On June 3rd, I attended the 2025 U.S. Book Show at the New York Academy of Medicine—an inspiring gathering of more than 800 editors, authors, agents, and publishing leaders. Attending the show always reminds me why I fell in love with this industry in the first place, and spent years curating book excerpts for the publications I edited.

In this solo episode, I’m bringing you behind the scenes—with takeaways from powerhouse speakers like Jonathan Karp (CEO of Simon & Schuster) and David Shelley (CEO of Hachette Book Group), and reflections from my own 30+ years navigating the ever-evolving world of publishing.

There was a lot of talk about AI, algorithms, and shifting platforms. But what struck me most was this: the human voice—your voice—is still what cuts through the noise.

In This Episode

• Why publishing with the Big Five is different now than it was decades ago—and how large publishers are supporting indie presses in a surprising way

• The growing importance of mentorship, real-life connections, and saying yes to in-person conversations

• How writers can grow their platforms in meaningful, sustainable ways—outside the pressure cooker of social media

• Why gut instinct, editorial intuition, and heart still matter in a world increasingly run by data

Watch on YouTube

Related Episodes

#141 Estelle’s Edge On How AI is Disrupting Content Marketing

#119 Estelle’s Edge on Steering Through the Publishing Gauntlet

#90 Estelle’s Edge on the U.S. Book Show 2024

Webinar

Here is the link to Mapping Your Memoir: How to Find the Heart and Shape of Your Story, the webinar I am leading for Writer’s Digest on October 9th.

Classes

I have two more spots available for my September/October 6 week fiction Zoom class. Email freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com for more info and put Zoom fiction class in the subject line.

Read My Latest Article on Next Avenue

• Read How to Use the Internet to Become Your Own Private Investigator (Next Avenue/PBS)

Student Work

• Read Happy to Be ‘Grandma‘, Leslie Blanchard’s poignant piece in Next Avenue/PBS

TEDx Talk 

And if you haven’t yet—please watch my TEDx Talk:
🎥 How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond

In my Talk,  I share how a chaotic moment with the beloved children’s character, Thomas the Tank Engine became the spark for my message on standing out—on the page and beyond, and share the successful tips and tricks and strategies I cover in my teaching guaranteed to get you noticed.

And check out episode #145 Where I talk about how to shape  a TEDx Talk, in the first of several episodes related to my Talk

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 instructor at NYU, she’s written for over 150 outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, PBS/Next Avenue, The Independent, and AARP: The Magazine, and has served as editor-in-chief of five national magazines.

✨ Explore More:
📚 Writing That Gets Noticed – Buy the Book | Listen to the Audiobook
📬 Subscribe on Substack – Craft tips, pitch advice & exclusive podcast extras. Latest post Stop Counting Your Words. Start Shaping Your Story and  How to Get Published in Cosmopolitan or Seventeen
🎧 Freelance Writing Direct – Interviews, insights & behind-the-scenes publishing tips 

Follow Estelle:
📸 Instagram | 🎵 TikTok | 🐦 Twitter | 🌐 BlueSky