It's Holiday Gift Guide SZN: Does your pitch put in the WORK? Tips and tricks inside!

Vol. 114: We skip one because I'm superstitious. Plus NewZ and FunnieZ

Aug 23, 2023

∙ Paid

Hellooooo and Happy Hump Day friendZ! Get your Mariah playlist ready because Holiday Gift Guide Season is officially upon us, and I’ve got some tips to help you make the most of it this year. Today we’re talking about how to pitch journalists and editors in a way that appeals to their editorial needs and their biz goals.

If you’re not already a paid subscriber, this is the perfect excuse to get on board! You’ll unlock the original Zlata Thoughts HGG Guide from the archive PLUS get today’s post and all those that follow! These mini-guides can help you hone your pitching skills, max your PR outreach, and expand affiliate revenue. And I do my best to keep them readable — easy reading, listicles, simple to understand. Just my style. :)

Other than that, we’ve got a quick newZ roundup and the internet’s best takes. Let’s get it going!

ShowZ

The Golden Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise premiere on ABC on September 28 at 8p and 9p respectively. The Golden Bachelor replaces Grey’s Anatomy.
Ken Jennings is the new host of Celebrity Jeopardy!, replacing Mayim Bialik, who hosted one season of the new show. It doesn’t matter who is hosting, I will still always anticipate Alex.
Tennis Channel Live at the US Open is set for August 28 through September 10. The annual morning lead-in covers news, analysis, highlights and special reports during the two-week competition.
I’m a bitch, I’m a lover. If your bitch is also a lover, you’ll probably enjoy this news: To celebrate National Dog Day, Xfinity offers a free week of programming on Dog TV this week. Featured content offered from August 21-27.

NewZ

Is Roblox safe? Wouldn’t bet on it. The online gaming platform is being sued, accused of acting as an illegal gambling platform for minors.
No FYP in NYC. New York City has banned TikTok on city owned devices, claiming the app poses “a security threat to the city’s technical networks.” Now how will I learn about how to dance to Doja Cat?
The longtime voice actor of Nintendo’s Mario, Charles Martinet, has retired. This is an extremely online sidenote but I saw a video recently that said that “Itsumi” means “Superb” or “Great” in Japanese, so the whole time he was just saying Itsumi Mario or Super Mario — and not “It’s a Me, Mario.” The more you know!

FunnieZ

Let us laugh.

Pitch Perfect for Holiday Gift Guide SZN: The Ins and Outs of What Every Pitch Needs

Pitching is an art. And sorry to say it, but not everyone is artist. Listen. It’s not personal. (Well maybe sometimes it is, but if you’re not a jerk, you don’t have to worry about that.) Writers and editors are BUSY. Our inboxes are already full, and hundreds — maybe thousands! — of pitches are dropping in one by one right on top for Holiday Gift Guide Season. We’re out here against multiple deadlines, drafting stories, working through edits, and managing side projects, and just generally have zero time for bullshit in the inbox. Which means your pitch needs to get the writer’s attention, and QUICKLY persuade them that the brand is a perfect fit for their guide.

Here are 12 things that you need to be thinking about for HGG SZN: