Estelle

#185 The Rise of Authorpreneurship with Literary Agent Regina Brooks

Freelance Writing Direct chats with literary agent Regina Brooks about how publishing is shifting, what agents are really looking for, and how writers can build momentum in today’s marketplace.… Read More

#184 From Silence to Story: Writing a Hostage Memoir 50 Years Later

She was taken hostage at 20 and didn’t tell the full story for decades. In this episode, Mimi Nichter shares with Freelance Writing Direct how she finally faced the past on the page, and what it takes to write about trauma with honesty, distance, and emotional depth.… Read More

#183 Don’t Give Up on Ghostwriting. What Still Pays and What’s Dead

Don’t give up on ghostwriting. Give up on outdated approaches. In this episode of Freelance Writing Direct, I share what’s working now and how to position yourself for better clients and higher fees.… Read More

#182 The A-Z of AWP: Insider Tips for Writers Attending the Conference

What is it really like to attend AWP? In this episode, Estelle Erasmus shares behind-the-scenes insights from moderating a standing-room-only panel along with practical tips for preparing, networking, and navigating the conference with confidence.… Read More

#181 From Ashram to Author: Finding the Transformative Thread in a Near Cult Memoir with Blair Glaser

Freelance Writing Direct talks to author Blair Glaser about turning trauma into triumph, portraying depression honestly on the page, writing without journals, and finding the deeper thread that shapes a life story.… Read More

#180 Unlearning Childhood Lessons and Reinventing a Memoir with Anna Rollins

Freelance Writing Direct chats with Anna Rollins about what it takes to confront the beliefs that shaped you and transform that reckoning into a publishable memoir.… Read More

Would Love to Say Hello at AWP 2026 in Baltimore

Are you heading to AWP in Baltimore? Here’s where I’ll be, what I’m teaching, and how to navigate the literary and mainstream divide without burning out.… Read More

Building Resonance: The “Echo Effect” Webinar and a New Free Editor-on-Call Event

In this post, I share details about my Writer’s Digest webinar on the Echo Effect and a free NYU Editor-on-Call conversation with a top editor who pulls back the curtain on craft and submissions.… Read More

#179 Writing from the Scar: Conscious Craft Choices with Jocelyn Jane Cox 

Debut memoirist Jocelyn Jane Cox joins Freelance Writing Direct to unpack the conscious craft choices behind her award-winning memoir, from structuring it around a single day to revising it fourteen times, cutting 13,000 words, and navigating the traditional publishing landscape before finding the right small press home.… Read More

#178 From Viral Essay to Memoir Plus: Writing Longing into a Book Deal with Amanda McCracken

Freelance Writing Direct chats with author, Amanda McCracken about turning a viral essay into memoir plus, writing longing, getting an agent, building a platform, and the grit behind landing a book deal.… Read More

#177 The Power of Narrative Tension with Peter Mountford

Peter Mountford joins Freelance Writing Direct for a chat about narrative tension, moral pressure, revising earlier work with a teacher’s eye, and why a single charged moment can sometimes move readers more than an entire story arc.… Read More

#176 The Domino Effect of Plot: Writing Emotionally Complex Characters with Tova Mirvis

Freelance Writing Direct chats with Tova Mirvis about the slow burn of narrative tension, the emotional undercurrents that drive fiction forward, and the discipline required to revise toward clarity and depth.… Read More