Freelance Writing Direct with Estelle

In this episode, Estelle Erasmus and Sherry Paprocki spoke with editor/author, Alan Henry.  Alan Henry is the author of Seen, Heard, and Paid: The New Work Rules for the Marginalized. He is a service journalist and editor who writes and commissions stories that help readers make better use of technology and embrace a healthier relationship with it in their lives. He is currently the special projec...

In this episode, Estelle Erasmus speaks with News Anchor, Jen Maxfield. Jen Maxfield is an Emmy-award-winning reporter and anchor for NBC New York in 2013. Prior to joining the station, she worked for Eyewitness news as a reporter and substitute anchor for 10 years. She started her broadcasting career in 2000 in upstate New York and moved to the city in 2002. She has reported live from 1000s of ne...

In this episode, Sherry Paprocki speaks with Michelle Rafter. Michelle has spent her career writing about business and technology, first as a newspaper reporter, then as a freelance reporter, columnist, and editor for national and local publications. Today, she ghostwrites books, research reports, and thought leadership articles on business, enterprise technology, and the future of work for CEOs a...

In this episode, Estelle Erasmus and Sherry Paprocki speaks with Tami Kamin Meyer.  Tami is an attorney and freelance writer based in Columbus Ohio. She writes primarily about law, business, cannabis, health, and travel for Forbes, MarketWatch, Better Homes and Gardens, Next Avenue, Your Teen, National Trial Lawyer, and Ohio Magazine, to name a few. She is an active member of the American Society...

In this episode, Sherry Paprocki speaks with Teresa Woodard.   Teresa Woodard is a writer and field editor for regional and national consumer magazines and their digital outlets. She is contributing garden editor at Midwest Living magazine, content creator for an online plant store, co-author of American Roots: Reimagining Our Home Gardens (Timber Press; Fall 2022) and a another garden book (Timbe...

In this episode, Estelle Erasmus and Sherry Paprocki speak with Lisa L. Lewis.  Lisa L. Lewis is the author of The Sleep-Deprived Teen: Why Our Teenagers Are So Tired, And How Parents And Schools Can Help Them Thrive, described as "a call to action" by Arianna Huffington and "an urgent and timely read" by Daniel H. Pink. The book is an outgrowth of her previous work on the topic, including her rol...

In this episode, Estelle Erasmus speaks with Cheryl Maguire about repurposing writing through reprints.   Cheryl Maguire holds a Master of Counseling Psychology degree. She is married and is the mother of boy/girl twins and a daughter. Her writing has been published in  The New York Times, National Geographic, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Parents Magazine, AARP  and many other publicatio...

In this episode, Estelle Erasmus and Sherry Paprocki speak with Ronit Plank, a writer, editor, and teacher. Ronit has been published in The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Rumpus, Hippocampus, Writer's Digest, The Iowa Review, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. She is the host/producer of the podcast Let's Talk Memoir and a nonfiction editor at The Citron Review. Her first book is the memo...

In this episode, Estelle Erasmus and Sherry Paprocki speak with Courtney Maum.  Courtney is the author of five books, including the groundbreaking publishing guide that Vanity Fair recently named one of the ten best books for writers, BEFORE AND AFTER THE BOOK DEAL and the memoir THE YEAR OF THE HORSES, chosen by The Today Show as the best read for mental health awareness. A writing coach, executi...

In this episode, Estelle Erasmus and Sherry Paprocki talk about what to do to make pitches resonate with an editor, and review pitches submitted by Estelle's students, sharing what works, what doesn't, and how to revise to get accepted.   In this episode: The difference between a pitch and a more formal query letter.  Tips for sending a pitch to an editor in today's world.  Real-time review of ano...

In this episode, Estelle Erasmus and Sherry Paprocki speak with Wendi Aarons, an award-winning humor writer.  Wendi's work has appeared in The New Yorker Daily Shouts, McSweeney's Internet Tendency , US Weekly Fashion Police, Scary Mommy , BuzzFeed , Huffington Post , Wall Street Journa l, and various other outlets. She is the author of the middle-grade book Ginger Mancino, Kid Comedian " and the...

In this episode, Estelle Erasmus interviews Sherry Paprocki about how to maximize your freelance profits. Whether you are a beginner writer, or already have freelance clients, this episode will be really helpful for you.  Sherry is a top professional in publishing, and a branding and publishing strategist. She is the president of R.S. Rock Media Inc. In 2018, Sherry was honored twice by Folio as o...

In this episode, Estelle Erasmus and Sherry Paprocki speak with Minda Zetlin. Minda is the author of her new book Career Self-Care and writes the highly popular "Laid-Back Leader" column for Inc. Her articles and workshops offer research-backed advice to help ambitious people get the most out of their careers and their lives. She is the author or coauthor of several books, most recently The Geek G...

In today's episode, Sherry Paprocki and Estelle Erasmus speak with Jennifer L.W. Fink. Jennifer is a registered nurse turned writer, podcaster, and "boy expert" - yes, you read that right! Jennifer is the founder of Building Boys and the author of "Building Boys: raising great guys in a world that misunderstands males" which will be released in spring. She also co-hosts the Building Boys podcast a...

In this episode, Sherry Paprocki and Estelle Erasmus speak with Polly Campbell. Polly started out as a freelance writer, and evolved her career into one that involves podcasting, writing books, and a lot of other things.  Polly is the author of  You, Recharged: How to Beat Fatigue (Mostly), Amp Up Your Energy (Usually), and Enjoy Life Again, (Always )  and other books. She has written hundreds of...

In today's episode, Sherry Paprocki interviews Estelle Erasmus on crafting powerful personal essays. Estelle teaches writing at NYU, Writer's Digest, in one on one coaching, and in writers' conferences nationwide, including at the ASJA Conference, Writer's Digest Conference, Hippocamp, and more. She is the special judge for the Writer's Digest personal essay contest for 2022.  Her writing and coac...

In this episode Estelle Erasmas and Sherry Paprocki speak with Tess Clarkson, a death doula. Tess practiced financial regulation law in New York, danced in Riverdance on Broadway, and performed in Michael Flatley's productions across North America and in London. She holds a B.A. from Loyola University Chicago, earned a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law, and attended the City University of...

In today's episode Estelle Erasmus and Sherry Paprocki discuss the topic of writing about people.  This is a topic that Estelle and Sherry really know a lot about since both of them have written stories about people in their life. They discuss their best tips for do and don'ts when it comes to writing about others.  A famous writer once said "If people wanted you to write well about them they shou...

In this episode Estelle Erasmus and Sherry Paprocki speak with Andrea King Collier.  Andrea is an award-winning author, journalist and photographer based in Lansing, Michigan.  Much of Andrea's work focuses on health equity and health policy. She is an award-winning essayist and memorist. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, Essence, O the Opera Magazine, AARP magazine, Next Avenue and ma...

In this episode, Estelle Erasmus and Sherry Paprocki speak with Richard Eisenberg.  In January of 2022, Rich "Unretired".  Rich is a freelance personal finance writer and editor and co-host of the "Friends Talk Money" podcast. Most recently, he was managing editor of Next Avenue site, and editor of its Money & Policy and Work and Purpose channels. He is author of How to Avoid a Mid-Life Financial...

In this episode Estelle Erasmus and Sherry Paprocki speak with Jeanette Hurt, an award-winning author, culinary historian and TEDx speaker. She has written 15 books, including The Unofficial Aldi Cookbook , Drink Like A Woman , Cauliflower Comfort , and Wisconsin Cocktails . Jeanette also regularly contributes stories and recipes to dozens of magazines, websites and content companies. When she's n...

In this episode, Sherry Paprocki and Estelle Erasmus speak with Jack El-Hai, the author of 14 books. Jack writes nonfiction books, longform narratives, podcasts, and the free monthly Damn History newsletter for writers and readers of popular history. He covers history, medicine, science, crime, and anything else that hooks him and he thinks will also hook his audience.  Jack also helps physicians...

In today's episode, Estelle Erasmus and Sherry Paprocki speak with Dr. Juli Fraga, a psychologist and freelance writer in San Francisco. They talk about how Dr. Fraga's psychology background informs her writing.  As a psychology major, Dr. Fraga was fascinated by the complexities of human behavior, especially how our life experiences influence how we relate to ourselves, as well as to others. Whil...

In this episode, Sherry Paprocki and Estelle Erasmus share their stories of how they got started as freelance writers.  Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist, writing coach, and longtime ASJA member. She is an adjunct writing professor at New York University and writes the "All About the Pitch" column for Writer's Digest. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, T...

Welcome to the Freelance Writing Direct podcast.  Join Estelle Erasmus and Sherry Paprocki every week as they share short, sound bite filled podcasts, covering everything that the creative writer, freelance writer, and author needs to know to move forward in their creativity and career.  Estelle and Sherry will share how the sauce is made, with tips and tricks to give you a leg up in the marketpla...