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

Bob Eckstein (he/him) is an award-winning illustrator, writer, and cartoonist for the New Yorker, New York Times, Reader's Digest, Smithsonian Magazine, Atlas Obscura, and many others. His Footnotes from the World's Greatest Bookstores was a New York Times bestseller and made many 'Best Of' 2016 lists and continues to be an 'Amazon Most Wished for Title' years later. He is also the author of The History of the Snowman, The Illustrated History of the Snowman, and The Complete Book of Cat Names (That Your Cat Won't Answer to Anyway). His work has been exhibited in the Cartoon Art Museum of San Francisco, Smithsonian Institute, The Cartoon Museum of London, and many others. Eckstein has spoke in over a 200 TV and radio shows like Good Morning America and places like NYPL, Miami Book Fair, The Norman Rockwell Museum, and The Grolier Club. He teaches writing and cartooning around the world including School of Visual Arts, New York University, Pratt Institute and Yonsei University in South Korea. His new book is Footnotes from the Most Fascinating Museums: Stories and Memorable Moments from People Who Love Museums. In this episode: How Bob started his unlikely career in writing Advice for writing stories from a different lens Pivoting in your career to discover new forums for your work Bob's live drawing process and how to learn, and grow, while remaining authentic Emerging into a state of playfulness with your work Bob and Estelle's actionable tips for writers Connect with Bob: Website: https://eckstein2.wixsite.com/mysite-1 Book: https://www.amazon.com/Footnotes-Most-Fascinating-Museums-Memorable/dp/1797224395/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bob_eckstein/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BobEckstein?lang=en TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bobeckstein1?lang=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bob.eckstein Substack: https://thebob.substack.com Podcast: The Cartoon Pad: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cartoon-pad/id1561378159 If you purchase Bob's new book, Footnotes from the Most Fascinating Museums this month (May 2024), as a thanks, you will receive a free lifetime subscription to his popular humor newsletter The Bob. You need to notify him by email you bought a copy at snowmanexpert@gmail.com—he is using the honor system. 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 Micro Memoir Workshop with Writer's Digest on May 23 https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/making-your-mark-with-micro-memoir Sign up for Estelle's online Editor-on-Call Event in Partnership with NYU on June 13 "Making the Cut" with editor for The Cut, Jen Ortiz https://www.eventbrite.com/e/editor-on-call-making-the-cut-with-estelle-erasmus-and-jen-ortiz-tickets-860897576827 Sign up for Estelle's Writing Parenthood Class for NYU https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/courses/WRIT1-CE9225-writing-parenthood.html Sign up for Estelle's Personal Essay Class for Writer's Digest https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals Connect with Estelle: Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://estelleserasmus.com/books/writing-that-gets-noticed/ Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus Episodes mentioned on the program: Episode #79: Being Vulnerable on the Page and Finding Empathy in Your Heart Featuring Amy Ferris https://estelleserasmus.com/79-being-vulnerable-on-the-page-and-finding-empathy-in-your-heart/ Episode #77: Writing Personal Stories with HuffPost's Noah Michelson https://estelleserasmus.com/77-writing-personal-stories-with-huffpost-personals-noah-michelson/ Episode #81: The Art of Shaping a Compelling Story Featuring Maggie Smith https://estelleserasmus.com/81-the-art-of-shaping-a-compelling-story-featuring-maggie-smith/ Estelle's Latest Articles I'm Learning to Listen in New Ways (Shondaland) https://www.shondaland.com/live/family/a46102451/im-learning-to-listen-in-new-ways/ What to Do PreLaunch to Get Your Book Noticed (Writer's Digest) https://www.writersdigest.com/getting-published/what-to-do-pre-launch-to-get-your-book-noticed How to Resist the Temptation of AI When Writing (Wired) https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-resist-ai-temptation-writing/

Oregon-based journalist Melissa Hart is the author of seven books, including the award-winning middle-grade novels Avenging the Owl and Daisy Woodworm Changes the World, and the memoirs Gringa: A Contradictory Girlhood and Wild Within: How Rescuing Owls Inspired a Family. Her articles and essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian, CNN, Slate, The Washington Post, and numerous other publications. She teaches for the MFA in Creative Writing Program at Southern New Hampshire University In 2025, Sourcebooks will publish her nonfiction book Down Syndrome Out Loud: 20+ Stories to Change Your Mind about Disability. In this episode: When it's ok to switch genres in writing [6:00] Melissa's framework for writing and researching her new book [9:27] The positive and negative aspects of writing a historical piece [15:47] Melissa's advice on how to write old topics from new perspectives [16:51] Tips for submitting, moderating and titling panels [28:06] Encouraging advice for writers at all levels [32:38] Connect with Melissa: Website: https://melissahart.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wildmelissahart Instagram: https://instagram.com/WildMelissaHart Melissa's story for the LA Times What a Quail Taught Me About Grief By Joining a Flock of Turkeys https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-05-03/quail-turkey-birds-grief Melissa's article for Hidden Compass The Vaudevillian Ghosts of Liberty https://hiddencompass.net/story/the-vaudevillian-ghosts-of-liberty/ Estelle's article that Melissa teaches Singing My Dad Back to Me https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/13/well/family/singing-my-dad-back-to-me.html Sign up for Estelle's Micro Memoir Workshop with Writer's Digest on May 23 https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/making-your-mark-with-micro-memoir 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 Writing Parenthood Class for NYU https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/courses/WRIT1-CE9225-writing-parenthood.html Sign up for Estelle's Personal Essay Class for Writer's Digest https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals Connect with Estelle: Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://estelleserasmus.com/books/writing-that-gets-noticed/ Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus For another episode focused on historical writing, check out episode #58, Writing About Historical Subjects https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freelance-writing-direct-conversations-with-authors/id1647429472?i=1000633432856 Estelle's Latest Articles I'm Learning to Listen in New Ways (Shondaland) https://www.shondaland.com/live/family/a46102451/im-learning-to-listen-in-new-ways/ What to Do PreLaunch to Get Your Book Noticed (Writer's Digest) https://www.writersdigest.com/getting-published/what-to-do-pre-launch-to-get-your-book-noticed How to Resist the Temptation of AI When Writing (Wired) https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-resist-ai-temptation-writing/

This is a new element to the show, where Estelle will do episodes where she taps into her 3 decades of publishing experience and live coaches writers at every stage of their career on the next steps to take to elevate their work and navigate through issues facing writers. Anna Medaris is a freelance health and lifestyle journalist with nearly 15 years of experience writing features, narratives, explainers, profiles, and news hits for publications including the Washington Post, Business Insider, Cosmopolitan, Women's Health, US News & World Report, Vox, Everyday Health, Monitor on Psychology, and others. She left staff jobs to go freelance full-time for the first time in June 2023. Anna is passionate about, and skilled in, telling sensitive human-interest stories (from heartbreaking tales of maternal suicide to light-hearted exposes of runners' digestive issues), critiquing quirky cultural trends (from White Claw to cold plunges to "biological age" tests), and answering questions you didn't know you had (what does "skoliosexual" mean? Can you cure an "emotional hangover?" Is "resting bitch face" real?). Anna has appeared as a health expert and commentator on the "TODAY Show," "Good Morning America," Hulu's "Age of Influence," and many local TV and radio stations. A champion for journalism and community, she serves as the New York City chapter lead of the Association of Healthcare Journalists; the VP of Communications for the Deadline Club, the Society of Professional Journalists' local chapter; and as a writing coach through the New York Writing Room. Anna is a proud University of Michigan alum, recreational triathlete, and beer enthusiast who lives in Brooklyn with her husband and basset hound, Lou Longbody. In this episode: Estelle delves into 3 issues that Anna Medaris is confronting at the mid-point of her career [1:18] Anna's present and future publishing goals [6:41] How she found guidance and community through Freelance Writing Direct [6:47] Estelle Edge on showing voice, expanding publishing opportunities, navigating through a day to day job, and finding joy in the work [10:11] Connect with Anna Website: www.annamedaris.com Twitter, Instagram: @annamedaris Twitter: https://twitter.com/annamedaris Instagram: https://instagram.com/annamedaris Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-medaris/ 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 my newsletter. Sign up for Estelle's Micro Memoir Workshop with Writer's Digest on May 23 https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/making-your-mark-with-micro-memoir Sign up for Estelle's NYU class Writing Parenthood. She will work with you on articles, essays and pitches, plus offer editor intel. https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/courses/WRIT1-CE9225-writing-parenthood.html Connect with Estelle: Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://estelleserasmus.com/books/writing-that-gets-noticed/ Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus For a media-focused episode try Episode #67 How to Be a Media-Friendly Author https://estelleserasmus.com/67-how-to-be-a-media-friendly-author-with-paula-rizzo/ Read Estelle's latest blog post: A View from the Erma Bombeck Writer's Workshop https://estelleserasmus.com/a-view-from-the-erma-bombeck-writers-workshop/ Estelle's Latest Articles I'm Learning to Listen in New Ways (Shondaland) https://www.shondaland.com/live/family/a46102451/im-learning-to-listen-in-new-ways/ What to Do PreLaunch to Get Your Book Noticed (Writer's Digest) https://www.writersdigest.com/getting-published/what-to-do-pre-launch-to-get-your-book-noticed How to Resist the Temptation of AI When Writing (Wired) https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-resist-ai-temptation-writing/

Abigail Thomas has four children,12 grandchildren, two great grandchildren, eleven books, and a high school education. She was asked to leave Bryn Mawr freshman year when she told the Dean she was pregnant, and she never went back. She had always wanted to be a writer, but for a long time the closest she came was bopping around her kitchen to Paperback Writer, by the Beatles. When she was forty-eight, after an interesting adventure, when she got home, she left her ego outside, and began to write a story. It didn't work, but instead of crumpling it up saying "who do you think you are?" sat in a different chair, and another, and at the end of the afternoon, she had written a story. It was published in the Columbia Journal of Poetry and Prose. She had learned you have to keep at it. Writing is work of the best kind. She has written two short story collections, one novel and four works of non-fiction, including the memoirs Safekeeping; A Three Dog Life; What Comes Next and How to Like It; and a book about writing, Thinking about Memoir. Still Life at Eighty: The Next Interesting Thing is her latest memoir. In this episode: Finding inspiration in unlikely places [4:13] The allure of getting older [10:49] Deciding on writing from a side door to deal with difficult material [18:18] Abigail's go-to source for analyzing words [23:49] Tips for editing your work [28:29] Writing exercises she gives to her students [36:40] The requirement of ruthlessness in memoir [40:59] Connect with Abigail Thomas: Website: https://www.abigailthomas.net Books: https://www.abigailthomas.net/books/ Photo Credit : Jennifer Waddell 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 Micro Memoir Workshop with Writer's Digest on May 23 https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/making-your-mark-with-micro-memoir Sign up for Estelle's Writing Parenthood Class for NYU https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/courses/WRIT1-CE9225-writing-parenthood.html Sign up for Estelle's Personal Essay Class for Writer's Digest https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals Connect with Estelle: Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://estelleserasmus.com/books/writing-that-gets-noticed/ Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus For another episode focused on a top memoirist, episode #81 The Art of Shaping a Compelling Story Featuring Maggie Smith https://estelleserasmus.com/81-the-art-of-shaping-a-compelling-story-featuring-maggie-smith/ Estelle's New Articles I'm Learning to Listen in New Ways (Shondaland) https://www.shondaland.com/live/family/a46102451/im-learning-to-listen-in-new-ways/ What to Do PreLaunch to Get Your Book Noticed (Writer's Digest) https://www.writersdigest.com/getting-published/what-to-do-pre-launch-to-get-your-book-noticed How to Resist the Temptation of AI When Writing (Wired) https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-resist-ai-temptation-writing/

Kim Rittberg is an award-winning digital marketer and thought leader who helps professionals become thought leaders and businesses become brands through video & podcasts. She is the founder of Video Boot Camp and spent 15 years as a media executive at Netflix, PEOPLE Magazine, in TV News and launched the first-ever video unit for Us Weekly magazine and was integral in its $100 million sale. She now applies that to business owners to grow their income, leads & credibility. Kim has been featured in Business Insider and Forbes and contributes to Fast Company, is a speaker across the country including at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Convention, Fast Company Innovation Festival and guest lectures at Syracuse University. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School. She also hosts the top 1% podcast The Exit Interview with Kim Rittberg and is a judge for the Webbys and Anthem Awards. Kim's podcast was spurred by her decision to quit corporate and launch her own business after working in the hospital while giving birth to her second child. The podcast helps self-employed people bet on themselves and win with founders' stories and tangible concrete advice as well as solo mini-masterclass marketing episodes. Fun fact: Kim spent a year backpacking solo and used to perform improv comedy. Not at the same time obliviously. She also speaks Spanish. In this episode: How writers and authors should be leveraging video Common mistakes that writers and authors make How to pull wisdom nuggets from every genre to video The "Fast C's" to making content that connect with people Kim's PATCH method Connect with Kim: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimrittberg/ YouTube http://youtube.com/@kimrittbergcontent?sub_confirmation=1 Instagram: http://instagram.com/kimrittberg/ Grab Kim's Free Tips to Make Magnetic Video that Grows Your Revenue + a bonus How to Be Confident on Camera & Public Speaking: https://www.kimrittberg.com/newsletter Kim's Podcast: Listen to The Exit Interview with Kim Rittberg here: https://link.chtbl.com/NQd2mLmU Kim's website: https://www.kimrittberg.com/ FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode #81 at https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for my newsletter. Sign up for Estelle's Micro Memoir Workshop with Writer's Digest on May 23 https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/making-your-mark-with-micro-memoir Estelle's Episode on The Exit Interview with Kim Rittberg https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-exit-interview-with-kim-rittberg/id1629467633?i=1000651296866 Connect with Estelle: Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://estelleserasmus.com/books/writing-that-gets-noticed/ Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus For another media-focused episode try Episode #67 How to Be a Media-Friendly Author https://estelleserasmus.com/67-how-to-be-a-media-friendly-author-with-paula-rizzo/ Estelle's New Articles I'm Learning to Listen in New Ways (Shondaland) https://www.shondaland.com/live/family/a46102451/im-learning-to-listen-in-new-ways/ What to Do PreLaunch to Get Your Book Noticed (Writer's Digest) https://www.writersdigest.com/getting-published/what-to-do-pre-launch-to-get-your-book-noticed How to Resist the Temptation of AI When Writing (Wired) https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-resist-ai-temptation-writing/

Maggie Smith is the New York Times bestselling author of seven books of poetry and prose, including You Could Make This Place Beautiful, Good Bones, Goldenrod, Lamp of the Body, The Well Speaks of Its Own Poison, and Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change. Her newest book is My Thoughts Have Wings, a picture book for children, illustrated by Leanne Hatch. Smith's poems and essays have appeared in the New York Times, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, TIME, The Nation, The Atlantic, and The Best American Poetry. She lives with her two children in Columbus, Ohio. In this episode: How Maggie came up with the idea for her children's book The metaphor that Maggie used throughout the book Finding collaboration in every stage of the process Maggie's writing and structuring process for her works Surprising writing advice for memoirists or writers working their craft Connect with Maggie: Website: https://maggiesmithpoet.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/maggiesmithpoet X: https://twitter.com/maggiesmithpoet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maggiesmithpoet Substack: https://maggiesmith.substack.com Get her books: https://bookshop.org/lists/authors-who-have-appeared-on-freelance-writing-direct FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode #81 at https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for my newsletter. Connect with Estelle: Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://estelleserasmus.com/books/writing-that-gets-noticed/ Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus Estelle's New Articles I'm Learning to Listen in New Ways (Shondaland) https://www.shondaland.com/live/family/a46102451/im-learning-to-listen-in-new-ways/ What to Do PreLaunch to Get Your Book Noticed (Writer's Digest) https://www.writersdigest.com/getting-published/what-to-do-pre-launch-to-get-your-book-noticed How to Resist the Temptation of AI When Writing (Wired) https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-resist-ai-temptation-writing/ Sign up for Estelle's Micro Memoir Workshop with Writer's Digest on May 23 https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/making-your-mark-with-micro-memoir

Amy Collins is an agent with the Talcott Notch Literary Services agency. She has over 30 years in the publishing industry and is a USA TODAY and WALL STREET JOURNAL bestselling author. She has spent her career working with Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, Target, Costco, Wal-Mart, as well as independent bookstores and libraries. Collins is a trusted speaker, and teacher, featured at conferences and in articles across the globe. In her agent role, Collins focuses on fantasy, horror, sci-fi, & romance. She lives and travels in a 40' bus and rides her motorcycle to meetings with editors and authors. In this episode: Amy's genre picks and why they work for her/her clients [3:59] The number one tool Estelle recommends her students use to research agents [6:02] The genre Amy finds tricky to work in and why [9:37] Her most successful books [11:55] Red flags that Amy notices before she signs someone [21:05] The specific areas Amy can assist when working with contracts and during the negotiation process [24:17] The ultimate rule for success in a creative field [30:34] Connect with Amy: Website: www.amysadvice.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/askamycollins X: https://twitter.com/askamycollins FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode #76 at https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for my newsletter. Connect with Estelle: Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://estelleserasmus.com/books/writing-that-gets-noticed/ Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus Estelle's New Articles I'm Learning to Listen in New Ways (Shondaland) https://www.shondaland.com/live/family/a46102451/im-learning-to-listen-in-new-ways/ What to Do PreLaunch to Get Your Book Noticed (Writer's Digest) https://www.writersdigest.com/getting-published/what-to-do-pre-launch-to-get-your-book-noticed How to Resist the Temptation of AI When Writing (Wired) https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-resist-ai-temptation-writing/ Sign up for Estelle's Micro Memoir Workshop with Writer's Digest on May 23 https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/making-your-mark-with-micro-memoir

Amy Ferris is an author, a writer, a screenwriter, an editor and a playwright. Her memoir, Marrying George Clooney, Confessions From a Midlife Crisis (Seal Press) was adapted into an Off-Broadway play in 2012. Amy has written for both the small screen (TV) and the big screen (Feature Films). As a screenwriter, she nominated for a Best Screenplay Award (BET, Black Reel Award) for her adaptation of the film, Funny Valentines (Director, Julie Dash) As an editor, she curated the anthology Shades of Blue, Writers on Depression, Suicide and Feeling Blue (Seal Press), and co-edited the anthology, Dancing at the Shame Prom (Seal Press). She co-authored Old School Love (HarperCollins, 2020) with Rev Run of RUN DMC fame. Amy serves on a variety of advisory boards supporting women and the Arts. She co-founded The Milford Readers & Writers Festival, is on the Advisory Board of the Women's Media Center (Founded by Jane Fonda, Gloria Steinem and Robin Morgan) and is on faculty at The Kauai Writer's Conference. in 2019 she was named one of Women's eNews 21 LEADERS FOR THE 21st CENTURY, in 2021 she was a recipient of NextTribe's The 12 Women Who Changed the World, and in 2022, Amy was awarded and honored by the Thoughtful Book Festival as Inspirational Woman in Media. Her new memoir, Mighty Gorgeous - A Little Book About Messy Love, is published by SheWritesPress. In this episode: Amy's search for self-worth [3:25] Using social media (particularly Facebook) to build community [4:48] The truth behind imposter syndrome [20:30] The power in writing with vulnerability [26.59] Where to get into a story for maximum impact [30.25] Connect with Amy: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054335055726 Book: Mighty Gorgeous https://www.amazon.com/Mighty-Gorgeous-Little-Book-About-Messy-Love/dp/1647425530 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ferris_a/ FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode #76 at https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for my newsletter. Connect with Estelle: Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://estelleserasmus.com/books/writing-that-gets-noticed/ Sign up for my Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus New Article Estelle Referred to I'm Learning to Listen in New Ways (Shondaland) https://www.shondaland.com/live/family/a46102451/im-learning-to-listen-in-new-ways/ New Article What to Do PreLaunch to Get Your Book Noticed (Writer's Digest) https://www.writersdigest.com/getting-published/what-to-do-pre-launch-to-get-your-book-noticed

William Kenower is the author of Everyone Has What It Takes: A Writer's Guide to the End of Self-Doubt, Fearless Writing: How to Create Boldly and Write With Confidence, and Write Within Yourself: An Author's Companion, and the Editor-in-Chief of Author magazine. In addition to his books he's been published in The New York Times, Writer's Digest, Edible Seattle, Parent Map, and has been a featured blogger for the Huffington Post. He also hosts the popular podcasts Author2Author, and Fearless Writing With Bill Kenower. In this episode: How Bill came up with the concept for his book [2:40] Following curiosity in your reading [12:20] Letting yourself write about what you want to write, without worrying about selling your writing [18:09] Advice for getting into the writing flow [16:54] Writing with the 'three narrative arcs.' [22:33] Bill's opinion on gatekeepers in this industry [29:31] Connect with Bill: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bill.kenower Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/wdbk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/williamkenower/ FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode #76 at https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for my newsletter. Connect with Estelle: Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://estelleserasmus.com/books/writing-that-gets-noticed/ Sign up for my Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus (Come see me every Monday at 7 pm for a live AMA)

Noah Michelson joins the Freelance Writing Direct podcast for the second time! Noah is the head of HuffPost Personal, which he launched in 2018, and the host of HuffPost's "Am I Doing It Wrong?" podcast. He received his MFA in Poetry from New York University, and has been featured on MSNBC, Fuse, Entertainment Tonight, and other outlets. In this episode: Writing personal stories and essays [6:25] Linking your writing to relevant events [9:30] How to create curiosity with your headlines [13:21] Story ideas that work for HuffPost Personal and topics they don't want [23:31] Noah's best tips for storytelling [32:32] The importance of trusting your editors [38:56] Connect with Noah: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noahmichelson/ X: http://www.twitter.com/noahmichelson Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noahmichelson1 Noah.Michelson@huffpost.com Co-host of HuffPost's Am I Doing It Wrong? podcast Essays Mentioned in This Episode This Woman's Controversial Obituary about Her Mom Caused Outrage but We Need More Like It. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/writing-honest-obituary-abuse-grief_n_65a8608ae4b041f1ce6498ac I Spent Weeks Near Death In The ICU. Asking My Doctors To Do This 1 Thing May Have Saved My Life: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rare-disease-girl-healthcare-advocate_n_65a86c22e4b00bbb446dd02b. My Blind Date Took Me to a Sex Club. Here's What Happened. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sex-club-what-its-really-like_n_5c6f0d3ae4b0e37a1ed63616 How 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' Has Saved My Marriage. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/curb-your-enthusiasm-marriage_n_65ae9fa5e4b0928ae79bffc4 I'm Asexual. This is What It's Like for Me to Date. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/asexual-dating_n_5d42ee6ce4b0ca604e2e11d1 FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode #77 at https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for my newsletter. Connect with Estelle: Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://estelleserasmus.com/books/writing-that-gets-noticed/ Sign up for my Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus