With about 81 million unique visitors per month, SheKnows Media has become the number-one women’s lifestyle digital media company that operates media properties SheKnows.com, BlogHer and StyleCaster. Melissa Kirsch joined SheKnows.com this month as deputy editor and is ready to hit the ground running in her new role. Kirsch lives in Brooklyn and is a best-selling author of the “post-college bible” The Girl’s Guide (2015, Workman) that now has over 100,000 copies in print. She has written for New York, National Geographic Traveler, Good Housekeeping, Scientific American and Nerve, and has been consulted as an expert on women’s issues for Jezebel, Glamour and Cosmopolitan. Here, she shares with us exactly what she’s looking for in a pitch:

How do you prefer to receive pitches?

Via email. No phone calls, please.

What kind of information do you prefer to receive?

Original, well-written pitches pertaining to issues that are relevant to Gen X + Gen Y women.

What will catch your attention?

A personalized email that shows the sender has engaged with the site, knows what we publish, and considered why we would be a good outlet for their pitch.

Do you have any advice for PR professionals?

Please don’t leave voicemails or really call unless it’s urgent. Keep the pitch short and tell us why you think we’d be interested.

How about any pet peeves?

Anonymous blasts that don’t take into account the types of stories that appeal to us.

Do you use social media like Twitter or Facebook to gather leads and story ideas? Can you be pitched via these channels?

Not really—email’s the best bet.

 

The Cision Media Research Team maintains a database of more than 1.6 million records, including social influencers, traditional media contacts, outlets and opportunities. We collect and maintain the latest contact and pitching information of bloggers and journalists who can spread your message, broaden your campaign and help you build relationships with the people who matter.  To experience the Cision Media Database first hand, request a demo here

About

Jenny Wittman is senior editor and features writer for Cision Blog and oversees the daily media updates on the site. She is also senior media researcher at Cision and joined the company in March 2008. She likes being outdoors, going to concerts, traveling and exploring art galleries. She adores all animals and has a fascination for the cosmos. Find her on Twitter @jennywittman.