Listen:
Rachel Kramer Bussel and I connected years ago through social media. Though we haven’t yet met (but will soon), I have followed the explosion of her career, her bylines, and when she created her new magazine Open Secrets, which I shared with my students, and one has a piece forthcoming.
In This Episode
- Rachel shares why she transitioned from writing erotica and fiction to founding Open Secrets, a Substack magazine for personal essays
- The first piece of writing that made an impact on Rachel 30 years ago
- The reason personal storytelling works so well to foster connections
- The topics she covers on Open Secrets, now including climate change and our relationship with our belongings
- The editorial process behind Open Secrets and what Rachel looks for in submissions
- Rachel’s focus next year on submitting pieces for awards
- The programming for the upcoming Open Secrets Magazine Live, a one day summit on May 3, 2025
- The keynote speaker for Open Secrets Live who will bring a sense of nostalgia to most attendees
- The power of personal essays—what makes a strong piece stand out
- The role of humor in personal writing and why Rachel wants to publish more of it
Watch on YouTube
About Rachel Kramer Bussel
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.
Connect with Rachel
Registration Link for Open Secrets Magazine Live One Day Summit
Rachel’s piece on bankruptcy/debt for The New York Times referenced in this episode
They Were Ashamed About Their Debt. Bankruptcy Gave Them a Second Chance.
Connect with Estelle
Erasmus Estelle Erasmus: an award-winning journalist, is the author of WRITING THAT GETS NOTICED (named a “Best Book for Writers” by Poets & Writers Magazine), a Contributing Editor for Writer’s Digest, and host of the podcast Freelance Writing Direct. She is an adjunct instructor for NYU’s School of Professional Studies/Center for Publishing and Applied Liberal Arts, has written for over 150 publications, including The New York Times, Next Avenue/PBS, WIRED, The Independent,The Washington Post, and AARP: The Magazine, and was the editor-in-chief of five national publications. Follow her on Substack at https://estelleserasmus.substack.com
Her latest substack Post: My Predictions for Publishing in 2025
Estelle’s episode #119 focused on Publishing Trends in 2025
Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email [email protected] and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with.
Get Writing That Gets Noticed, named a Best Book for Writers by Poets & Writers Magazine.
Order Her Audiobook
Writing That Gets Noticed was selected as the Feb/March book for My WriteDay’s subscription box service of writing craft books! So honored! My WRITEDAY is a bi-monthly subscription box program that delivers curated products from authors, creators, and small businesses to readers in the US. It’s unique in that many products are sourced from writers who are also crafters and artisans.
Sign up for Estelle’s Substack(for craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests. Check out her post on the Editor of The Cut.
Sign up for her Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest
Student Work
Congrats to my NYU student Jodi H. Arndt for her searing and sad piece on Next Avenue that she workshopped during class: Losing My Mom, Even Though She’s Still Here.
* If you are interested in publishing on Next Avenue, this is episode #118 with Julie Pfitzinger, Managing Editor of Next Avenue
*Congrats to Deborah Copperud who was on my podcast getting coaching from me in an episode, and now has a viral piece on HuffPost Personal called I Spent Over $6,000 at Target Last Year. Here’s Why I’m Giving Up My Favorite Place to Shop.
This was Deborah’s coaching episode #115.
This is what Deborah said about my coaching,
Classes
Estelle’s private small Zoom classes are sold out for March 2025 and May/June 2025 (the May/June class sold out in 2 days). Email her at [email protected] to get on the list for her next class (in the Fall) and find out how to secure your spot.There are currently 2 spots left for her fiction class for September. She is also doing a nonfiction class.
Her newest NYU class now taking registrations is Writing About Your Life Through Memoir, Essays and Articles.
Sign up for her Webinar on April 24th from 1:00-2:30 pm ET for Writer’s Digest: Layering Throughlines and Timelines into Your Essays and Books to Pack a Punch. It will be generative, informational, and interactive.
Follow Estelle
This is my latest piece out in Next Avenue/PBS. It is connected to my memoir-in-progress.
I Was the ‘Dating Diva.’ Now I’m Married for 20 Years.
In the article I talk about what I got right and what surprised me. Photo, also in the article, is from back in the day.
Finally, snag your spot for the next editor-on-call event in partnership with NYU. Estelle will be in conversation with Willa Bennett, the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan and Seventeen magazines. Register here before space runs out.
