A Guide to Using the Recipe for Press Media List

What’s in a list?

There are expensive lists with thousands of names that have not been fact-checked or followed, for that matter, to see if the publication still exists. And then there is our list, lovingly but painstakingly created for entrepreneurs to ensure it is helpful and that the contacts a) want to be pitched b) are still in their position and c) that their email contact is current.

We issue our list as a new product every January because of the revolving-door nature of editorial and we maintain it’s price  (only $150) so that it’s affordable for those it’s intended to help. Every May our team dedicates three weeks to a thorough update, tracking the movement of editors and adding new publications, just in time for pitching holiday gift guides. This May, we added 73 new publications, resulting in over 1,100 contacts. The update is free and sent to anyone who purchased the list in the months prior.

How to use our list:

• The Notes section for each contact is full of valuable information, including where that editor may have contributed before, current areas of expertise or submission preferences
• You can sort by publication genre to match your specific pitch (lifestyle, beauty, fashion, food, travel, etc.)
• If someone on the list has more than one email, you should use the email that is associated with the publication before emailing their personal email, which is often provided
•  We include a social media link with each listing. While we use it as another way to verify their job title, you can follow the editor and use it as good insight into their preferences and the kind of stories or products they look for.
• Our freelancer section of over 60 contacts is pure gold. These hard-to-find contacts are some of the most valuable, as they contribute to multiple publications in many genres.
• You can easily quick search a name or publication by using “Command F”
• If there is a publication you’d like to see on the list, we’ll help you find the contacts and include them in our update.

Don’t abuse the list:

• Blasting multiple names in large groups is often detected as spam and can result in bounce backs, even when the contact is active.
• A broad blast to many editors at a time is never a good idea with any list and are the easiest emails for an editor to delete.
• Pitching blindly without researching the publication in advance makes a very poor impression. Do  your research to ensure your product is a good fit for the publication you are pitching.
• Don’t share the list with friends or large groups. Encourage them to purchase their own and to support this effort. We apply a team of four people for almost two months a year to maintaining our list and your purchase ensures that we can continue to offer it at an affordable price.