Freelance Writing Direct with Estelle

By Estelle Erasmus

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Subscribers: 3
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Episodes: 203

Description

Winner of the 2026 American Writing Award for Podcast of the Year (Business), Freelance Writing Direct with Estelle is an award-winning podcast featuring candid conversations with bestselling authors, literary agents, editors, and publishing insiders about writing craft, memoir, publishing, platform-building, and getting noticed. Hosted and curated by Estelle Erasmus, TEDx speaker, NYU writing professor, former magazine editor-in-chief, and author of Writing That Gets Noticed, the show delivers practical strategies, publishing insight, and creative inspiration for writers at every stage. Whether you're pitching essays, shaping a memoir, building your platform, or pursuing a book deal, you'll find actionable advice, coaching insights, and behind-the-scenes industry conversations to help move your writing career forward. Learn more at EstelleErasmus.com and subscribe to Estelle's newsletter at Estelle's Substack: https://estelleserasmus.substack.com

Episode Date
#202 AI, Podcasts, and Discoverability: My Biggest Takeaways from the U.S. Book Show
Jul 30, 2026
#201 Writing an Immersive Reading Experience with Bonnie Friedman
Jul 23, 2026
#200 How Borrowed Forms Unlock Story: Hermit Crab and Braided Essays with Brenda Miller
Jul 16, 2026
#199 Turning Chaos into Compelling Stories with Courtney Kocak
Jul 09, 2026
#198 Micro Memoirs with Maximum Impact: Distilling a Life into Seventy 70-Word Stories with Deborah Sosin
Jul 02, 2026
#197 How Dual Timelines Brought a Family Story to Life with Tiffany Graham Charkosky
Jun 25, 2026
#196 Going Back Through Time to Get the Story: Dionne Ford on Family History, Reporting, and Memoir
Jun 18, 2026
#195 Writing Through Brain Fog, Chronic Illness, and Uncertainty with Rachel Weaver
Jun 11, 2026
#194 Why Wade Rouse Finally Wrote the Book He Was Meant to Write
Jun 04, 2026
#193 Restorative Writing with Carolyn Roy-Bornstein
May 28, 2026
#192 How to Get Published inThe Persistent with Features Editor Paula Derrow
May 21, 2026
#191 Writing Characters Who Make Questionable Decisions with Vanessa Hua
May 14, 2026
#190 Building a Memoir Around a Defining Moment with Jacque Gorelick
May 07, 2026
#189 Turning a Story of Escape Into a Powerful Memoir And Real Impact with Tia Levings
Apr 30, 2026
#188 Reclaiming "Selfish": On Craft, Creativity, and Braiding Truth into Memoir With Kerry Docherty
Apr 23, 2026
#187 People over Proposals with Literary Agent Sally Ekus
Apr 16, 2026
#186 Burn the Haystack: Decoding Men's Language, Power Moves, and Red Flags with Jennie Young
Apr 09, 2026
#185 The Rise of Authorpreneurship with Literary Agent Regina Brooks
Apr 02, 2026
#184 From Silence to Story: Writing a Hostage Memoir 50 Years Later with Mimi Nichter
Mar 26, 2026
#183 Don't Give Up on Ghostwriting. What Still Pays and What's Dead
Mar 19, 2026
#182 The A–Z of AWP: Insider Tips for Writers Attending the Conference
Mar 12, 2026
#181 From Ashram to Author: Finding the Transformative Thread in a Near Cult Memoir with Blair Glaser
Mar 05, 2026
#180 Unlearning Childhood Lessons and Reinventing a Memoir with Anna Rollins
Feb 26, 2026
#179 Writing from the Scar: Conscious Craft Choices with Jocelyn Jane Cox
Feb 19, 2026
#178 From Viral Essay to Memoir Plus: Writing Longing into a Book Deal with Amanda McCracken
Feb 12, 2026
#177 The Power of Narrative Tension with Peter Mountford
Feb 05, 2026
#176 The Domino Effect of Plot: Writing Emotionally Complex Characters with Tova Mirvis
Jan 29, 2026
#175 From Mews(es) to Manuscript: How Inspired by Cats Became an Illustrated Literary Book
Jan 22, 2026
#174 Forgiveness Without Apologies. Writing a Mother-Daughter Memoir
Jan 15, 2026
#173 Writing Flawed Female Characters in Noir Fiction with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett
Jan 08, 2026
#172 A Year in Motion: Writing, Teaching, and Publishing in Real Time
Jan 01, 2026
#171 Musings on Writing Through Uncertainty with Abigail Thomas
Dec 25, 2025
#170 Braiding Cultural Context into Your Memoir with Melissa Fraterrigo
Dec 18, 2025
#169 Finding the Line: How a Linear Structure Brought a Memoir Into Focus with Heather Sweeney
Dec 11, 2025
#168 The Making of A Modern Love Essay, "Negotiating the End of Us" with Leslie B. Blanchard
Dec 04, 2025
#167 Fairyland: A Transcendent Father–Daughter Story Finds New Life in Film with Alysia Abbott
Nov 27, 2025
#166 How to Write for Electric Literature with Editor-in-Chief Denne Michele Norris (Part 2)
Nov 20, 2025
#165 Giving Every Character Main Character Energy in Your Novel with Denne Michele Norris Part 1
Nov 12, 2025
#164 Writing the Restorative Memoir: Finding Meaning in the Messy Middle of Recovery with Mallary Tenore Tarpley
Nov 06, 2025
#163 Writing the Unresolved Story: Trying and Telling the Unvarnished Truth Featuring Chloé Caldwell
Oct 30, 2025
#162 Lessons from the People of Publishing Conference
Oct 23, 2025
#161 From Nonfiction to Paranormal Women's Fiction: Genre-Switching and the Freedom of Self-Publishing with Olga Mecking
Oct 16, 2025
#160 How Flash Nonfiction and Metaphor Turn Small Moments into Big Meaning with Sue William Silverman
Oct 09, 2025
#159 Writing the Body as Memoir with Nina B. Lichtenstein
Oct 02, 2025
#158 Kaila Yu on Fetishization, Feminism, and Memoir as Reckoning
Sep 25, 2025
#157 Inside the Mind of a Literary Agent: Sam Hiyate on Selling Books, Pitching, and Breaking Into Hollywood
Sep 18, 2025
#156 Finding Yourself After Faking It: Sari Botton on Memoir, Honesty, and Editing
Sep 11, 2025
#155 Breaking the Rules of Publishing with Jane Pratt: From Sassy to Substack
Sep 04, 2025
#154 How to Engineer Your Memoir with Wendy Dale
Aug 28, 2025
#153 Estelle's Edge: Repurpose and Revitalize: How to Turn Old Writing into New Essays, Articles, and Bylines
Aug 21, 2025
#152 Estelle's Edge on Going Viral: How to Protect Your Energy and Leverage the Moment
Aug 14, 2025
#151 Estelle's Edge on the 2025 U.S. Book Show: AI, Publishing, and the Future of Writing
Aug 07, 2025
#150 Coaching Episode: From Reported to Personal—Crafting and Pitching Essays That Sell
Jul 31, 2025
#149 SEO & Expert Positioning for Podcasters with Adam Schaeuble of Podcasting Business School
Jul 24, 2025
#148 How to Hook Readers by Planting Curiosity Seeds in Interactive Novels with Bianca Marais
Jul 17, 2025
#147 What Makes a Literary Agent Say Yes with Inkwell's Maria Whelan
Jul 10, 2025
#146 Solo Episode: Estelle's Edge on Shaping a TEDx Talk That Gets Seen
Jul 03, 2025
#145 Solo Episode: Estelle's Edge on Essays—Mining Your Life For Stories That Get Noticed
Jun 26, 2025
#144 Coaching Episode: Elevate Your Voice, Expand Your Reach
Jun 19, 2025
#143 What We Don't Talk About: Michele Filgate on Family, Loss, Love, and the Art of Editing Anthologies
Jun 12, 2025
#142 Giving Motherhood a Microphone: How Listen to Your Mother Became a Movement Featuring Ann Imig
Jun 05, 2025
#141 Solo Episode: Estelle's Edge on How AI Is Disrupting Content Marketing—And What Writers Should Do Next
May 29, 2025
#140 Growing Up in a Black-and-White World and the Truth Between the Lines Featuring Shannon Luders-Manuel
May 22, 2025
#139 How to Submit Your Writing to Literary Magazines and Get Published Featuring Dennis James Sweeney
May 15, 2025
#138 Making Memoir Peculiar—and Propulsive Featuring Dinty W. Moore
May 08, 2025
#137 Writing Through Rupture: Finding Belonging After Loss Featuring Casey Mulligan Walsh
May 01, 2025
#136 Writing Towards Recovery: Jackie Goldschneider on The Weight of Beautiful
Apr 24, 2025
#135 Query Letters, Persuasive Proposals, and Publishing Secrets Featuring Literary Agent Joëlle Delbourgo
Apr 17, 2025
#134 Writing a Memoir That's Also an Industry Exposé Featuring Hannah Selinger
Apr 10, 2025
#133 Writing the Book You Need to Read When You're Always Happy to Help Featuring Amy Wilson
Apr 03, 2025
#132 The Blurry Boundary Between Truth and Fiction in Women's Lives Featuring Nicole Graev Lipson
Mar 27, 2025
#131 The Flavor of Trauma: A Food Memoir Wrapped Around a Family Story Featuring Bonny Reichert
Mar 20, 2025
#130 Focus on Friendship Featuring Nina Badzin
Mar 13, 2025
#129 Intentional About Structure: Dual Timelines and POVs As a Bridge Featuring Jessica Strawser
Mar 06, 2025
#128 Crafting Cathartic Personal Essays with Rachel Kramer Bussel of Open Secrets Magazine
Feb 27, 2025
#127 Finding Scientific Angles on Any Story with The Open Notebook's Editor Siri Carpenter
Feb 20, 2025
#126 Rocking Your Radiance In Work and Play Featuring Becca Powers
Feb 13, 2025
#125 Parlaying Writing Into An Act of Reclamation Featuring Alyson Shelton
Feb 06, 2025
#124 Essays on Loneliness: Tethering An Isolated Writer To A Disconnected World Featuring Athena Dixon
Jan 30, 2025
#123 Writing About Trauma Using Timelines, Throughlines, and Imagery Featuring Christie Tate
Jan 23, 2025
#122 Crafting A Tsunami of Transformation in Memoir Featuring Hannah Sward
Jan 16, 2025
#121 A Deep Dive into Hachette's Legacy Lit Imprint Featuring Publisher, Krishan Trotman
Jan 09, 2025
#120 Writing Days of Wonder Featuring Caroline Leavitt
Jan 02, 2025
#119 Solo Episode: Estelle's Edge on Steering Through The Publishing Gauntlet
Dec 26, 2024
#118 Reflections on Writing for Next Avenue/PBS with Managing Editor Julie Pfitzinger
Dec 19, 2024
#117 The Magical Metamorphosis Of Character Development Featuring Ann Garvin
Dec 12, 2024
#116 Conversations with Abby: Ruminations on Writing Featuring Abigail Thomas
Dec 05, 2024
#115 Coaching Episode: Estelle's Edge on Crafting Notable Narratives
Nov 28, 2024
#114 Spotlighting Sibling Friction in Fiction Featuring Betsy Lerner
Nov 21, 2024
#113 Writing with Ambition Featuring Kristi Coulter
Nov 14, 2024
#112 On Being Jewish Now Featuring Caroline Leavitt and Annabelle Gurwitch
Nov 07, 2024
#111 Making Meaning While Writing Traumatic Stories As Catalysts for Change Featuring Lisa Cooper Ellison
Oct 31, 2024
#110 The Astrology House and Other Novel Touchstones with Carinn Jade
Oct 24, 2024
#109 The Critic's Daughter: Deploying Power Through Prose with Priscilla Gilman
Oct 17, 2024
#108 Anchoring Creativity While Writing with Heart, Soul & Pen Featuring Robin Finn
Oct 10, 2024
#107 Staying On Brand While Shaping, Shifting, and Sharing Your Story Featuring Aliza Licht
Oct 03, 2024
#106 Forays Into The Surreal Juxtaposition of Fiction and Fact in a Novel Featuring Ruth Bonapace
Sep 26, 2024
#105 A Look Inside Publishing: Hybrid, Audiobooks, AI and More Featuring Jane Friedman
Sep 19, 2024
#104 How to Write a Memoir or Novel that is a Page Turner Featuring Wade Rouse aka Viola Shipman
Sep 12, 2024
#103 Launching Into New Dimensions with Embodied Writing Featuring Jeannine Ouellette
Sep 05, 2024
#102 Writing Scenes Shaped Around Sensory Experience Featuring Rona Maynard
Aug 29, 2024
#101 The Makings of a "Hysterical" Story Featuring Elissa Bassist
Aug 22, 2024
#100 The Pleasure, Practice and Purpose of Writing Micro-Memoir Featuring Beth Ann Fennelly
Aug 15, 2024
#99 Notes From a Lifestyle Journalist with Nearly 10K Followers on Substack Featuring Aly Walansky
Aug 08, 2024
#98 Insights on ASJA and the 2024 Virtual Conference from President, Emily Paulsen
Aug 01, 2024
#97 Exploring Biblical Tales Through a Feminist Lens Featuring Sally Wiener Grotta
Jul 25, 2024
#96 Writing and Elevating a Suspense Novel Featuring Jessica Strawser
Jul 18, 2024
#95 The Catalysts and Craft for Charting and Plotting Novels featuring Ann Hood
Jul 11, 2024
#94 Writing Our Stories in Sharp Relief Featuring Sue William Silverman
Jul 04, 2024
#93 Crafting Memoir Fueled by Metaphor, Movement, and Mapping Featuring Mimi Zieman
Jun 27, 2024
#92 Writing A Memoir in Feelings, Flashes and Fragments Featuring Lara Lillibridge
Jun 20, 2024
#91 Book Publisher Lisa Sharkey On Hot Topics, and Her Harper (Collins) Influence
Jun 13, 2024
#90 Bonus Episode: Estelle's Edge on the U.S. Book Show 2024
Jun 12, 2024
#89 Level Up Your Novel By Mastering Visual Imagery and Research featuring Amanda Churchill
Jun 06, 2024
#88 The Founder of HARO, Peter Shankman, A Hero to Journalists on Deadline, Launches Source of Sources
May 30, 2024
#87 Writing Memoir That Reads Like A Novel And Captivates On Every Page Featuring Joanna Rakoff
May 23, 2024
#86 The Way of an Author and Illustrator: Finding Inspiration in Art Featuring Bob Eckstein
May 16, 2024
#85 Jumping Genres in Writing, and Advice on Successfully Submitting to AWP Featuring Melissa Hart
May 09, 2024
#84 Estelle's Edge: Coaching To Get Your Writing Noticed with Guest Anna Medaris
May 02, 2024
#83 Writing Your Way Into An Engaging and Enthralling Story Featuring Abigail Thomas
Apr 25, 2024
#82 Showcase Your Writer's Vision and Voice with Video to Make an Impact Featuring Kim Rittberg
Apr 18, 2024
#81 The Art of Shaping a Compelling Story Featuring Maggie Smith
Apr 11, 2024
#80 When You Want a Literary Agent Who Has Your Back Featuring Amy Collins
Apr 04, 2024
#79 Being Vulnerable on the Page and Finding Empathy in Your Heart Featuring Amy Ferris
Mar 28, 2024
#78 No One Is Broken & Everyone Has What It Takes with William Kenower
Mar 21, 2024
#77 Writing Personal Stories with HuffPost Personal's Noah Michelson
Mar 14, 2024
#76 Working with an Literary Agent with Rita Rosenkranz
Mar 07, 2024
#75 Charting the Trends in Publishing
Feb 29, 2024
#74 How to Write And Structure a Health/Wellness Book with Megy Karydes
Feb 22, 2024
#73 Writing About The Spirit World with Tara Sutphen
Feb 15, 2024
#72 The Benefits of Publishing with a Small Press Like Motina Books Publishing
Feb 08, 2024
#71 Pitching to Editors | Examples & Advice with Estelle Erasmus
Feb 01, 2024
#70 Writing a YA Romance Novel with Jennifer Chen
Jan 25, 2024
#69 A Chat with The Editorial Director of New World Library
Jan 18, 2024
#68 Dream Big and Win with Liz Elting
Jan 11, 2024
#67 How to be a Media Friendly Author with Paula Rizzo
Jan 04, 2024
#66 2023 End of Year Recap with Estelle Erasmus
Dec 28, 2023
#65 How to Talk to Kids About Anything with Dr. Robyn Silverman
Dec 21, 2023
#64 Crafting Neurodivergent Characters in Children's Books with Jen Malia
Dec 14, 2023
#63 Witchy Writing with Author/Podcaster Bianca Marais
Dec 07, 2023
#62 A Walk Through Writer's Digest with Editor-in-Chief, Amy Jones
Nov 30, 2023
#61 All About Mom Rage with Minna Dubin
Nov 23, 2023
#60 Shutter Secrets: Searching for and Using Photos in Your Writing
Nov 16, 2023
#59 All About Teri Rizvi and The Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop
Nov 09, 2023
#58 Writing about Historical Subjects with Audrey Clare Farley
Nov 02, 2023
#57 Writing about the Medical Industry and the Cost of Living with Emily Maloney
Oct 26, 2023
#56 Writing About Food with Nutritionist Laura Burak
Oct 19, 2023
#55 Productivity and Parenting with Milda De Voe
Oct 12, 2023
#54 Behind Publishing Confidential with Kathleen Schmidt
Oct 05, 2023
#53 From Poetry to Middle Grade Fiction to Molecule with Kevin Carey
Sep 28, 2023
#52 A Conversation with Claire Dederer About Monsters
Sep 21, 2023
#51 Money Matters and Launching Financial Grownups with Bobbi Rebell
Sep 14, 2023
#50 On Good Authority with Platform Building Expert Anna David
Sep 07, 2023
#49 Making the Most of Publishing with a Small Press with Alle C. Hall
Aug 31, 2023
#48 A Deep Dive into Narratively with Brendan Spiegel
Aug 24, 2023
#47 The Way Life and Writing Should Be with William Dameron
Aug 17, 2023
#46 Writing & Editing Parenting Stories with Holly Rizzuto Palker
Aug 10, 2023
#45 Writing Women Are The Fiercest Creatures with Andrea Dunlop
Aug 03, 2023
#44 Telling Your Stories Without Shame or Apology with Author Allison Hong Merrill
Jul 27, 2023
#43 Writing a Bestselling Book & Making Mistakes with Dr. Michele Borba
Jul 20, 2023
#42 Talking Polling and Politics with Professor Art Swift
Jul 13, 2023
#41 Harris Faulkner and How Faith Still Moves Mountains
Jul 06, 2023
#40 My Father's List with Author Laura Carney
Jun 29, 2023
#39 The Literary Gifts of Kelly McMasters' The Leaving Season
Jun 22, 2023
#38 Cheryl Strayed on Writing and Tiny Beautiful Things
Jun 15, 2023
#37 Writing On Fire Island with Jane L. Rosen
Jun 08, 2023
#36 Zibby Owens is Upending the Publishing World with her Books, Company, and Vision
Jun 01, 2023
#35 Flying High with Storyteller Ann Hood
May 25, 2023
#34 Boundless Craft: Writing and Editing Tips with Dawn Raffel
May 18, 2023
#33 My What If Year with author Alisha Fernandez Miranda
May 11, 2023
#32 Parallel Lives: Meshing Journalism Skills into Fiction Writing with Vanessa Hua
May 04, 2023
#31 Getting Your Writing Career in Gear When on A Tight Deadline with Linda Lowen
Apr 27, 2023
#30 Travel Writing and Society of American Travel Writers with Kim Foley MacKinnon
Apr 20, 2023
#29 Getting the Sound Bite: A Media Expert Speaks About Interviews with Sheryl Ziegler
Apr 13, 2023
#28 How a Poet Gathered a Half Million TikTok & Instagram Followers with Shelby Leigh
Apr 06, 2023
#27 Working Remote: The Freelance Lifestyle with Stacey Freed
Mar 30, 2023
#26 Getting Edited with Brevity's Allison K. Williams
Mar 23, 2023
#25 Getting Personal with HuffPost Personal's Noah Michelson
Mar 16, 2023
#24 Getting WIRED, Seen Heard and Paid with Editor, Alan Henry
Mar 09, 2023
#23 More After the Break with News Anchor Jen Maxfield
Mar 02, 2023
#22 Freelance Tech Writing with Michelle Rafter
Feb 23, 2023
#21 Legal Writing with Tami Kamin Meyer
Feb 16, 2023
#20 Growing a Garden Specialty with Teresa Woodard
Feb 09, 2023
#19 Don't Sleep on Your Writing with Lisa L. Lewis
Feb 02, 2023
#18 Repurposing Writing Though Reprints: A Hidden Niche for Passive Income and Found Money with Cheryl Maguire
Jan 26, 2023
#17 Cults, Memoir, and Motivation with author Ronit Plank
Jan 19, 2023
#16 The Year of the Horses and Books with Courtney Maum
Jan 12, 2023
#15 Analyzing Pitches and Attracting an Editor's Attention
Jan 05, 2023
#14 Humor Writing and Wearing Tunics with Wendi Aarons
Dec 29, 2022
#13 Getting the Gigs and the Glory: Maximizing Your Freelance Profits
Dec 22, 2022
#12 From Columnist to Author: Career Self Care with Minda Zetlin
Dec 15, 2022
#11 A Nurse Finds Her Writing Niche
Dec 08, 2022
#10 A Writing Evolution with Polly Campbell
Dec 01, 2022
#9 Crafting Powerful Personal Essays
Nov 24, 2022
#8 Dying to Write: Tales & Tips from a Death Doula
Nov 17, 2022
#7 When Writing: What to Reveal & How to Conceal
Nov 10, 2022
#6 Nurturing Your Writer's Soul with Andrea King Collier
Nov 03, 2022
#5 "Unretirement" with Richard Eisenberg
Oct 27, 2022
#4 From Books to TED Talk: Pivoting Through Topics and Finding Your Focus with Jeanette Hurt
Oct 20, 2022
#3 From Book to Screen: Optioning your Writing with Jack El-Hai
Oct 13, 2022
#2 Writing About Mental Health and Wellness, While Taking Care of Yourself as a Writer featuring Psychologist and Freelance Writer, Dr. Juli Fraga
Oct 06, 2022
#1 Start Your Freelance Writing Career! About Your Hosts, Sherry Paprocki and Estelle Erasmus
Oct 06, 2022
Welcome to the Freelance Writing Direct podcast
Sep 23, 2022