January 2024 Newsletter
Hola desde Puerto Vallarta!
Thank you for subscribing to my monthly newsletter that highlights my recently published articles, upcoming calls for sources, and a peek into my travels. If you’d like to support my work, tips are appreciated via Venmo and PayPal. Alternatively, you can subscribe to the paid version of this newsletter for $9.99 a month. If you’d like, buy me a tea here as a token of appreciation.
If you’d like to work with me, I offer consultations where I workshop pitches and allow writers to pick my brain about the industry: LolaAnnMendez.com/Consultation
My 2024 has been off to a great start work-wise! In January, I wrote 11 articles (7,500 words). I sent 88 pitches this month—five were commissioned, two are being considered, 23 were rejected, seven I placed elsewhere, and 51 are pending a response.
My portfolio can be viewed any time at LolaAnnMendez.com. In January, I had six articles published. This month I made my debut in Virtuoso, The Magazine. I have upcoming pieces in new-to-me publications including USA Today 10Best.
These are my pieces that were published this month. Each image is clickable so you can read the story.
I always post my calls for sources on Twitter.com/LolaAnnaMendez. Newsletter subscribers are privy to the first look at my current work. PR folks (and individuals, when relevant) are welcome to send pitches for the stories on which I’m currently working. I’m open to PR pitches and suggestions.
Punta Carretas, Montevideo Neighborhood Guide
Where to see the Northern Lights this year
Why travel to Mesa, AZ in 2024
Ethical Safaris
Adventures in Chiapas, Mexico
My year kicked off with a staycation at a luxurious resort in Punta de Mita. I soaked up all the sun I could before venturing up to Yellowknife, Canada where temperatures dropped to -45 degrees. I’m not a cold-weather person at all, but seeing the Northern Lights for the first time certainly made it worth it. I just returned from a week in NYC where I got to catch up with precious friends and attend my 5th IMM TravMedia conference. It’s always fantastic to get to have face-to-face interactions with my editors, PR contacts, and fellow writers. I’ve never once lived in the United States while working as a freelance journalist and these moments to connect are far and few for me.
February is gearing up to be a busy month for me with press trips to a sustainable vineyard in Napa, a few personal travel days in San Fran (my first time in the city), and then witnessing the monarch migration in Mexico with ATMEX. I was invited to go to Principe at the end of the month which would have been my 87th country but unfortunately, the trip fell through due to flight restrictions — such a bummer after spending weeks of back-and-forth organizing and getting excited to write about the sustainable hotelier on the island. I hope we’ll get it back on the books for later this year!