Dear Product Representative:
Thank you for your interest in sharing your product or service on SoCalMom. You may want a little bit of background on my site before you send me your pitch:
I enjoy testing and reviewing new products and services... BUT ONLY IF they are items I would actually use. I am the mother of a teenager, so even if your baby product is the greatest thing since biodegradable disposable diapers, I am going to have a hard time finding a way to review it.
I am in my mid-50's, so I'm not likely to ever again need anything related to maternity clothing or products. And while I'm in the demographic for botox and plastic surgery, I am doing what I can to grow old somewhat gracefully. I never write about cosmetic procedures, except to mock them.
That does not mean I'm not interested at all in beauty and/or fashion products - I'll pay a lot more attention if they come with some kind of makeover. (I'm kidding. Mostly.)
You should probably also know that I am Jewish. If you take the time to read my blog, it won't take you long to discover that on your own - but given all the pitches I receive for Christian themed products, I thought I'd better spell that fact out right here. I am not going to be interested in anything of an evangelical bent.
You may want to note that the name of my blog is SoCal Mom. That means I live in Southern California. Please do not send me invitations to fabulous events occurring in New York City - unless you're springing for airfare and lodging. Otherwise, that's just mean.
What does pique my interest are proposals that allow me experiences I might not otherwise have; giving me stories to share with my readers. Examples of these are:
- Oscar Red Carpet Bleacher Experience (several posts, beginning here)
- My Kid Gets a Cooking Lesson From a Master Chef
- Encounters with TV's Biggest Stars at PBS
My reviews are very personal, and I put a lot of care and effort into them. Here are a few examples:
Note that each of those reviews was mostly positive. I don't like to be negative. IF I DON'T CARE FOR YOUR PRODUCT, I MIGHT NOT WRITE THE REVIEW AT ALL. Then again, I may feel obligated to warn my readers about it.
When approaching me, please do not send me "story ideas," or fully written press releases with the expectation that I'll use them. I have plenty of story ideas of my own.
Don't send me pictures of celebrities wearing your product or links to some famous person's tips on coping with juggling motherhood and career. While I'm happy that beautiful people get to procreate and enrich the gene pool of the human race, I really don't care how THEY make it all work -- unless, for some reason, they're doing it on MY income.
Hey, how about a reality show where a famous mom and her family get to live in a 1960's era 1400 square foot house, drive older cars in need of repair, go to public schools and take care of everything with about a tenth of their current earnings? THAT's something I would cover in a heartbeat. Let me know.
You see, I am brimming with ideas for posts for this blog. What I don't have is time to write them all up. That is also why I rarely respond to requests to conduct interviews with authors, experts, company CEO's,and the like. (However - offer me George Clooney and I'll make an exception.)
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
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