Christmas in July

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Christmas in July is real. Many editors are already working on their holiday gift guides, which are keeping us busy at the agency. Here are some things to keep in mind if your pitching program is DIY:

• Think about the timing of your pitch. Different media outlets have different lead-times, so think about the timing of your distributions. A print magazine takes more time to produce, and hit the store shelves compared to an online media outlet.
• Don’t pitch media until you’re ready. Before you click send- double check that your pitch is perfectly packaged, and you’ve anticipated and addressed any questions that may be asked during follow up. Make it as conscience and easy as possible for the reporter to review.
• Meet deadlines. A reporter’s deadline needs to be your deadline too. If they need a high-res image, or product sample- make sure it’s scheduled to arrive on or before the requested date.
• Follow up, but don’t inundate anyone.
• Include “holiday gift guide” in your subject line, but add something interesting that is unique to your product or category such as celebrity fan, eco-friendly, etc.

If you have any questions about holiday gift guide pitching or media relations in general, just shoot me an email directly at [email protected].

-Kerry