It's That Time Again: Pitching Your Products for the Holidays
It's not Christmas in June, but it is time to put on your holiday hat. Many magazines running holiday guides need information by July or August. PR NEWS and our sister publication, PR NEWS Media HotSheet has compiled a list of eight publications that need product ideas for their 1999 Holiday issues.
Name: American Baby
Frequency: Monthly
Publisher: Primedia
Editorial: American Baby's gift guide is geared toward children from zero to two years old. The products should just be for children, not parents, says Lifestyle Editor Andrea Fienes Schnipper. The lead time for American Baby is about five months, so all ideas should go to Schnipper for the Holiday Gift Guide by early July. She wants ideas by mail at 249 W. 17th St., New York, NY 10011.
Name: AutoWeek
Frequency: Monthly
Publisher: Crain Communications
Editorial: AutoWeek's Holiday Shopping Gift Guide section in its December issue is looking for ideas a bit later than the other publications. All gifts should have a car theme, of course, but previous "stocking stuffers" have ranged anywhere from $25 to $5,000, including a bronze car sculpture and miniature version of a gas station, says Managing Editor Larry Edsall. Deadline for ideas is Labor Day (Sept. 6), but Edsall says he already is gathering product ideas, so get a head start and call him at 313/446-0323 (except Mondays and Thursdays).
Name: Black Enterprise
Frequency: Monthly
Publisher: Earl G. Graves Publishing
Editorial: This monthly business pub for African Americans offers seven specific areas for coverage - business and economic news, entrepreneurs, careers and professional development, consumers, professional self help/motivation, personal finance and technology. For the magazine's Holiday Gift Guide, editors are looking for business products for African Americans that will help them spend their money more wisely.
All products go to Consumer Affairs Editor Monique Brown by e-mail ([email protected]) or fax (212/886-9610). Brown needs ideas by EARLY July and wants pitch letters only.
Publication: Bride's
Frequency: Bimonthly
Publisher: Conde Nast
Editorial: Send all ideas for the magazine's special December issue by the end of June, as the editors are planning their editorial meeting in July. Associate Editor Cynthia Edmunds says she wants comprehensive press kits with photos and is open to any wedding-related products.
She wants PR folks to write contact information clearly at the top of the release. She also says put all pertinent information in the first paragraph or you risk the chance of the circular file. In the past she's highlighted church runners, chuppahs, jewelry and wedding cakes. Mail ideas to 140 East 45th Street, New York, NY 10017.
Name: Crayola Kids
Frequency: Bimonthly
Publisher: Meredith Corp.
Editorial: This is a magazine that both kids and parents can read together. Crayola Kids has stories, puzzles, posters and games. The magazine has a section that reviews videos, CD-ROMs and books. Editors are looking for products for their special gift guide in December that features gifts for kids ages 3 to 11. Send ideas to Managing Editor Mary Heaton or Editorial Assistant Monique Ferrell by August. Mail to 1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309.
Name: Family Circle
Frequency: Monthly
Publisher: Gruner & Jahr
Editorial: This year Family Circle is not publishing its usual mainstream Holiday Gift Guide (although it did publish one in 1998). Instead, it plans to publish a gift guide exclusively about inexpensive gifts from expensive stores in its December issue. Assistant Editor Joanne VanZuidam says all gifts must be under $50. The deadline is mid-July for any submissions.
Fax: 212/499-1987; Phone: 212/499-1969.
Gruner & Jahr's other lifestyle monthly McCall's will not publish a holiday gift guide this year.
Name: Family PC
Frequency: Monthly
Publisher: Ziff-Davis
Editorial: This magazine is written for families who want to learn more about using the Web and their PCs. The pub offers product reviews of hardware, software and PCs. Managing Editor Kim Schueler told our sister publication, PR NEWS, that the reviews section is changing a bit and will not cover as many hardware products in the coming months.
Family PC will publish a holiday gift guide in December and will need products by the end of September. Forward ideas to Senior Editors Andrea Linne and John Godfrey at 28 E. 28th Street, 12th floor, New York, NY 10016.
Name: Good Housekeeping
Frequency: Monthly
Publisher: Hearst Publications
Editorial: Editors at Good Housekeeping unfortunately weren't specific in telling us how to pitch to their annual Holiday Gift Guide (some editors didn't even know about it). Getting details about what they want for the guide was like pulling teeth, but we did deduce that editors want products for the family including both parents and children.
All submissions go to Family Editor Lisa Benenson by mail at 959 8Th Ave., New York, NY 10019. Lead time is about three months, but may be sooner for the guide. The main number at Good Housekeeping is 212/649-2200.