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

In this bite-sized solo episode, Estelle Erasmus shares her insider strategies for turning real-life moments into essays that stand out—and sell. From capturing grief or joy to finding the magic in the mundane, Estelle shows you how to shape your story, sharpen your angle, and give your writing the attention it deserves.

In this episode:

• H...

Estelle Erasmus chats with award-winning journalist Lanier Isom in a powerful coaching session about balancing voice, platform, and purpose across a writing life. They explore how to manage time, stay organized across genres, and breathe new meaning into a stalled book project—all while staying true to your voice.

In this episode:

• The chal...

Editor and author Michele Filgate returns with a powerful follow-up to her bestselling anthology What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About—this time turning the lens on fatherhood.

In this episode, Estelle Erasmus chats with Michele about the personal and professional transformations that shaped What My Father and I Don’t Talk About, how TikTok gave her earlier book a second life, and what it really takes to b...

If you’ve ever felt creatively stuck or invisible after becoming a mom, this conversation will speak to you. Nearly 15 years ago, a single storytelling show about motherhood sparked a nationwide movement—and it’s still going strong.

Here, we explore how Listen to Your Mother grew from one stage to 70, how the blogging boom birthed a wave of creative expression, and how vulnerability can turn into community...

AI is disrupting the writing industry—fast. But what does that mean for you as a freelance writer, content creator, or journalist?

In this Summer Shorts with Estelle solo episode, I share my editorial perspective on the recent Chicago Sun-Times controversy involving an AI-generated listicle that included fake book titles attributed to real authors.

You'll learn:

What does it mean to grow up in a world that doesn’t fully reflect your identity? In this episode, covering memoir, race, religion, the stories we’re told, and the ones we learn to write ourselves, Estelle Erasmus sits down with writer and memoirist Shannon Luders-Manuel, author of The One Who Loves You: A Memoir of Growing Up Biracial in a Black and White World. Shannon shares the deeply personal journey behind her me...

Submitting your work doesn’t have to feel like a mystery. In this episode, Estelle Erasmus is joined by Dennis James Sweeney, author of How to Submit: Getting Your Writing Published with Literary Magazines and Small Presses (New World Library). Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting out, this conversation offers a grounded and empowering look at how to navigate the literary submission process.

I...

What gives memoir its momentum—and its magic and what if the structure you’re resisting is exactly what your writing needs?

Before we dive in…✨New TEDx Talk! I share a deeply personal story—and the actionable lessons I teach at NYU and in Writing That Gets Noticed—in my TEDx Talk: How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond Please watch to the end (that’s what counts!), and if it resonates, I’d be so gra...

What does it mean to truly belong — and how do we find our way back to ourselves after unimaginable loss? In this episode,I talk with memoirist Casey Mulligan Walsh about grief, belonging, resilience, and the journey behind her powerful book The Full Catastrophe.

In this episode: 

• Casey’s path to writing The Full Catastrophe and how the th...

Jackie Goldschneider gets real about writing her powerful memoir The Weight of Beautiful, opening up about her lifelong battle with an eating disorder, her journey to recovery, and what it was really like turning her story into a book—on her own terms.

In this episode:

• Why Jackie chose not to use a ghostwriter for her memoir [5:25]