#128 Crafting Cathartic Personal Essays with Rachel Kramer Bussel of Open Secrets Magazine

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-