January Newsletter
Hola desde Puerto Vallarta, Mexico! I’m only back for a week after returning from seven weeks on the road. My last stop was the IMM TravMedia conference where I met with 30+ tourism boards. Next week I’ll be off to my last continent, Antarctica with Hurtigruten.
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 want to support my work, tips are appreciated via Venmo, CashApp, and PayPal. Alternatively, you can subscribe to the paid version of this newsletter for $9.99 a month.
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
I worked 39.5 hours in January—failing to stick to a four-hour workweek right from the start of the year, oops. I was in a voluntary quarantine and work was a welcome distraction. In January, I filed 12 articles. Four were assignments (as in editors contacted me to write the story). The other six articles were commissioned pitches (as in editors bought the article ideas I sent them). I sent 91 pitches this month—six were commissioned, fifteen are being considered, 43 were rejected, and 27 are pending a response.
My portfolio can be viewed any time at LolaAnnMendez.com which was recently updated with new headshots. In January, I had 17 articles published. Each image is clickable should you want to read the story. This month I debuted in The Toronto Star, Thrillist, and Flo. I have upcoming pieces in new-to-me publications including Spruce Eats, Wine Enthusiast, Broccoli, i newspaper, and Wix.
I always post my calls for sources on Twitter.com/LolaAnnaMendez. Newsletter subscribers get a first look at what I’m working on. PR folks and (or individual people when relevant) are welcome to send pitches for the stories I’m working on currently.
So far for February, I'm looking for sources for the titles below.
Chlorella Health Benefits and Recipes
Biodegradable period products are the next big thing
Can chocolate cure cramps?
I spent most of January in Uruguay with my family. At the end of the month, I was hosted for the second time at the IMM TravMedia Summit and Conference in NYC. Despite the blizzard, I was able to see a few close friends.
Next up for me is Chile and Antarctica—two places I’ve never been. Follow my adventures on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.