All Episodes

#190 Building a Memoir Around a Defining Moment with Jacque Gorelick

#189 Turning a Story of Escape Into a Powerful Memoir And Real Impact with Tia Levings

#188 Reclaiming "Selfish": On Craft, Creativity, and Braiding Truth into Memoir With Kerry Docherty

#187 People over Proposals with Literary Agent Sally Ekus

#186 Burn the Haystack: Decoding Men's Language, Power Moves, and Red Flags with Jennie Young

#185 The Rise of Authorpreneurship with Literary Agent Regina Brooks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#177 The Power of Narrative Tension with Peter Mountford

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

#175 From Mews(es) to Manuscript: How Inspired by Cats Became an Illustrated Literary Book

#174 Forgiveness Without Apologies. Writing a Mother-Daughter Memoir

#173 Writing Flawed Female Characters in Noir Fiction with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

#172 A Year in Motion: Writing, Teaching, and Publishing in Real Time

#171 Musings on Writing Through Uncertainty with Abigail Thomas

#170 Braiding Cultural Context into Your Memoir with Melissa Fraterrigo

#169 Finding the Line: How a Linear Structure Brought a Memoir Into Focus with Heather Sweeney

#168 The Making of A Modern Love Essay, "Negotiating the End of Us" with Leslie B. Blanchard

#167 Fairyland: A Transcendent Father–Daughter Story Finds New Life in Film with Alysia Abbott

#166 How to Write for Electric Literature with Editor-in-Chief Denne Michele Norris (Part 2)

#165 Giving Every Character Main Character Energy in Your Novel with Denne Michele Norris Part 1

#164 Writing the Restorative Memoir: Finding Meaning in the Messy Middle of Recovery with Mallary Tenore Tarpley

#163 Writing the Unresolved Story: Trying and Telling the Unvarnished Truth Featuring Chloé Caldwell

#162 Lessons from the People of Publishing Conference

#161 From Nonfiction to Paranormal Women's Fiction: Genre-Switching and the Freedom of Self-Publishing with Olga Mecking

#160 How Flash Nonfiction and Metaphor Turn Small Moments into Big Meaning with Sue William Silverman

#159 Writing the Body as Memoir with Nina B. Lichtenstein

#158 Kaila Yu on Fetishization, Feminism, and Memoir as Reckoning

#157 Inside the Mind of a Literary Agent: Sam Hiyate on Selling Books, Pitching, and Breaking Into Hollywood

#156 Finding Yourself After Faking It: Sari Botton on Memoir, Honesty, and Editing

#155 Breaking the Rules of Publishing with Jane Pratt: From Sassy to Substack

#154 How to Engineer Your Memoir with Wendy Dale

#153 Estelle's Edge: Repurpose and Revitalize: How to Turn Old Writing into New Essays, Articles, and Bylines

#152 Estelle's Edge on Going Viral: How to Protect Your Energy and Leverage the Moment

#151 Estelle's Edge on the 2025 U.S. Book Show: AI, Publishing, and the Future of Writing

#150 Coaching Episode: From Reported to Personal—Crafting and Pitching Essays That Sell

#149 SEO & Expert Positioning for Podcasters with Adam Schaeuble of Podcasting Business School

#148 How to Hook Readers by Planting Curiosity Seeds in Interactive Novels with Bianca Marais

#147 What Makes a Literary Agent Say Yes with Inkwell's Maria Whelan

#146 Solo Episode: Estelle's Edge on Shaping a TEDx Talk That Gets Seen

#145 Solo Episode: Estelle's Edge on Essays—Mining Your Life For Stories That Get Noticed

#144 Coaching Episode: Elevate Your Voice, Expand Your Reach

#143 What We Don't Talk About: Michele Filgate on Family, Loss, Love, and the Art of Editing Anthologies

#142 Giving Motherhood a Microphone: How Listen to Your Mother Became a Movement Featuring Ann Imig

#141 Solo Episode: Estelle's Edge on How AI Is Disrupting Content Marketing—And What Writers Should Do Next

#140 Growing Up in a Black-and-White World and the Truth Between the Lines Featuring Shannon Luders-Manuel

#139 How to Submit Your Writing to Literary Magazines and Get Published Featuring Dennis James Sweeney

#138 Making Memoir Peculiar—and Propulsive Featuring Dinty W. Moore

#137 Writing Through Rupture: Finding Belonging After Loss Featuring Casey Mulligan Walsh

#136 Writing Towards Recovery: Jackie Goldschneider on The Weight of Beautiful

#135 Query Letters, Persuasive Proposals, and Publishing Secrets Featuring Literary Agent Joëlle Delbourgo

#134 Writing a Memoir That's Also an Industry Exposé Featuring Hannah Selinger

#133 Writing the Book You Need to Read When You're Always Happy to Help Featuring Amy Wilson

#132 The Blurry Boundary Between Truth and Fiction in Women's Lives Featuring Nicole Graev Lipson

#131 The Flavor of Trauma: A Food Memoir Wrapped Around a Family Story Featuring Bonny Reichert

#130 Focus on Friendship Featuring Nina Badzin

#129 Intentional About Structure: Dual Timelines and POVs As a Bridge Featuring Jessica Strawser

#128 Crafting Cathartic Personal Essays with Rachel Kramer Bussel of Open Secrets Magazine

#127 Finding Scientific Angles on Any Story with The Open Notebook's Editor Siri Carpenter

#126 Rocking Your Radiance In Work and Play Featuring Becca Powers

#125 Parlaying Writing Into An Act of Reclamation Featuring Alyson Shelton

#124 Essays on Loneliness: Tethering An Isolated Writer To A Disconnected World Featuring Athena Dixon

#123 Writing About Trauma Using Timelines, Throughlines, and Imagery Featuring Christie Tate

#122 Crafting A Tsunami of Transformation in Memoir Featuring Hannah Sward

#121 A Deep Dive into Hachette's Legacy Lit Imprint Featuring Publisher, Krishan Trotman

#120 Writing Days of Wonder Featuring Caroline Leavitt

#119 Solo Episode: Estelle's Edge on Steering Through The Publishing Gauntlet

#118 Reflections on Writing for Next Avenue/PBS with Managing Editor Julie Pfitzinger

#117 The Magical Metamorphosis Of Character Development Featuring Ann Garvin

#116 Conversations with Abby: Ruminations on Writing Featuring Abigail Thomas

#115 Coaching Episode: Estelle's Edge on Crafting Notable Narratives

#114 Spotlighting Sibling Friction in Fiction Featuring Betsy Lerner

#113 Writing with Ambition Featuring Kristi Coulter

#112 On Being Jewish Now Featuring Caroline Leavitt and Annabelle Gurwitch

#111 Making Meaning While Writing Traumatic Stories As Catalysts for Change Featuring Lisa Cooper Ellison

#110 The Astrology House and Other Novel Touchstones with Carinn Jade

#109 The Critic's Daughter: Deploying Power Through Prose with Priscilla Gilman

#108 Anchoring Creativity While Writing with Heart, Soul & Pen Featuring Robin Finn

#107 Staying On Brand While Shaping, Shifting, and Sharing Your Story Featuring Aliza Licht

#106 Forays Into The Surreal Juxtaposition of Fiction and Fact in a Novel Featuring Ruth Bonapace

#105 A Look Inside Publishing: Hybrid, Audiobooks, AI and More Featuring Jane Friedman

#104 How to Write a Memoir or Novel that is a Page Turner Featuring Wade Rouse aka Viola Shipman

#103 Launching Into New Dimensions with Embodied Writing Featuring Jeannine Ouellette

#102 Writing Scenes Shaped Around Sensory Experience Featuring Rona Maynard

#101 The Makings of a "Hysterical" Story Featuring Elissa Bassist

#100 The Pleasure, Practice and Purpose of Writing Micro-Memoir Featuring Beth Ann Fennelly

#99 Notes From a Lifestyle Journalist with Nearly 10K Followers on Substack Featuring Aly Walansky

#98 Insights on ASJA and the 2024 Virtual Conference from President, Emily Paulsen

#97 Exploring Biblical Tales Through a Feminist Lens Featuring Sally Wiener Grotta

#96 Writing and Elevating a Suspense Novel Featuring Jessica Strawser

#95 The Catalysts and Craft for Charting and Plotting Novels featuring Ann Hood

#94 Writing Our Stories in Sharp Relief Featuring Sue William Silverman

#93 Crafting Memoir Fueled by Metaphor, Movement, and Mapping Featuring Mimi Zieman

#92 Writing A Memoir in Feelings, Flashes and Fragments Featuring Lara Lillibridge

#91 Book Publisher Lisa Sharkey On Hot Topics, and Her Harper (Collins) Influence

#90 Bonus Episode: Estelle's Edge on the U.S. Book Show 2024

#89 Level Up Your Novel By Mastering Visual Imagery and Research featuring Amanda Churchill

#88 The Founder of HARO, Peter Shankman, A Hero to Journalists on Deadline, Launches Source of Sources

#87 Writing Memoir That Reads Like A Novel And Captivates On Every Page Featuring Joanna Rakoff

#86 The Way of an Author and Illustrator: Finding Inspiration in Art Featuring Bob Eckstein

#85 Jumping Genres in Writing, and Advice on Successfully Submitting to AWP Featuring Melissa Hart

#84 Estelle's Edge: Coaching To Get Your Writing Noticed with Guest Anna Medaris

#83 Writing Your Way Into An Engaging and Enthralling Story Featuring Abigail Thomas

#82 Showcase Your Writer's Vision and Voice with Video to Make an Impact Featuring Kim Rittberg

#81 The Art of Shaping a Compelling Story Featuring Maggie Smith

#80 When You Want a Literary Agent Who Has Your Back Featuring Amy Collins

#79 Being Vulnerable on the Page and Finding Empathy in Your Heart Featuring Amy Ferris

#78 No One Is Broken & Everyone Has What It Takes with William Kenower

#77 Writing Personal Stories with HuffPost Personal's Noah Michelson

#76 Working with an Literary Agent with Rita Rosenkranz

#75 Charting the Trends in Publishing

#74 How to Write And Structure a Health/Wellness Book with Megy Karydes

#73 Writing About The Spirit World with Tara Sutphen

#72 The Benefits of Publishing with a Small Press Like Motina Books Publishing

#71 Pitching to Editors | Examples & Advice with Estelle Erasmus

#70 Writing a YA Romance Novel with Jennifer Chen

#69 A Chat with The Editorial Director of New World Library

#68 Dream Big and Win with Liz Elting

#67 How to be a Media Friendly Author with Paula Rizzo

#66 2023 End of Year Recap with Estelle Erasmus

#65 How to Talk to Kids About Anything with Dr. Robyn Silverman

#64 Crafting Neurodivergent Characters in Children's Books with Jen Malia

#63 Witchy Writing with Author/Podcaster Bianca Marais

#62 A Walk Through Writer's Digest with Editor-in-Chief, Amy Jones

#61 All About Mom Rage with Minna Dubin

#60 Shutter Secrets: Searching for and Using Photos in Your Writing

#59 All About Teri Rizvi and The Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop

#58 Writing about Historical Subjects with Audrey Clare Farley

#57 Writing about the Medical Industry and the Cost of Living with Emily Maloney

#56 Writing About Food with Nutritionist Laura Burak

#55 Productivity and Parenting with Milda De Voe

#54 Behind Publishing Confidential with Kathleen Schmidt

#53 From Poetry to Middle Grade Fiction to Molecule with Kevin Carey

#52 A Conversation with Claire Dederer About Monsters

#51 Money Matters and Launching Financial Grownups with Bobbi Rebell

#50 On Good Authority with Platform Building Expert Anna David

#49 Making the Most of Publishing with a Small Press with Alle C. Hall

#48 A Deep Dive into Narratively with Brendan Spiegel

#47 The Way Life and Writing Should Be with William Dameron

#46 Writing & Editing Parenting Stories with Holly Rizzuto Palker

#45 Writing Women Are The Fiercest Creatures with Andrea Dunlop

#44 Telling Your Stories Without Shame or Apology with Author Allison Hong Merrill

#43 Writing a Bestselling Book & Making Mistakes with Dr. Michele Borba

#42 Talking Polling and Politics with Professor Art Swift

#41 Harris Faulkner and How Faith Still Moves Mountains

#40 My Father's List with Author Laura Carney

#39 The Literary Gifts of Kelly McMasters' The Leaving Season

#38 Cheryl Strayed on Writing and Tiny Beautiful Things

#37 Writing On Fire Island with Jane L. Rosen

#36 Zibby Owens is Upending the Publishing World with her Books, Company, and Vision

#35 Flying High with Storyteller Ann Hood

#34 Boundless Craft: Writing and Editing Tips with Dawn Raffel

#33 My What If Year with author Alisha Fernandez Miranda

#32 Parallel Lives: Meshing Journalism Skills into Fiction Writing with Vanessa Hua

#31 Getting Your Writing Career in Gear When on A Tight Deadline with Linda Lowen

#30 Travel Writing and Society of American Travel Writers with Kim Foley MacKinnon

#29 Getting the Sound Bite: A Media Expert Speaks About Interviews with Sheryl Ziegler

#28 How a Poet Gathered a Half Million TikTok & Instagram Followers with Shelby Leigh

#27 Working Remote: The Freelance Lifestyle with Stacey Freed

#26 Getting Edited with Brevity's Allison K. Williams

#25 Getting Personal with HuffPost Personal's Noah Michelson

#24 Getting WIRED, Seen Heard and Paid with Editor, Alan Henry

#23 More After the Break with News Anchor Jen Maxfield

#22 Freelance Tech Writing with Michelle Rafter

#21 Legal Writing with Tami Kamin Meyer

#20 Growing a Garden Specialty with Teresa Woodard

#19 Don't Sleep on Your Writing with Lisa L. Lewis

#18 Repurposing Writing Though Reprints: A Hidden Niche for Passive Income and Found Money with Cheryl Maguire

#17 Cults, Memoir, and Motivation with author Ronit Plank

#16 The Year of the Horses and Books with Courtney Maum

#15 Analyzing Pitches and Attracting an Editor's Attention

#14 Humor Writing and Wearing Tunics with Wendi Aarons

#13 Getting the Gigs and the Glory: Maximizing Your Freelance Profits

#12 From Columnist to Author: Career Self Care with Minda Zetlin

#11 A Nurse Finds Her Writing Niche

#10 A Writing Evolution with Polly Campbell

#9 Crafting Powerful Personal Essays

#8 Dying to Write: Tales & Tips from a Death Doula

#7 When Writing: What to Reveal & How to Conceal

#6 Nurturing Your Writer's Soul with Andrea King Collier

#5 "Unretirement" with Richard Eisenberg

#4 From Books to TED Talk: Pivoting Through Topics and Finding Your Focus with Jeanette Hurt

#3 From Book to Screen: Optioning your Writing with Jack El-Hai

#2 Writing About Mental Health and Wellness, While Taking Care of Yourself as a Writer featuring Psychologist and Freelance Writer, Dr. Juli Fraga

#1 Start Your Freelance Writing Career! About Your Hosts, Sherry Paprocki and Estelle Erasmus

Welcome to the Freelance Writing Direct podcast