Hi all,
Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving — and you’re ready for the mad dash to the holidays. It’s a busy season!
As always, you’ll see what I’m currently working on, along with instructions for pitching, personal updates and more.
Please reach out with any questions: pitch@lindsaytigar.com
Thank you, as always, for being so proactive and helping me meet my deadlines!
A note: I’ve been receiving pitches sometimes two weeks after I send out this newsletter update. That’s too late! Please pitch ASAP to be considered.
PUBLISHED/FINISHED Holiday Gift Guides
Special note here: I’m *not* accepting pitches for these stories. They’re finished. I won’t be adding more.
For USA Today Reviewed: These beauty stocking stuffers will dazzle your giftee this Christmas
For Daily Paws: 17 Ridiculously Cute Dog Christmas Cards to Send This Holiday Season
For HerMoney: 20 Baby Items Worth the Splurge (+9 Deals We Love!)
For Daily Paws: 15 Scrumptious Christmas Dog Treats for Festive Floofs Everywhere
For USA Today Reviewed: Skip Winter Skin Woes With These Tips From Dermatologists
For Sunday Riley: 18 Garden-Inspired Gifts for the Plant Parent in Your Life
How to pitch: step by step!
Email only! I keep my personal and professional life separate, so the best way to get in touch is always email: pitch@lindsaytigar.com
Send ONE email per opportunity below. I know it’s a pain. But I write upwards of 40-50 stories a month, and it’s the only way I can keep my sanity.
Please do not send commentary before I send questions. I vet all emails I receive and send specific questions to help my writing process. I will never accept or use unsolicited commentary.
I’ll share outlet via email, every single time. But I won’t post it here. Just ask!
Please follow formatting instructions. As we head into gift guide season, this is even more important. I explain formatting in emails, again, as a way to keep my sanity. It’s so helpful when you pitch appropriately!
Confirming product samples
If you are inquiring if I received a product sample, I most likely did! But also, I’m getting 20-30 packages per day right now, and I don’t open them daily. So even if your tracking shows it arrived, I may have yet to see anything. I’m also receiving 500+ emails a day, so I can’t respond to each confirmation emails. I’m sorry!
Also, it takes time to test and see products, so please allow six weeks. I’m writing 10+ gift guides right now, and when they are live, they’ll be linked in this newsletter. Until then, I have no updates.
A (long) note on expert commentary
Thanks to this newsletter, I’ve been introduced to so many new experts. It’s awesome! However, there is always some bad with the good. Before you submit your client as an expert or send their expert commentary, here are some tips:
Consider if the expert makes sense. While an entrepreneur may seem like a great fit for everything, they can’t comment on nutrition or health advice unless they have the resume or education to back up that expertise. When you’re sending back their response, please note their expertise in their title, too. Example: Jane Smith, founder of an energy-saving company. Not just, Jane Smith, entrepreneur.
Length is everything. In every single email I send for commentary, I always remind experts/publicists I need at least a few (3-5) sentences per tip. So if the question is ‘Please provide 2-3 ways…’, each of those ‘ways should be 3-5 sentences. If this requirement isn’t met, I delete the expert response. The goal of using an expert is to add character, depth and guidance to my stories. A single sentence is never, ever enough.
No first-person and no location-specific content, unless requested. All expert commentary should be in third person and should relate to the general public (not a specific population or city) unless specified otherwise. I don’t tend to write regional content, so always assume national.
The expert’s company should never be part of their response. While, of course, the expert is trying to promote their business, I’m never able to quote someone from a company who recommends to use said company. That’s called advertising or product placement, and isn’t earned media. Of course, most publications do link back to company websites, but remember, the advice should be general and not self-promotional.
Original commentary only. If the commentary has ever been submitted to another journalist, I can’t use it. If the commentary is pulled off the expert’s blog, I can’t use it. If the commentary is copied/pasted from another website or article, I can’t use it. I run all commentary through a plagiarism check.
Only one expert can be quoted from a company. No two people can say the exact same thing. If there are co-founders, please choose one to be quoted in the story.
Keep submitting experts and they aren’t getting used? I probably know why. Feel free to email me and I’m happy to give feedback.
A (shorter) note on ‘guaranteeing’ inclusion
I’m always fascinated when I’m asked about ‘guaranteeing’ inclusion if an expert responds, if I’m hosted at a property, if I’m sent a product. Freelancers can never, ever, EVER guarantee inclusion for anything. Plus, before hearing from said expert, staying at said property or seeing said product, how can a journalist ethically promise it’s all great and will be included?
It’s unethical — and it’s not a practice I participate in. So if you’re curious, the answer is nope, nothing is guaranteed. That said, I do try my best to find placements for experts, products and hospitality that I like. It’s just never promised.
Current Press Opportunities
Please follow pitching instructions above, thank you!
Expert commentary
Wedding and travel experts to make predictions about destination weddings in 2022.
Psychologists/mental health experts on doing a mental health check-in with yourself.
Psychologists and financial experts to discuss financial anxiety.
Career experts on rallying a team when you’re stressed as a leader.
Dermatologists and skincare experts to discuss getting more out of your skincare ritual.
Wedding experts on the double-proposal trend. (AKA: one partner proposes first, then the second one proposes also.)
Female entrepreneurs on taking the entrepreneurial leap of faith of 2022.
Relationship experts/therapists/etc. to recommend the best books for couples to read in 2022. [Obviously can’t recommend their own book!]
Career experts on parental leave.
Product round-ups + Gift Guides
Writing a gift guide to cat shelves. Must be on a major website, like Chewy,
PetSmart, Amazon, etc.Writing a gift guide about cat condos. Must be on a major website, like Chewy,
PetSmart, Amazon, etc.
Recent Work
Below are links to my byline page for my current outlets. By clicking on these links, you can see the most recently published work. If you don’t see it here, it likely isn’t published. Unfortunately, freelancers never know when stories go live but when it does, it’ll be here. Generally speaking, please allow six weeks before inquiring about publication.
For a pretty good collection of recent bylines, check out my Muckrack page.
Looking for a writer?
In addition to journalism, I own a content marketing agency, Tigar Types. We offer a full suite of services, ranging from blog and newsletter development to ghostwriting and more. We have worked with several PR agencies to support their client needs — and would love to work with you! Learn more about Tigar Types here.