About this podcast
Winner of the 2026 Silver Signal Award in Education and 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
Episodes
The newest 20 of 217 episodes
- #216 Adapting Life to Page to Screenplay with William Dameron · 26 minWhen William Dameron's memoir, The Lie, was optioned for a feature film, he expected to step back. Then he and the producer started talking about what drove the people in his…
- #215 Encore: Turn Your Older Writing into New Bylines · 18 minLast chance to sign up! Join me for exercises, a quiz, and plenty of examples. Today's Writer's Digest Webinar Join me today, October 29, for The First Five Pages: Making Your…
- #214 Inside a Literary Agent's Approach to Nonfiction with Matthew Carnicelli · 38 minWhat makes a literary agent see potential in a book idea? And how do you turn that idea into a proposal that gets an editor's attention? In this episode of Freelance Writing…
- #213 Before You Hire, Know What You Require: Book Publicity with Diana Daniele · 34 minOne Quick Announcement! Join Me in NYC on October 21! I'm moderating a Women's Media Group panel, Memoir Plus: When Personal Stories Contain Multitudes, featuring Regina Brooks…
- #212 My Takeaways from the People of Publishing Conference 2026 · 18 minWhat are publishing leaders talking about, and what can writers learn from those conversations? In this solo episode of Freelance Writing Direct, I share my takeaways from the…
- #211 Advertising, Approval, and the Future We're Being Sold with Lu Chekowsky · 34 minBefore we get to the episode, I have news: Freelance Writing Direct is a Signal Awards finalist in Education! If the podcast has helped you with your writing, I'd love your vote…
- #210 Reinvention, Vulnerability, and Writing a Life in Essays with Zibby Owens · 23 minIn this episode of Freelance Writing Direct, I talk with bestselling author, podcaster, and Zibby Media founder Zibby Owens about her new memoir in essays, Between Chapters: How…
- #209 Encore: The Pitching Secrets That Get Editors' Attention · 24 minIn this solo episode from the Freelance Writing Direct archives, Estelle Erasmus breaks down real pitches to show what works, what doesn't, and how to make your ideas more…
- #208 Layering Memory, Meaning, and Motifs in Memoir with Cinelle Barnes · 42 minIn this episode of Freelance Writing Direct, award-winning author and memoirist Cinelle Barnes joins me to talk about how A Way Home evolved from a Philippines travel memoir into…
- #207 Writing Humor, Character, and Love That Lasts with Steven Rowley · 25 minWhat makes humor work on the page? And how do you write about love after the meet-cute, when a relationship has lasted for decades? In this episode of Freelance Writing Direct, I…
- #206 How to Build a Journalism Career in a Changing Media Landscape · 35 minWhat does it take to build a career in journalism when the media landscape keeps shifting? In this episode of Freelance Writing Direct, Estelle Erasmus talks with her former NYU…
- #205 The Art of Crafting the Self in Memoir with Hyeseung Song · 40 minEstelle Erasmus speaks with Hyeseung Song, author of Docile: Memoirs of a Not-So-Perfect Asian Girl, about shaping nearly 40 years of life into a memoir, finding the right…
- #204 Finding Urgency in Your Memoir and Selling It Without an Agent with Michelle Tamara Cutler · 30 minAward-winning screenwriter, storytelling coach, and developmental editor Michelle Tamara Cutler joins Estelle Erasmus to discuss the evolution of her forthcoming reported memoir…
- #203 Weaving Memoir Plus Through 50 Swims with Kate Washington · 34 minWhat happens when a personal challenge becomes a path back to yourself? In this episode of Freelance Writing Direct, Estelle Erasmus talks with Kate Washington, author of…
- #202 AI, Podcasts, and Discoverability: My Biggest Takeaways from the U.S. Book Show · 18 minBefore we begin, an announcement: I'm so excited to be speaking with celebrity makeup artist Ramy Gafni today in the next episode of my Substack Live series, Musings on…
- #201 Writing an Immersive Reading Experience with Bonnie Friedman · 24 minBefore we begin an announcment: I'm so excited to be speaking with celebrity makeup artist Ramy Gafni in the next episode of my Substack Live series, Musings on Magazines: The…
- #200 How Borrowed Forms Unlock Story: Hermit Crab and Braided Essays with Brenda Miller · 41 minWelcome to the 200th episode of Freelance Writing Direct! I'm incredibly grateful to every guest who has generously shared their wisdom over the years, and to all of you who…
- #199 Turning Chaos into Compelling Stories with Courtney Kocak · 32 minWelcome to new subscribers. First, an announcement: My first Substack Live in my new series Musings on Magazines: The Story Behind the Story was with former Chatelaine…
- #198 Micro Memoirs with Maximum Impact: Distilling a Life into Seventy 70-Word Stories with Deborah Sosin · 32 minWelcome to new subscribers. First, an announcement: My first Substack Live in my new series Musings on Magazines: The Story Behind the Story was with former Chatelaine…
- #197 How Dual Timelines Brought a Family Story to Life with Tiffany Graham Charkosky · 36 minWelcome to new subscribers. First, an announcement: My first Substack Live will be with former Chatelaine Editor-in-Chief Rona Maynard on June 25 at 4 p.m. ET. Here is the link…
