Freelance Writing Direct with Estelle: Conversations with authors, journalists, agents, novelists, memoirists, niche writers, publishers, writing teachers, assigning editors and media experts.

In this episode: How to locate and verify images to use with your writing [4:05] What exactly is a photo license? [5:00] Free sources for writers to find pictures [10:10] Keywords to help find the best photos for your creative writing pieces [11:12] Specs to consider, such as color, composition and file size [15:11] How colors can impact the way people feel about your writing [15:11] How Nicole got into this niche industry [18:09] Nicole DiMella is a lifelong art student, working as a photographer, with photographers, and with photography her entire career. She believes pictures have the power to teach and is doing her small part to grow brains of all ages every day. With publishers such as Encyclopedia Britannica, National Geographic and Dorling Kindersley she consults on image research, copyright and permissions, and photo editing. She also works one-on-one with authors and other content creators to find and clear images for their projects. Nicole was going to be a rock photographer but instead lives in New Jersey and drives a minivan. Connect with Nicole: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ndimella/ Website: lemon-snap.com/ Connect with Estelle: Her website: https://estelleserasmus.com (sign up for her newsletter and receive her free pitching guide). Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://estelleserasmus.com/books/writing-that-gets-noticed/ Adjunct Instructor, NYU (Sign up for her latest classes) https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/1068-estelle-erasmus.html Her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus/ X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/EstelleSErasmus Threads: https://www.threads.net/@estelleserasmus Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social Estelle's Interview in Freedom with Writing: https://www.freedomwithwriting.com/freedom/uncategorized/interview-with-editor-author-estelle-erasmus/ Her Interviews for Inc. Magazine 17 Small Changes That Will Make Your Writing Irresistible, According to An NYU Writing Professor: https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/17-small-changes-that-will-make-your-writing-irresistible-according-to-an-nyu-writing-professor.html How Smart People Use the Empathy Rule to Make Sure Their Emails Get Read: https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/heres-how-smart-people-use-empathy-rule-to-make-sure-their-emails-get-read.html

In this episode: Teri's process for writing about herself in her book How a small every day moment can be universal through writing How Teri structured her book to encompass different topics The practice of elevating your readers with your writing Writing with humor. Why the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop registration is an appointment event Teri Rizvi is the founder and director of the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop at the University of Dayton, where she serves as executive director of strategic communications. She is the author of One Heart with Courage: Essays and Stories and the co-editor of Laugh Out Loud: 40 Women Humorists Celebrate Then and Now ... Before We Forget and Sisters!, Bonded by Love and Laughter, both published in conjunction with the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop. Her essay "Living in the Moment" appeared in Fast Fierce Women (Woodhall Press, 2022). Her essays and feature stories have appeared in USA Today, The Christian Science Monitor, The Guardian (London), University of Dayton Magazine and the Dayton Daily News, among other print and online media. Connect with Teri Website: https://teririzvi.com Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop: https://go.udayton.edu/erma Connect with Estelle: Her website: https://estelleserasmus.com (sign up for her newsletter and receive her free pitching guide). Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://estelleserasmus.com/books/writing-that-gets-noticed/ Adjunct Instructor, NYU (Sign up for her latest classes) https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/1068-estelle-erasmus.html Her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus/ X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/EstelleSErasmus Threads: https://www.threads.net/@estelleserasmus Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social Estelle's interview with Zibby Owens on Freelance Writing Direct https://estelleserasmus.com/36-zibby-owens-is-upending-the-publishing-world/ Estelle's Interview in Freedom with Writing: https://www.freedomwithwriting.com/freedom/uncategorized/interview-with-editor-author-estelle-erasmus/ Her Interviews for Inc. Magazine 17 Small Changes That Will Make Your Writing Irresistible, According to An NYU Writing Professor: https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/17-small-changes-that-will-make-your-writing-irresistible-according-to-an-nyu-writing-professor.html How Smart People Use the Empathy Rule to Make Sure Their Emails Get Read: https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/heres-how-smart-people-use-empathy-rule-to-make-sure-their-emails-get-read.html

In this episode: How Audrey came up with the idea of her book Girls and Their Monsters: The Genain Quadruplets and the Making of Madness in America [5:23] Audrey's process of writing about real life people from history [9:32] Advice for simplifying complex topics so the readers can understand it easier [11:42] Integrating research into writing [13:43] Tips for identifying the untold parts of stories and finding the lessons in them [23:21] Integrating societal issues in your writing [25:44] Audrey Clare Farley is a writer, editor, and scholar of twentieth-century American culture with special interests in science and religion. She earned a PhD in English literature at University of Maryland, College Park. She now teaches U.S. history at Mount St. Mary's University. She is the author, most recently, of Girls and Their Monsters: The Genain Quadruplets and the Making of Madness in America, which was reviewed in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Review of Books, Associated Press, and Times Literary Supplement. Her own essays have appeared in the Atlantic, New Republic, Washington Post, and many other outlets. She lives in Hanover, Pennsylvania. Connect with Audrey: Twitter: https://twitter.com/AudreyCFarley Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/audreycfarley/ Book: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/audrey-clare-farley/girls-and-their-monsters/9781538724477/?lens=grand-central-publishing Connect with Estelle: Her website: https://estelleserasmus.com (sign up for her newsletter and receive her free pitching guide). Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://estelleserasmus.com/books/writing-that-gets-noticed/ Adjunct Instructor, NYU (Sign up for her latest classes) https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/1068-estelle-erasmus.html Her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus/ X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/EstelleSErasmus Threads: https://www.threads.net/@estelleserasmus Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social Estelle's Interview in Freedom with Writing: https://www.freedomwithwriting.com/freedom/uncategorized/interview-with-editor-author-estelle-erasmus/ Her Interviews for Inc. Magazine 17 Small Changes That Will Make Your Writing Irresistible, According to An NYU Writing ProfessorL https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/17-small-changes-that-will-make-your-writing-irresistible-according-to-an-nyu-writing-professor.html How Smart People Use the Empathy Rule to Make Sure Their Emails Get Read: https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/heres-how-smart-people-use-empathy-rule-to-make-sure-their-emails-get-read.html

In this episode: The inspiration behind and evolution of Emily's book, Cost of Living [2:27] Emily's research process to get specific details for her essays [5:43] Writing about a broken system, and getting feedback from people with opposing views [10:05] How she details her personal medical experiences [13:17] The benefit of finding a supportive writing group [22:08] Her next book [25:15] Emily Maloney is the author of COST OF LIVING (Holt), a USA Today Best Book of 2022. Her work has also appeared in Glamour, Virginia Quarterly Review, Best American Essays, and the American Journal of Nursing, among others. In addition to her work as an EMT and ER tech, she has worked as a dog groomer, pastry chef, general contractor, tile setter, and catalog model and has sold her ceramics at art fairs. Maloney has twice been awarded a MacDowell Fellowship. She lives in Evanston, Illinois. Her next book, BURN THIS HOUSE DOWN, is forthcoming in 2025. Connect with Emily: Website: https://www.emilymaloney.net Substack: https://substack.com/@emilymaloney Connect with Estelle: Her website: https://estelleserasmus.com (sign up for her newsletter and receive her free pitching guide). Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://estelleserasmus.com/books/writing-that-gets-noticed/ Adjunct Instructor, NYU (Sign up for her latest classes) https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/1068-estelle-erasmus.html Her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus/ X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/EstelleSErasmus Threads: https://www.threads.net/@estelleserasmus Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social Estelle's Interviews for Inc. Magazine 17 Small Changes That Will Make Your Writing Irresistible, According to An NYU Writing Professor https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/17-small-changes-that-will-make-your-writing-irresistible-according-to-an-nyu-writing-professor.html How Smart People Use the Empathy Rule to Make Sure Their Emails Get Read: https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/heres-how-smart-people-use-empathy-rule-to-make-sure-their-emails-get-read.html

In this episode: Laura's expertise writing about food [2:43] Writing and interviewing in short sound bites [17:14] Working with editors [5:33] Tips for writing reader-friendly, inspirational stories [4:24] How to become the go-to expert in your industry or niche [11:46] Trendspotting to excel at writing and publishing [23:45] Laura Burak is a nationally recognized registered dietitian of over 20 years, a media spokesperson, published author, and freelance writer and recipe developer. Laura founded GetNaked® Nutrition with a mission to teach you how to ditch serial dieting and strip down to the simplicity of food and nutrition while also finding joy and pleasure from it, including lots of fun snacks and food finds. Although the majority of her time has been spent working in hospital and private practice settings, Laura has been an adjunct professor at NYU, frequently contributes to media outlets and is the founder of the online community and course GetNaked Prep School. Her most recent publication is a health and recipe book entitled Slim Down with Smoothies. Laura sits on the medical expert board for Eat This, Not That and is an ambassador for The Nutritious Life Studio. Most significantly, Laura is a mom to two kids who love to challenge her encouragement of green foods and lives in the Long Island suburbs outside the city. Laura keeps it realer than real when it comes to the craziness of your busy life and strives to create a positive, comfortable environment to discuss what can sometimes feel like daunting and sensitive topics. Connect with Laura: Instagram page: www.instagram.com/getnakednutrition Facebook page: www.facebook.com/lauraburaknutrition Website: https://www.lauraburaknutrition.com Get Naked Snack Bar Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getnakedsnackbar Get Laura's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Slim-Down-Smoothies-21-Day-Weight/dp/1646117077 Connect with Estelle: Her website: https://estelleserasmus.com (sign up for her newsletter and receive her pitching guide). Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: Available wherever books are sold at https://estelleserasmus.com/books/writing-that-gets-noticed/ Adjunct Instructor, NYU (Sign up for her latest classes) https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/1068-estelle-erasmus.html Her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus/ X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/EstelleSErasmus Threads: https://www.threads.net/@estelleserasmus Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social Estelle's article on Maximizing Book Launch for Writer's Digest https://www.writersdigest.com/getting-published/what-to-do-to-maximize-your-launch-week-and-get-your-book-noticed Estelle's interview with Sheryl Ziegler on Freelance Writing Direct: Getting the Sound Bite: A Media Expert Speaks about Interviews https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freelance-writing-direct/id1647429472?i=1000608731314

In this episode: What the non-profit organization Pen Parentis offers parents who are writers [3:34] Milda's best tips for staying productive and finding accountability [7:35] Actionable tips for finding a writing routine that works best for you [12:14] Being a creative person in a relationship and creating priorities [15:20] Writing tips for creatives [28:00] M. M. De Voe is an internationally published creator of short fiction and poetry and holds numerous writing awards in a broad range of genres including poetry, literary fiction, horror/fantasy, and creative nonfiction. De Voe also runs Pen Parentis, a literary nonprofit she founded in 2013 to help writers stay on creative track while raising children. She is the author of Book & Baby, a fun-to-read guide showing parents how to find the time, money and energy to devote to creative writing. The book is organized from infancy to grown-and-flown and includes personal anecdotes from various established authors. In 2021, it won first prize at the NextGen Indie Book Awards. Her debut story collection A FLASH OF DARKNESS just launched in 2023 and is available here. Reviewers have called her "a femme-Kafka." Connect with Milda: Website: mmdevoe.com website also has links to BOOK & BABY for purchase. Substack: mmdevoe.substack.com Medium: mmdevoe.medium.com X: Twitter.com/mmdevoe Facebook: Facebook.com/mmdevoe How to find Pen Parentis: Website: penparentis.org X: twitter.com/penparentis Instagram: instagram.com/penparentis Facebook: facebook.com/penparentis Photographer credit for Milda's headshot: Luba Grossman. Connect with Estelle: Her website: https://estelleserasmus.com (sign up for her newsletter and receive her pitching guide). Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: Available wherever books are sold at https://estelleserasmus.com/books/writing-that-gets- noticed/ Adjunct Instructor, NYU (Sign up for her latest classes) https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional- pathways/faculty/1068-estelle-erasmus.html Her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus/ X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/EstelleSErasmus Threads: https://www.threads.net/@estelleserasmus Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social

In this episode: Kathleen's experience writing about publishing and public relations for her substack Publishing Confidential and why those newsletter issues have gone viral. [3:08] Why is the publishing industry broken? [3:45] Kathleen's view on book tours, and why they might not be the best options for selling books. [15:26] How to create a strategy for your book launch. [17:11] The 411 on signing books at bookstores. [13:16] Best practices for leveraging substack. [17:21] As the Founder and CEO of Kathleen Schmidt Public Relations, she is a well-respected voice in book publishing with in-depth experience in all aspects of the industry, including as a publicist, literary agent, acquisitions editor, and ghostwriter. Her career encompasses 30 years of creating and directing impactful and strategic global media, marketing, and branding campaigns for politicians, A-List celebrities, athletes, and high-profile personalities. To date, she has worked on 50 New York Times bestsellers, and her clients have continuously appeared in top-tier national print, broadcast, and radio outlets such as The Today Show, Good Morning America, Vogue, Elle, Financial Times, Vanity Fair, GQ, and Sirius XM. Her fast-growing Substack newsletter, Publishing Confidential, shares her wealth of inside knowledge that she hopes will help demystify the book industry. Married with two children, she resides in New Jersey. Connect with Kathleen Schmidt: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathmschmidt/ Substack: https://substack.com/@kathleenschmidt Website: https://kmspr.com To watch the extended version of this interview, with Kathleen's recommendations on what to read, watch, buy and more to gain insight and information, become a paid subscriber to Estelle's substack: https://estelleserasmus.substack.com Connect with Estelle: Her website: https://estelleserasmus.com (sign up for her newsletter and receive her pitching guide). Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: Available wherever books are sold at https://estelleserasmus.com/books/writing-that-gets-noticed/ Adjunct Instructor, NYU (Sign up for her latest classes) https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/1068-estelle-erasmus.html Her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus/ X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/EstelleSErasmus Threads: https://www.threads.net/@estelleserasmus Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social Estelle's article on Maximizing Book Launch for Writer's Digest https://www.writersdigest.com/getting-published/what-to-do-to-maximize-your-launch-week-and-get-your-book-noticed

In this episode: How Kevin came up with the idea of writing Junior Miles and the Junkman [3:13] The transition of writing poetry to writing middle grade fiction [6:24] Writing compelling characters and taking them on a conflict-filled, dramatic journey [9:58] Tips for telling short stories in the literary journal Molecule in 50 words or less [13:27] Stealing fact from fiction [29:07] Revising and tightening up your writing [31:01] Kevin Carey is Coordinator of Creative Writing at Salem State University. Books include: The Beach People (2014), The One Fifteen to Penn Station (2012), Jesus Was a Homeboy (2016) which was an Honor book for the Paterson Literary Prize, & Set in Stone (2020). His poems have appeared on The Writers Almanac on National Public Radio three times and on The Academy of American Poets Poem a Day. Kevin is also a playwright and a filmmaker. He has co-directed & co-produced two documentaries about poets, All That Lies Between Us and Unburying Malcolm Miller. A crime novel, Murder in the Marsh, from Darkstroke Books, was released in October (2020). A new middle grade novel Junior Miles and the Junkman will be out in September of 2023 from Fitzroy Books / Regal House Publishing and a co-written poetry collection Olympus Heights (Lily Poetry Review) will hit in October of 2023. Kevincareywriter.com Connect with Kevin: Email: kcareywriter@gmail.com Website: kevincareywriter.com X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/kcarey127 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevincareywriter/ Connect with Estelle: Her website: https://estelleserasmus.com (sign up for her newsletter and receive her pitching guide). Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: Available wherever books are sold at https://estelleserasmus.com/books/writing-that-gets-noticed/ Adjunct Instructor, NYU (Sign up for her latest classes) https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/1068-estelle-erasmus.html Her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus/ X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/EstelleSErasmus Threads: https://www.threads.net/@estelleserasmus Blue Sky: @estelleserasmus.bsky.social

In this episode: How Claire's viral article led to her writing her book [2:32] Why Claire decided to add a memoiristic approach to this book, rather than just a journalistic approach [8:22] The process and structure of Claire's book [12:32] Claire's opinion on 'cancel culture' and how she approaches writing about it [18:58] Adding a humanizing element to the book through memoir [29:13] The importance of writing with scene [34:29] Claire Dederer is a bestselling memoirist, essayist, and critic. Her books include the national bestseller Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma and the critically acclaimed memoir Love and Trouble: A Midlife Reckoning, as well as Poser: My Life in Twenty-three Yoga Poses. Dederer is a longtime contributor to The New York Times. Her essays, criticism, and reviews have also appeared in The Paris Review, The Atlantic, The Nation, Vogue, and many other publications. She began her career as the chief film critic for Seattle Weekly. She is the recipient of a Hedgebrook residency and a Lannan Foundation residency. Connect with Claire: Website: https://www.clairedederer.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clairedederer/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/claire.dederer/ X: https://twitter.com/ClaireDederer Read Monsters: https://www.clairedederer.com/monsters Connect with Estelle: Her website: https://estelleserasmus.com (sign up for her newsletter and receive her pitching guide). Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: Available wherever books are sold at https://estelleserasmus.com/books/writing-that-gets-noticed/ Adjunct Instructor, NYU (Sign up for her latest classes) https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/1068-estelle-erasmus.html Her substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus/ X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/EstelleSErasmus Threads: https://www.threads.net/@estelleserasmus Blue Sky: @estelleserasmus.bsky.social

In this episode: The benefit of starting your story with a hook [3:09] Going from interviewing experts to becoming an expert [7:36] Her pivot from journalist to author [10:53] Writing about family in your book and the challenge of sharing their voices [13:57] Navigating covering a fraught topic like money in your book [7:36] Bobbi's favorite tips for organizing her writing/writing time [21:19] Bobbi Rebell, CFP® is the founder of Financial Wellness Strategies and the author of Launching Financial Grownups: Live Your Richest Life by Helping Your (Almost) Adult Kids Become Everyday Money Smart. She is a financial wellness advocate, the host of the Wellness for Financial Grownups podcast and the founder of GrownupGear.com. Bobbi was previously a global business news anchor and personal finance columnist at Reuters and held various journalist positions at top news outlets including CNBC, CNN and PBS. Connect with Bobbi: Website: https://www.bobbirebell.com Business Website: https://financialwellnessstrategies.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bobbirebell1/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbirebellkaufman/ Connect with Estelle: Her website: https://estelleserasmus.com (sign up for her newsletter and receive her pitching guide). Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: Available wherever books are sold at https://estelleserasmus.com/books/writing-that-gets-noticed/ Adjunct Instructor, NYU (Sign up for her latest classes) https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/1068-estelle-erasmus.html Her substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus/ X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/EstelleSErasmus Threads: https://www.threads.net/@estelleserasmus Blue Sky: @estelleserasmus.bsky.social