Simon Says... Need Last-Minute Shopping Inspo?

Good news: This week, it's all about e-comm.

Dec 15, 2021

Welcome to Simon Says, a weekly newsletter from Rachel Simon all about freelance life—from the inside scoop on just-published stories to advice on how to pitch to what it’s *really* like to leave a cozy full-time gig for the chaotic, unpredictable world of invoicing (jk, freelancing, but IYKYK).

Hi, friends! Thank you all so much for reading last week’s inaugural (well, sort of) edition of the newsletter, and a special shoutout to those of you who so kindly let me know how glad you were that Simon Says had restarted. TBH, I was only like 80% sure going in that anyone would actually open the email (aren’t our inboxes chaotic enough already?) so I appreciate it, folks!

I have some good stuff in store for this week’s installment, but do let me know if there’s something not here that you want to see! I’m totally open to any and all suggestions.

Some Stories I Wrote Last Week

This week was super ecomm-heavy (meaning, for those not in the biz, stories spotlighting one or more products that, if bought by readers, provide revenue for both the retailer and the publication). I don’t normally only do ecomm, but that’s just how this week shook out! And hey, maybe it’ll provide you with some last-minute shopping inspo:

For Travel + Leisure, I rounded up 10 cute backpacks under $100 at Nordstrom.

For InStyle, I admitted that I shop in Target’s teen section and wrote about the best tops from there that millennials can get away with wearing, too

For People, I wrote about a pair of high-waist tie dye leggings that are 40% off and have a zillion great reviews.

And for Daily Paws, I did all us pet owners a solid and found the best places to buy custom pet portraits and the best dog gift baskets for the holidays.

Oh, I almost forgot! I did have one non-ecomm story come out today, in fact: a review for IndyWeek of the North Carolina Chinese Lantern festival, which is amazing and a must-see if you’re in the Triangle.

The Inside Scoop

Each week, I’ll pick one story I’ve written (new or old, if needed) and explain how it got from pitch/assignment to publication. This week, it’s the story on the best tops from Target’s YA section.

Despite leaving my job at Meredith (HelloGiggles’ parent company) in September, I still do a lot of work for them, but as a freelancer with their centralized e-commerce team. Each week or so, I send my editor there a bunch of pitches for product-based stories, and while some ideas are based primarily on user reviews and trends, I do take inspo from my own life—in this case, the fact that I, a 5’2” 28-year-old, frequently and happily shop in Target’s teen section. I decided to focus on tops because that’s what I’ve bought most often from there, and because Target’s site had a ton of options to choose from!

Other Work/Life Stuff Of Note

I’ve been busy making a lot of custom crosswords recently, as everyone wants them in time for Christmas, for some weird reason. There’s still time to get yours, but put your order in ASAP!

Also, it’s been three days, and I’m still thinking about the Succession finale, and also this incredible tweet: