• Freelance Writing Direct with Estelle: Conversations with authors, journalists, agents, novelists, memoirists, niche writers, publishers, writing teachers, assigning editors and media experts.

  • By: Estelle Erasmus
  • Podcast

Freelance Writing Direct with Estelle: Conversations with authors, journalists, agents, novelists, memoirists, niche writers, publishers, writing teachers, assigning editors and media experts.

By: Estelle Erasmus
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  • Summary

  • Welcome to the Freelance Writing Direct podcast. Join Estelle Erasmus every week as she shares short, sound bite-filled podcasts, covering everything that the creative writer, freelance writer, and author needs to know to move forward in their creativity and career. Estelle will share how the sauce is made, with tips and tricks to give you a leg up in the marketplace. The podcast will also feature interviews with authors and writers who are generous with their own advice. Throughout the episodes, Estelle will evolve with the audience, as she listens to her guests, share pitches and essays, and offer writing and career prompts. If you want to learn how to get your work published and noticed you are in the right place. This show will provide answers to questions like: *How can I get started writing? *What are assigning editors in top publications looking for? *How can I find an agent? *What do publishers want? *What are writing craft tips I can implement right away to get published? *How can my pitches to editors make an impact? *What do bestselling authors recommend I do to improve my writing practice? *What craft tips do writing teachers recommend? *What are tips, tricks and strategies for getting my writing noticed? It’s time to build your craft with Freelance Writing Direct. Estelle can’t wait to read what you will be writing. Estelle Erasmus: an award-winning journalist, is the author of WRITING THAT GETS NOTICED (named a "Best Book for Writers" by Poets & Writers Magazine), a Contributing Editor for Writer's Digest, and host of the podcast Freelance Writing Direct. She is an adjunct instructor for NYU’s School of Professional Studies/Center for Publishing and Applied Liberal Arts, has written for over 150 publications, including The New York Times, Next Avenue/PBS, WIRED, The Independent,The Washington Post, and AARP: The Magazine, and was the editor-in-chief of five national publications. Find out more at estelleserasmus.com and follow her on Substack at https://estelleserasmus.substack.com and on social media: @EstelleSErasmus
    2022
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Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Personal Development Personal Success
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Episodes
  • #130 Focus on Friendship Featuring Nina Badzin

    #130 Focus on Friendship Featuring Nina Badzin
    Mar 13 2025
    Nina Badzin is the host of the top 1% charted podcast Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship. As an essayist and freelance writer, she's had numerous pieces published on a wide variety of topics, but she started focusing on friendship in 2014. Nina moved to writing solely about friendship in 2021. Her Substack, "Conversations About Friendship" is a go-to newsletter for friendship advice, and her private Facebook group, "Dear Nina: The Group," has become a community where people help each other solve friendship problems and talk about books, shows, and more. In this episode: How Nina Badzin transitioned from parenting essays to writing exclusively about friendship [5:39] Why Nina started Dear Nina, Conversations About Friendship and how the podcast has evolved [9:45] The challenges of pitching to podcasts and what makes a great pitch [11:13] The importance of pivoting and adapting as a writer and creator [15:09] How Nina monetizes her writing and podcast through paid Substack subscriptions [19:54] How friendships evolve over time and why letting go of expectations can improve relationships [31:57] Connect with Nina Website https://ninabadzin.com/ Substack https://dearnina.substack.com The Podcast https://ninabadzin.com/podcasts/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@dearninafriendship Facebook: Dear Nina: The Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/855246118403712 Estelle’s episode on Nina’s Podcast #97 Disclosing my Invisible Disability Increased the Intimacy in My Friendships https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dear-nina-conversations-about-friendship/id1576473592?i=1000656069611 Estelle Erasmus: an award-winning journalist, is the author of WRITING THAT GETS NOTICED (named a "Best Book for Writers" by Poets & Writers Magazine), a Contributing Editor for Writer's Digest, and host of the podcast Freelance Writing Direct. She is an adjunct instructor for NYU’s School of Professional Studies/Center for Publishing and Applied Liberal Arts, has written for over 150 publications, including The New York Times, Next Avenue/PBS, WIRED, The Independent,The Washington Post, and AARP: The Magazine, and was the editor-in-chief of five national publications. Find out more at estelleserasmus.com Sign up for her Substack (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests https://estelleserasmus.substack.com Mentioned in the episode: Estelle’s substack post Why Taping My Podcast Reminds Me of Working in Magazines https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/why-taping-my-podcast-reminds-me Read Estelle’s latest post on Substack (and an editing offer for paid subscribers): 5 Hard Truths about Essay Writing https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/5-hard-truths-about-essay-writing Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with. Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html Get Her Book Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0 Order Her Audiobook: https://shorturl.at/4uG2P Follow Estelle: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social Freelance Writing Direct has been named a 2025 Podcast of the Year Winner in the Education category by the American Writing Awards. For a list of winners go here https://americanwritingawards.com/
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    34 mins
  • #129 Intentional About Structure: Dual Timelines and POVs As a Bridge Featuring Jessica Strawser

    #129 Intentional About Structure: Dual Timelines and POVs As a Bridge Featuring Jessica Strawser
    Mar 6 2025
    Jessica Strawser is editor-at-large at Writer’s Digest and the USA Today bestselling author of suspenseful book club novels, including Almost Missed You; Not That I Could Tell (a Book of the Month pick); A Million Reasons Why; The Next Thing You Know (a People Magazine Pick), and her latest, Catch You Later, as well as The Last Caretaker, both instant USA Today bestsellers. She has written for The New York Times, Modern Love, Publishers Weekly and other fine venues, and is a popular writing instructor and freelance editor specializing in helping writers with their submission packages. She lives with her husband and children in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she was named 2019 Writer-in-Residence for the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County and awarded an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award for 2024. In this episode: The inspiration behind the story [2:48] How Jessica structured the dual POV, dual timeline narrative in Catch You Later [6:41] The concept of a reliable or unreliable narrator [11:08] How she built tension by giving readers more information than the characters have [12:30] The importance of friendship and friendship rituals as a central theme [15:07] Jessica’s process for incorporating backstory [17:20] Throwing obstacles at her characters in an organic way [20:03] How she researched state troopers and highway travel stops for authenticity [22:15] The “murky middle” struggle and how she keeps her writing momentum going [25:58] Why she includes book club discussion questions [30:31] Why she overwrites [27:00] Jessica’s disciplined writing routine—1,500 words a day, five days a week [27:29] Jessica’s next book and plans for the near future [29:17] Connect with Jessica Website: https://jessicastrawser.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/Jessicastrawserauthor Instagram: https://instagram.com/Jessicastrawserauthor Catch You Later on Estelle’s Bookshop https://bookshop.org/p/books/catch-you-later-jessica-strawser/21194221?aid=98827&ean=9781662510236&listref=authors-who-have-appeared-on-freelance-writing-direct Jessica’s prior appearance on the podcast #96 Writing and Elevating a Suspense Novel https://estelleserasmus.com/96-writing-and-elevating-a-suspense-novel-featuring-jessica-strawser/ Connect with Estelle Erasmus Estelle Erasmus: an award-winning journalist, is the author of WRITING THAT GETS NOTICED (named a "Best Book for Writers" by Poets & Writers Magazine), a Contributing Editor for Writer's Digest, and host of the podcast Freelance Writing Direct. She is an adjunct instructor for NYU’s School of Professional Studies/Center for Publishing and Applied Liberal Arts, has written for over 150 publications, including The New York Times, Next Avenue/PBS, WIRED, The Independent,The Washington Post, and AARP: The Magazine, and was the editor-in-chief of five national publications. Find out more at estelleserasmus.com and follow her on Substack at https://estelleserasmus.substack.com Her latest substack Post: My Predictions for Publishing in 2025 https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/my-predictions-for-publishing-for Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with. ​​FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter. Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html Get Her Book Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0 Order Her Audiobook: https://shorturl.at/4uG2P Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests Follow Estelle: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social Read Estelle’s latest post on Substack (and an offer to paid subscribers) 5 Hard Truths about Essay Writing https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/5-hard-truths-about-essay-writing Freelance Writing Direct has been named a 2025 Podcast of the Year Winner in the Education category by the American Writing Awards. For a list of winners go here https://americanwritingawards.com/
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    34 mins
  • #128 Crafting Cathartic Personal Essays with Rachel Kramer Bussel of Open Secrets Magazine

    #128 Crafting Cathartic Personal Essays with Rachel Kramer Bussel of Open Secrets Magazine
    Feb 27 2025
    Rachel Kramer Bussel (rachelkramerbussel.com) is an essayist, journalist, and editor based in New Jersey. Her writing has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Glamour, Publishers Weekly, Salon, Slate, TODAY.com, The Village Voice, and many other publications. She's founder and editor of personal essay magazine Open Secrets and organizer of personal storytelling summit Open Secrets Live. Rachel is the author of How to Write Erotica and Lap Dance Lust and editor of 70+ erotica anthologies. She teaches essay writing workshops online and is working on a nonfiction anthology and a podcast on our attachments to our belongings. In this episode: Rachel shares why she transitioned from writing erotica and fiction to founding Open Secrets, a Substack magazine for personal essays [2:45] The first piece of writing that made an impact on Rachel 30 years ago [4:14] The reason personal storytelling works so well to foster connections [6:40] The topics she covers on Open Secrets, now including climate change and our relationship with our belongings [10:14] The editorial process behind Open Secrets and what Rachel looks for in submissions [12:07] Rachel’s focus next year on submitting pieces for awards [17:48] The programming for the upcoming Open Secrets Magazine Live, a one day summit on May 3, 2025 [17:48] The keynote speaker for Open Secrets Live who will bring a sense of nostalgia to most attendees [20:49] The power of personal essays—what makes a strong piece stand out [22:22] The role of humor in personal writing and why Rachel wants to publish more of it [27:37] Connect with Rachel Website: https://rachelkramerbussel.com Open Secrets Magazine: https://opensecretsmagazine.com Registration Link for Open Secrets Magazine Live One Day Summit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/open-secrets-live-a-personal-storytelling-summit-tickets-1140713949129?discount=OS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/opensecretsmag/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@opensecretsmag Rachel’s piece on bankruptcy/debt for The New York Times referenced in this episode https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/09/business/bankruptcy-debt-chapter-7.html Estelle’s episode focused on Publishing Trends in 2025 #119 Solo Episode: Estelle’s Edge on Steering Through the Publishing Gauntlet https://estelleserasmus.com/119-solo-episode-estelles-edge-on-steering-through-the-publishing-gauntlet/ Connect with Estelle Erasmus Estelle Erasmus: an award-winning journalist, is the author of WRITING THAT GETS NOTICED (named a "Best Book for Writers" by Poets & Writers Magazine), a Contributing Editor for Writer's Digest, and host of the podcast Freelance Writing Direct. She is an adjunct instructor for NYU’s School of Professional Studies/Center for Publishing and Applied Liberal Arts, has written for over 150 publications, including The New York Times, Next Avenue/PBS, WIRED, The Independent,The Washington Post, and AARP: The Magazine, and was the editor-in-chief of five national publications. Find out more at estelleserasmus.com and follow her on Substack at https://estelleserasmus.substack.com Her latest substack Post: My Predictions for Publishing in 2025 https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/my-predictions-for-publishing-for Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with. ​​FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter. Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html Get Her Book Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0 Order Her Audiobook: https://shorturl.at/4uG2P Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests Follow Estelle: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social
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    30 mins

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