contribute to. For both of these, send me a separate email (do NOT reply to this, which will get lost in the shuffle): blanebachelor [at] gmail [dot] com
I will do my best to respond to everyone, but depending on the volume of replies, I may only have the bandwidth to reply to pitches that are the best fit. (And please, no unrelated pitches.) Thanks for your understanding!
For a best hotels package for a major outlet (this is under embargo, so I can’t say much more): Hotels that have opened since August 2025, including reopening after extensive renovations. Please send a CONCISE, one- or two-graf pitch that describes why your property stands out (i.e., notable wellness offerings, family focus, great design, etc.) and include a link to the website. Please, no attachments or pitches that just direct me to the website. DEADLINE: Tomorrow, June 4, 2026; SUBJECT LINE: Best New Hotel Pitch
Conde Nast Traveler’s Bright Ideas in Travel package honors the players, places, and projects that are approaching travel’s most pressing issues with thoughtfulness and zeal — ideas that straddle the realms of sustainability, community, inclusion, accessibility, conservation, innovation, and wellness. To be considered for the 2026-2027 list, the Bright Idea must be actively in progress, and making a clear impact on the travel sector as of this year. (Here’s the list of past examples). If you have an idea, please send me a CONCISE, one- or two-graf pitch and include relevant links, and whenever possible, the impacts of the program. Please, no hotel packages/offers/deals unless they are part of a larger program and can demonstrate real impact.
DEADLINE: Monday, June 8; SUBJECT LINE: Bright Ideas in Travel
And That’s All She Wrote
I’m deep into writing and researching my next batch of entries for 100 Haunts, with an upcoming trip to Romania — which has long been on my bucket list — for visits to Bran Castle and a famously haunted forest. A brave friend is joining me, and we’ll be sure to keep an eye out for vampires and other creepy creatures lurking behind every corner.
In the meantime, I’m still basking in the glow of my Antwerp trip, as well as a glorious season-ending victory for my son’s soccer team (which I coach). You may remember that we went through a really rough patch earlier this year, so this was an especially sweet way to end our season (and mark the last game this team will play together). In other news, the little guy’s cast is off, proper summer temps have finally made it to Amsterdam (thank you, weather gods), and I am grateful for it all.
Until next time,
Blane
The NYT travel writer policy should not include the 3 year clause. If they want no comps, then they should raise the rate they pay freelancers for articles. Staffers surely are able to expense it all and limiting to staff writer coverage restricts their publication’s world coverage and view.
While I think travel writers should not take comps from companies they are writing about, I think travel writers have a right to make a living.