
Winner of the 2026 American Writing Award for Podcast of the Year (Business), Freelance Writing Direct with Estelle is an award-winning podcast featuring candid conversations with bestselling authors, literary agents, editors, and publishing insiders about writing craft, memoir, publishing, platform-building, and getting noticed. Hosted and curated by Estelle Erasmus, TEDx speaker, NYU writing pro... more
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 196 | Founded | 4 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | EducationEntrepreneurshipSelf-ImprovementBusiness | |||

Just in time for Pride month, in this heartfelt and often hilarious conversation, Estelle Erasmus talks with USA Today bestselling author Wade Rouse and his husband, Gary Edwards, about Wade's deeply personal new novel, That's What Friends Are For.
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In this episode of Freelance Writing Direct, Estelle Erasmus speaks with Carolyn Roy-Bornstein about restorative writing, burnout, and healing through storytelling.
Carolyn shares how writing became a lifeline after her son survived a devastating ... more
How to Get Published in The Persistent with Features Editor Paula Derrow
What makes a pitch stand out in today's crowded publishing landscape? And what exactly are editors looking for from writers right now?
In this episode of Freelance Writing D... more
What makes readers care about flawed characters making questionable decisions? In this episode of Freelance Writing Direct, Estelle Erasmus talks with bestselling author Vanessa Hua about her new novel Coyoteland and the craft behind creating emotion... more
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As someone who came to writing after another profession and felt behind the curve, this podcast was an essential part of my learning process. The interviews are packed with thoughtful questions about craft and process from writers of diverse backgrounds and paths to publication. After writing for years now, I still learn so much on every episode. Estelle’s podcast is a must-listen for writers at any stage!
After listening to Freelance Writing Direct and then having the honor of being a guest, I can say that Estelle Erasmus is an excellent interviewer. Not only does she bring passion and charm to each episode, but she is thoughtful and really takes her time with the material, yielding a rich discussion. As a writer I always learn something new from listening, something that I think about for a few days after… the mark of time well spent.
This podcast is fascinating for writers who are just getting started and those who are more seasoned. The discussions about craft, content, and all the nuances of the publishing industry are priceless. Host Estelle Erasmus is a font of knowledge and has a lot of valuable experience in this realm, so her questions are always insightful.
Such a generous episode with Abigail Thomas—thank you!
I’m a huge fan of this podcast and can say it has definitely helped with my publishing career while being entertained. I have recommended Estelle’s words of wisdom to many writing friends.
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
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Apple Podcasts | #216 |
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This podcast offers a wealth of insights for writers looking to enhance their careers across various genres, including essays, memoirs, and novels. Discussions often revolve around practical writing tips, publishing strategies, and candid talks with industry insiders, making it ideal for both emerging and established writers. Additional themes include finding an agent, understanding what editors seek, and how to effectively pitch stories to leading publications. Unique in its approach, the show provides not only expert guidance but also personal stories that resonate with listeners, blending expertise with relatability.
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Freelance Writing Direct. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Freelance Writing Direct and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
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Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Freelance Writing Direct, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
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These podcasts share a similar audience with Freelance Writing Direct:
1. The Shit No One Tells You About Writing
2. Writers on Writing
3. The Mel Robbins Podcast
4. Happier with Gretchen Rubin
5. The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers
Freelance Writing Direct launched 4 years ago and published 196 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Freelance Writing Direct from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Freelance Writing Direct. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.
Recent guests on Freelance Writing Direct include:
1. Paula Derrow
2. Vanessa Hua
3. Jacque Gorelick
4. Tia Levings
5. Kerry Docherty
6. Sally Ekus
7. Jennie Young
8. Regina Brooks
To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.