journalism FAQs

hello, publicists! y’all are awesome and have helped me create incredible stories that are educational, inspiring, empowering, and fun.  I get a LOT of the same questions repeatedly — and I know you’re under a lot of pressure at your jobs — so I figured I’d create an FAQ of actual questions I get over and over. this ideally will help cut down on my inbox fluff so we can make more magic happen.

in general — I can’t guarantee anything (ethics, etc), and I don’t work at these publications (obviously) so at the end of the day I’m not making some calls about what gets published. thank you for understanding and for being so great!

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when will the article you’re writing featuring my client/product be published?

I do not have access to editorial calendars, and do not know when stories are set to publish (I have to send dozens of “I don’t know, sorry!” emails each week). your best bet is to set google alerts for your client and follow my muckrack page — thank you for understanding!

can I see the article before it’s published?

unless there’s an extenuating circumstance, no. this is an editorial policy held by the publications for whom I write.

can I send you a product and will you definitely write about it?

yes and no. absolutely, you can send a product for review! I cannot — ethically, legally, or otherwise — guarantee coverage whatsoever, and if I don’t love a product, I’d rather not speak of it than leave a negative or lukewarm review. if I love it, you can rest assured I’ll be talking about it whenever and wherever possible — but I cannot ‘guarantee’ any placement.

will you write about a product if we don’t send a sample?

to be honest, probably not unless a publication has asked me to. I strive for as much journalistic integrity as possible, so I always like to vouch for whatever I write about. additionally, I am *way* more likely to write about something — frequently, and even months or years from now — if I’ve experienced it myself. some of my favorite products and services are top of mind because they’ve become part of my daily routines, and they’ve been sent by awesome publicists!

why haven’t you written about that thing I sent you?

please keep in mind that receipt of product does not guarantee placement. if we’ve corresponded and I’ve told you I love it, I will be actively looking for a chance to write about it.

can you talk to the editors at XYZ publication for me?

I am not on staff at any of these publications — if you’re hoping for some kind of direct collaboration or placement, please go directly to them!

my client sent information to you for this story, why isn’t it in the published piece?

this sucks — and I’m really sorry. sometimes editors make cuts, and sometimes that cut includes a quote from a source. while an interview does not guarantee placement, I *always* try to make sure your time is not wasted. if you bring this to my attention I can try to get that work into another piece where it may be a good fit.

can you write about this sale or promo we’re doing?

no.

what are you writing about lately?

please refer to my muckrack page or any of my bylines for this information :)