Listen:
In this solo episode from the Freelance Writing Direct archives, I break down real pitches to show what works, what doesn’t, and how to make your ideas more compelling to editors.
You’ll learn how to sharpen your hook, add the right details and research, show editors your access and expertise, and structure a pitch so they can immediately see how the story will come together. I also share examples from my own successful pitches and explains how small changes can make a big difference.
Get more pitching advice and a Pitch Clinic chapter in my book Writing That Gets Noticed.
Want more help creating pitches that get editors’ attention? Sign up for my newsletter and receive my free pitching guide.
In this episode:
- How to find and strengthen the hook in your pitch
- Why specificity, research, and expert access matter
- What to include when you don’t have perfectly matched clips
- How to structure a pitch so an editor can quickly see the story
- Ways to bring your voice and perspective onto the page
Get More From Estelle Erasmus
Latest Substack post: Detail with a Pulse to Make Your Writing Sing. A great detail doesn’t just describe a scene. It carries emotion, tension, character, or meaning. Here’s how to find the one detail that makes a scene come alive.
Plus, paid subscribers can send me up to three paragraphs for feedback.
Upcoming Writer’s Digest Webinar
What makes someone keep reading a memoir from the very first page?
Join me on October 29 for my live Writer’s Digest webinar, The First Five Pages: Making Your Memoir Impossible to Put Down. I’ll share strategies for crafting an opening that captures readers, agents, and editors from the start.
Meet Estelle at An Event
- AALA’s People of Publishing (NYC), September 30, 2026 (attending as press)
- Women’s Media Group panel (NYC), Memoir Plus: When Personal Stories Contain Multitudes, October 21, 2026
- Writer’s Digest Webinar, The First Five Pages: Making Your Memoir Impossible to Put Down, October 29, 2026
- Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) ( Chicago), March 17-20, 2027
Watch
Estelle’s TEDx Talk: How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond
Order My Book
Writing That Gets Noticed — named a Poets & Writers “Best Book for Writers.”
Listen/Watch
Freelance Writing Direct Podcast — 2026 Podcast of the Year, Business (American Writing Awards) https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast
About Estelle
Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist, TEDx speaker, and author of Writing That Gets Noticed. She is the host, founder, and executive producer of Freelance Writing Direct, an adjunct professor at NYU, and the former editor-in-chief of five national magazines with a combined reach of 10 million readers.
Her work has appeared in more than 150 publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, PBS/Next Avenue, The Independent, and AARP The Magazine.
Follow Estelle
Instagram: @EstelleSErasmus
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Twitter/X: @EstelleSErasmus
Bluesky: @estelleserasmus.bsky.social
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