5 Key Prime Day Takeaways

Bookmark this for prime day 2026

If you’re a paid pitch, then you heard a lot from me last week. We were in the throes of Prime Day together, and Substack became my creative outlet when it felt like deadlines were running my life (they were). My weekend in Vermont rejuvenated me and I ate a creamee every time the word “Amazon” was dropped in casual conversation. Through pure mountain magic and maple ice cream, I was healed. Now that I don’t have to hear the words “Prime Day” for the next 300 or so days, let’s dish about key takeaways from the tentpole that we can use for next time.

Free pitches, you lucky ducks, get a preview of the first 2 takeaways (because nobody likes a full-blown gatekeeper after all). But my paid pitches, of course, unlock access to all 5. Love you, mean it 💋

🔑 Prime Day in numbers

I’m not exactly a numbers gal (I went to journalism school for a reason) but I love a graphic, henny. Not pictured: the countless hours spent prepping, writing, crying, and updating. (JK about the crying part.)

(via chatgpt)

I analyzed every newsletter I sent last week (including those leading up to Prime Day) and came up with 5 major points to hold onto for next year. Here are 5 key takeaways for both publicists and journalists to keep in mind for next Prime Day.

✨ Prep, prep, prep

👉🏼 Start the conversation early. On the editorial side of things, we start talking about PD as early as February or March. There’s an ongoing countdown in Slack with frequent reminders during the leadup to the event, so if you’re waiting until PD to pitch about PD, it’s too late. Prewrites start weeks in advance, so consider beginning your PD pitches in late May.

Build lead time into your pitches. Journalists need as much information—and material—as possible so embargoes are very useful. Use them to your benefit. The more prepared you are for the sale, the more prepared a writer can be.

✨ Provide quick-turnaround support

👉🏼 I’m not too proud to send out a direct SOS. If you’ve subscribed for a while, you know that by now. By providing quick-turnaround support to writers, you establish yourself as a reliable resource. You may even become the go-to resource with a reputation like that.

Journalists always appreciate a publicist that can mobilize fast. Our deadlines are tight, but we always remember the PRs who come in clutch during the eleventh hour.