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

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

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

Auteur(s): Estelle Erasmus
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 Want to get published or land a book deal? Join TEDx speaker and author Estelle Erasmus for smart writing tips, publishing insights, and behind-the-scenes advice for fiction writers, memoirists, and authors at every stage. Winner of the 2025 Podcast of the Year (Education) from the American Writing Awards, Freelance Writing Direct is your go-to podcast for writing tips, publishing advice, and insider strategies to help you get published—whether in essays, memoir, fiction, books, or journalism. Hosted by Estelle Erasmus—award-winning journalist, TEDx speaker, NYU writing professor, and author of Writing That Gets Noticed (named a “Best Book for Writers” by Poets & Writers)—this show blends writing craft, career strategy, and behind-the-scenes publishing insight. Each week, Estelle shares short, practical episodes full of: Writing tips for essays, memoir, and books Pitch strategies that get editors' attention Publishing advice from agents and bestselling authors Solo episodes, coaching episodes and candid conversations with industry insiders Whether you're just starting your freelance writing journey or aiming for your next book deal, you’ll find actionable tools, story prompts, and the momentum you need to grow your writing career. Listeners often ask: *How do I get published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, or WIRED? *What writing tips will make my voice stand out? *How do I find an agent or land a book deal? *What do editors actually want? *How do I shape my personal story for publication? You're in the right place. It’s time to elevate your writing—with Freelance Writing Direct. 🎙️ About Estelle Erasmus Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist, TEDx speaker, and author of Writing That Gets Noticed. She’s a Contributing Editor for Writer’s Digest, an adjunct writing professor at NYU, and the former editor-in-chief of five national magazines. Estelle’s work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, AARP, Next Avenue, and The Independent, among 150+ other outlets. She is also the host of Freelance Writing Direct, named the 2025 Podcast of the Year in the Education category by the American Writing Awards. Learn more: estelleserasmus.com Newsletter: estelleserasmus.substack.com Social: @EstelleSErasmus on Instagram, X, Threads, and LinkedIn2022 Développement personnel Gestion et leadership Réussite Économie
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  • #157 Inside the Mind of a Literary Agent: Sam Hiyate on Selling Books, Pitching, and Breaking Into Hollywood

    #157 Inside the Mind of a Literary Agent: Sam Hiyate on Selling Books, Pitching, and Breaking Into Hollywood
    Sep 18 2025
    Estelle Erasmus sits down with Sam Hiyate, President and CEO of The Rights Factory, a global literary agency that has represented hundreds of titles across genres, including multiple bestsellers like This One Summer by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki, Healthy AF by Oonagh Duncan, and More by Molly Rodin Winter. In this episode: The trends shaping today’s book market, including the rise of speculative elements in literary and commercial fiction [2:45] How “Hollywood memoirs” and screen-ready stories are attracting publishers [5:31] Why themes of escapism, hope, and redemption resonate with readers in turbulent times [6:05] The changing role of editors and the increased need for outside editing before submission [10:33] The realities of pitching agents—what to prepare, how to stand out, and why most pitches get a “no” [12:36] How social media, BookTok, TED Talks, and even backlist titles can drive publishing and film/TV deals [26:05] Why career-building authorship is more valuable than a one-hit wonder—and how agents nurture long-term writer relationships [29:10] Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DwvdwFu3Ipw Episode Mentioned #148 How to Hook Readers by Planting Curiosity Seeds in Interactive Novels with Bianca Marais https://estelleserasmus.com/148-how-to-hook-readers-by-planting-curiosity-seeds-in-interactive-novels-with-bianca-marais/ About Sam Hiyate SAM HIYATE is keen to discover new voices and help writers prepare their works for market, and to help them build lasting careers. In the past two decades with THE RIGHTS FACTORY his hundreds of book deals have resulted in several bestsellers such as MORE, the memoir by Molly Roden Winter, THIS ONE SUMMER, the graphic novel by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki, non-fiction such as HEALTHY AF (DITCH THE DIET) by Oonagh Duncan and THE MYTH of CAPITALISM by Jonathan Tepper and Denise Hearn, and fiction such as GIRLS IN WHITE DRESSES by Jennifer Close and THE ADULT by Bronwyn Fischer. Connect with Sam Website: https://www.therightsfactory.com Get More from Estelle: Webinar: Sign up for Estelle’s webinar on October 9th in collaboration with Writer’s Digest: Mapping Your Memoir: How to Find the Heart and Shape of Your Story https://writersdigestuniversity.mykajabi.com/mapping-your-memoir 🎤 TEDx Talk: How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond Estelle blends personal storytelling with actionable strategies for standing out—starting with a chaotic moment involving Thomas the Tank Engine. 📺 Watch, comment, and share 📬 Newsletter + FREE Pitching Guide Find out more about this episode and get Estelle’s free pitching guide when you sign up for her newsletter: https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast About Estelle: Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist, author of Writing That Gets Noticed (named a “Best Book for Writers” by Poets & Writers), and host of Freelance Writing Direct—2025 Podcast of the Year (Education), American Writing Awards. A Contributing Editor for Writer’s Digest and adjunct professor at NYU, her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, PBS/Next Avenue, The Independent, and AARP: The Magazine. She’s served as editor-in-chief of five national magazines. Explore More: 📘 Writing That Gets Noticed – Buy the book | Audiobook 📰 Subscribe on Substack: https://estelleserasmus.substack.com Latest posts: “When Writers Are the Ones Blocking the Page: 6 Ways to Move Forward (and An Offer)” and “How to Get Published in Cosmopolitan or Seventeen” 🎧 More episodes: Freelance Writing Direct Podcast Read Estelle’s latest article How to Use the Internet to Become Your Own Private Investigator (Next Avenue/PBS) Follow Estelle: Instagram: @EstelleSErasmus TikTok: @EstelleSErasmus Twitter: @EstelleSErasmus BlueSky: @estelleserasmus.bsky.social
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    34 min
  • #156 Finding Yourself After Faking It: Sari Botton on Memoir, Honesty, and Editing

    #156 Finding Yourself After Faking It: Sari Botton on Memoir, Honesty, and Editing
    Sep 11 2025
    Estelle Erasmus is joined by editor Sari Botton, a memoirist featured in Poets & Writers’ “5 Over 50.” In this episode, Sari shares why the most powerful memoirs often illuminate the ordinary, how she found the right container to structure her story, and the lessons she’s learned about balancing honesty with protecting others on the page. She also discusses the challenges of people-pleasing, the persistence of “mean girls” into adulthood, and how she built a thriving editorial life through her Substack publications, Oldster, Memoir Land, and Adventures in Journalism. Sari Botton's memoir in essays, And You May Find Yourself...Confessions of a Late-Blooming Gen-X Weirdo, was chosen by Poets & Writers magazine for the 2022 edition of its annual "5 Over 50" feature. For five years, she was the Essays Editor at Longreads. She edited the bestselling anthologies Goodbye to All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving New York and Never Can Say Goodbye: Writers on Their Unshakable Love for New York. She publishes Oldster Magazine, Memoir Land, and Adventures in Journalism. In this episode: Why strong memoirs focus on the universal, not just the extraordinary [3:00] How to find the catalytic moment that gives your story shape [5:10] The importance of writing a fearless “vomit draft” before refining [20:18] Strategies for ethically blurring identities while keeping emotional truth [23:39] How to turn editorial skills into sustainable platforms and community-building [32:41] Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tvQahdqPctE Related Episode: #143 What We Don’t Talk About: Family, Loss, Love, and the Art of Editing Anthologies with Michele Filgate https://estelleserasmus.com/143-what-we-dont-talk-about-family-loss-love-and-the-art-of-editing-anthologies/ Connect with Sari Instagram: http://instagram.com/saribotton Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/saribotton.bsky.social Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/sari.botton/ Substack: https://substack.com/@saribotton Website: http://saribotton.com Get More from Estelle: Webinars: Sign up for Estelle’s webinar on October 9th in collaboration with Writer’s Digest Mapping Your Memoir: How to Find the Heart and Shape of Your Story https://writersdigestuniversity.mykajabi.com/mapping-your-memoir Sign up for Estelle’s free online Editor-on-call NYU event on October 29th Inside Slate: An Unfiltered Conversation with Senior Editor, Rebecca Onion. Register here: https://events.nyu.edu/event/368190-editor-on-call-inside-slate-an-unfiltered 🎤 TEDx Talk: How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond Estelle blends personal storytelling with actionable strategies for standing out—starting with a chaotic moment involving Thomas the Tank Engine. 📺 Watch, comment, and share 📬 Newsletter + FREE Pitching Guide Find out more about this episode and get Estelle’s free pitching guide when you sign up for her newsletter: https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast About Estelle: Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist, author of Writing That Gets Noticed (named a “Best Book for Writers” by Poets & Writers), and host of Freelance Writing Direct—2025 Podcast of the Year (Education), American Writing Awards. A Contributing Editor for Writer’s Digest and adjunct professor at NYU, her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, PBS/Next Avenue, The Independent, and AARP: The Magazine. She’s served as editor-in-chief of five national magazines. Explore More: 📘 Writing That Gets Noticed – Buy the book | Audiobook 📰 Subscribe on Substack: https://estelleserasmus.substack.com Latest posts: “When Writers Are the Ones Blocking the Page: 6 Ways to Move Forward (and An Offer); Stop Counting Your Words. Start Shaping Your Story” and “How to Get Published in Cosmopolitan or Seventeen” 🎧 More episodes: Freelance Writing Direct Podcast Read Estelle’s latest article How to Use the Internet to Become Your Own Private Investigator (Next Avenue/PBS) Follow Estelle: Instagram: @EstelleSErasmus TikTok: @EstelleSErasmus Twitter: @EstelleSErasmus BlueSky: @estelleserasmus.bsky.social
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    38 min
  • #155 Breaking the Rules of Publishing with Jane Pratt: From Sassy to Substack

    #155 Breaking the Rules of Publishing with Jane Pratt: From Sassy to Substack
    Sep 4 2025

    Estelle Erasmus sits down with legendary editor and publishing pioneer Jane Pratt, the founder of Sassy, Jane, and XOJane, and now the voice behind the hit Substack Another Jane Pratt Thing.

    Jane has built a career on breaking rules, centering women’s voices, and creating space for personal, confessional storytelling long before it was mainstream. From her groundbreaking “It Happened to Me” column to her current Substack community, Jane has always put authenticity and conversation at the heart of her work.

    In this episode:

    • How Jane started Sassy and why it resonated with an entire generation [5:47]

    • How she builds community by jumping into the comments and encouraging readers to turn feedback into full stories [5:06]

    • The challenges she faced publishing taboo topics like abortion, birth control, and sexuality in teen magazines [7:48]

    • The evolution from print to online media to Substack and why Substack feels like the most authentic home for her writing yet [13:02]

    • Her new Controversial Books Only Book Club and what makes it so different [29:50]

    Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/kydZntdbJhw

    Connect with Jane:

    Another Jane Pratt Thing: https://www.anotherjaneprattthing.com

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janepratt/

    Substack: https://substack.com/@janebutthathandleistaken

    Threads: https://www.threads.com/@janepratt

    Get More from Estelle:

    Webinar: Sign up for Estelle’s webinar on October 9th in collaboration with Writer’s Digest

    Mapping Your Memoir: How to Find the Heart and Shape of Your Story

    https://writersdigestuniversity.mykajabi.com/mapping-your-memoir

    🎤 TEDx Talk: How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond
    Estelle blends personal storytelling with actionable strategies for standing out—starting with a chaotic moment involving Thomas the Tank Engine.
    📺 Watch, comment, and share

    📬 Newsletter + FREE Pitching Guide
    Find out more about this episode and get Estelle’s free pitching guide when you sign up for her newsletter: https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast

    About Estelle:

    Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist, author of Writing That Gets Noticed (named a “Best Book for Writers” by Poets & Writers), and host of Freelance Writing Direct—2025 Podcast of the Year (Education), American Writing Awards. A Contributing Editor for Writer’s Digest and adjunct professor at NYU, her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, PBS/Next Avenue, The Independent, and AARP: The Magazine. She’s served as editor-in-chief of five national magazines.

    Explore More:

    • 📘 Writing That Gets Noticed – Buy the book | Audiobook

    • 📰 Subscribe on Substack: https://estelleserasmus.substack.com
      Latest posts: “When Writers Are the Ones Blocking the Page: 6 Ways to Move Forward (and An Offer); Stop Counting Your Words. Start Shaping Your Story” and “How to Get Published in Cosmopolitan or Seventeen”

    • 🎧 More episodes: Freelance Writing Direct Podcast

    • Read Estelle’s latest article How to Use the Internet to Become Your Own Private Investigator (Next Avenue/PBS)

    Follow Estelle:

    • Instagram: @EstelleSErasmus

    • TikTok: @EstelleSErasmus

    • Twitter: @EstelleSErasmus

    BlueSky: @estelleserasmus.bsky.social
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    40 min
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