Shout-Outs

A lovely shout-out from an editor, media opps, and the usual shenanigans

My third-grade teacher, the inimitable Mrs. Payne, had a concept she called Warm Fuzzies, in which you’d share something nice about someone. I still remember it. Photo by Eliza Diamond on Unsplash

Last year, my son’s teacher gave his students Shout-Outs: a little slip of paper with a note about something special they did that day, presented in front of the class. My son’s current teacher on Fridays (he somehow has three teachers this year, which is another story for another day) also gives Shout-Outs, and just like last year, they do wonders for his self-esteem. It’s always nice to be acknowledged for something good, but being recognized in front of others adds another layer of warm fuzzies.

Last week, I received a shout-out of sorts myself, from an editor at Travel + Leisure, Laura Ratliff, whom I knew from a previous trip but hadn’t yet worked with. Laura recently put out a call for pitches, and I sent her several ideas. A couple weeks later, I was pleased as punch not only to see her email assigning a story, but also a follow-up asking if she could share my successful pitch on social media as a sort of mini “masterclass.” She also mentioned she could keep me anonymous and remove identifying details from the pitch if I preferred.

To which I replied: absolutely share, and please use my name. Getting public recognition from an editor at a top-tier outlet?!? Yes, please!

So in case you didn’t see Laura’s viral thread on Twitter (I still refuse to call it X) or LinkedIn, let’s dig in here.

Next up:

And here’s Laura’s breakdown of the first part of my pitch, plus my closing graf:

Finally, here are Laura’s thoughts on how I wrapped up my pitch (side note: I almost didn’t include my bio, because I was trying to keep it short and sweet, but I’m so glad I did!).

I love how Laura picked up on the brevity of this pitch. But I admittedly had no idea it was just 165 words, including my bio. The lesson here: Done right, you can pack lots of info into a graf or two. Your pitch is one of likely hundreds in a writer’s or editor’s inbox, and if it’s short, sweet, and to the point, it’s way more likely to not only be read, but also grab the interest of whoever is reading it.

And, as one reader notes, this applies whether you’re a journalist or PR pro:

That wraps it up for the social media shout-out that really made my week, (especially after recently being invited, then uninvited, to a press trip I’d already accepted). And a shout-out for Laura: If you’re not following her on social, get to it. She regularly shares excellent advice from an editor’s perspective, like this recent thread on X about how all writers should be self-editing (which goes for PR pros, too). I hope my story is the first of many for her.

One last note: I love helping fellow writers and PR pros craft their own successful pitches (and anything else, really). If you’d like to schedule a consulting session with me, check my calendar here. Or shoot me an email: blanebachelor[at]gmail[dot]com. Here’s to writing concise, seal-the-deal pitches all the way around!

Media Opps

For the New York Post, I’m looking for fun, trendy, Postie ideas for a print issue in July. No specifics on topics, but please be sure to send ideas that will fit well with the Post’s voice in the travel section (i.e., read the section first, then pitch me an irresistible headline with your story idea). Send pitches to blanebachelor[at]gmail[dot]com with the subject line: Post pitch: ADD YOUR IDEA HERE. Deadline: End of day, Monday, June 10.

CNN Travel is likely to start assigning again in mid-July. If you have any newsy or trendy stories that would work for the outlet, please send them my way, with the subject line: CNN pitch: ADD YOUR IDEA HERE. Deadline: mid-June-ish.

Update on Fodor’s Best Hotels pitches: I’m connecting with the editor next week, so should hopefully have more intel on the project then. Thanks for all of your great pitches!

And That’s a Wrap!

June gloom isn’t just a San Francisco thing.

I’m seeing so many adorable end-of-school-year photos floating around and trying not to be consumed with envy. We’ve got another six-plus weeks to go here. There are many things I love about living in Europe, but a relatively short summer break (about six weeks) is not one of them. (Neither is having to wear a jacket in June.)

So this weekend, please soak up all those glorious summer-is-here vibes and transmit them telepathically to yours truly.

Ciao for now,

Blane