Episode #67: Make People’s Lives Better with Diana Kelly Levey
“Freelancer / journalist confession:
I *still* get a little nervous before doing an interview with an expert or article source.
I’ve been conducting interviews since 2001, writing for my college paper. Why does it happen?
But…I’m kinda glad it does; because it means I care.”
-Diana Kelly Levey, on her experience of interviewing sources for her stories
Today’s episode stems from a freelance journalist’s heartfelt confession of how she deals with nerves before conducting interviews. As publicists, we too deal with these nerves, but to hear it from the other side? Refreshing. We speak with our guest regarding her experience of working with sources and come out understanding just how much care goes into a freelance journalist’s work. We’ll cover how shopping roundups are put together and how older pitches and smaller, “hometown experts” (think: local podiatrist) fit into this world. With it, come out on top with new ways to provide value to those reporters whose mission is simply to make their audience’s lives better.
In this episode, you'll learn why…
key phrases matter with pitches and story ideas
imaginary editorial headlines create winning subject lines
ALL experts should pay attention to shopping stories
Our guest is:
Diana Kelly Levey is a freelance writer, journalist, published author, and editor whose work has been featured in outlets such as Health, Real Simple, InStyle, and Reader's Digest, just to name a few. She has 20 years of experience working for national publications and award-winning brands on staff and as a freelancer. She thrives when she is covering topics, products, and services that help people and can improve readers’ lives in some way.
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Show Notes:
:00– Britt introduces our guest and reads the tweet that inspired this episode.
2:09– Britt asks Diana to talk about a story that stemmed from a PR pitch.
3:20– Britt asks to clarify how a pr pitch tied into a story assignment, and remarks on the role of “luck” and timing with pitches.
4:30– Britt asks what stuck out to Diana about the pitch.
7:18– Britt asks if these product brands offer interviews with their in-house podiatrists.
10:04– Britt asks if its helpful to include where experts can share where else they’ve been featured.
11:52– Britt asks why this story was an interesting topic to cover.
13:05– Britt asks about the role of affiliate links in stories
15:56– Jackie remarks that it’s nice to hear that some outlets prefer to use independent affiliate links instead of Amazon.
17:30– Jackie mentions the importance of publicists working closely with business development to help tie revenue building with their efforts.
18:50– Jackie asks if she receives a lot of pitches.
20:44– Jackie asks what the most helpful elements of a PR pitch are.
22:20– Jackie asks how often a publicist can keep tabs with her.
24:46– Jackie remarks that it sounds like she likes publicists that are proactive about story ideas.
25:50– Britt asks the best way publicists can build relationships with Diana.
28:03– Britt asks with Diana to give a shoutout! Diana gives a shoutout to Qwoted and specifically to Melissa Chefec.
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