“Advice on How to Get Your Writing Noticed from Estelle Erasmus”
GUEST POST from author/educator/journalist ESTELLE ERASMUS
As legendary memoirist Abigail Thomas said about Writing That Gets Noticed: “It’s an encyclopedia of writing advice, but feels like a conversation.”
A Curious Mind Takes You A Long Way
I think a successful freelance writer keeps a curious mind, and a beginner mindset and gathers information, and then makes sure that the craft supports the execution of the essay, article or pitch. They also realize that publishing is a long game, and so they look into various ways to tell their stories: through micro memoir, substack posts (where they can accrue subscribers, and eventually get paid), podcasts and new technologies. The traditional media venues are shrinking so it’s important to find new ways to get what you want to say out there and build an audience for your message or writings.
The Importance of Building Your Craft
I think that the cream rises to the top, and if people aren’t able to craft a story well, they will lose their readers over time. A publication may want them for a “clickbait” story, but once that story is over, if they don’t know how to tell other less sensational stories they won’t be published consistently in credible publications. I think to develop craft people can read books for ($20 and less) like mine, and others, read about craft in Brevity and Writer’s Digest, and listen to/watch free podcasts like Freelance Writing Direct that offers craft and writing advice, directly from authors, agents, editors and publishing and media professionals, including how to structure books.
The next level is attending online webinars for a small fee (I love the ones offered by Jane Friedman and also CRAFTSTALK). You might also consider taking a class at your community college, but make sure that the person teaching has the kinds of bylines or books you aspire to, as well as deep ties in the industry.
Another option is to take classes at established organizations like the ones I teach for Writer’s Digest. A fifth level is to take a university-level class for adults, which I teach at NYU’s School of Professional Studies.
Finally, they can invest in attending conferences (virtual and in-person) and going to sessions taught by industry leaders. Many writing coaches also offer 1 x 1 coaching which requires a deeper investment. I always advise having some experience with the person first before putting a great deal of money down.
How Can you Make Your Mark as a Journalist?
I would say that to make your mark as a journalist, it’s important to not shy away from the big story. Go Big! Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself to explore new, groundbreaking subjects. If you stick to doing round ups or very service oriented pieces (how to carpet your guest house), you won’t get the kind of attention to make a name for yourself. I always tell my writing coaching students that they should work on adding voice to any service pieces that they write. This can be done in the intro statement and also at the ending of a piece.
My Best Advice if You Want to Write
As Jackie Collins said, “If you want to be a writer-stop talking about it and sit down and write!” To start out in a professional capacity, write anything you can and for everyone you can. When I was starting out I wrote brochure copy, book reviews, pieces for local newspapers, and then wrote for magazines once I became a magazine editor. But, I always kept learning and growing and never gave up.
If you want to write a memoir, start writing your stories, and try to get some of them out in micro memoir form. A lot of the bloggers that I knew when we all blogged have since written books. I think it helped that they were in the practice of writing every day, and kept honing their skills. It’s important to realize that publishing is a long game, and so think of your writing that way and never give up.
Estelle Erasmus: an award-winning journalist, is the author of WRITING THAT GETS NOTICED (named a “Best Book for Writers” by Poets & Writers Magazine), a Contributing Editor for Writer’s Digest, and host of the podcast Freelance Writing Direct. She is an adjunct instructor for NYU’s School of Professional Studies/Center for Publishing and Applied Liberal Arts, has written for over 150 publications, including The New York Times, Next Avenue/PBS, WIRED, The Independent,The Washington Post, and AARP: The Magazine, and was the editor-in-chief of five national publications. Find out more at estelleserasmus.com and follow her on Substack at https://estelleserasmus.substack.com and on social media: @EstelleSErasmus.
Author of Writing That Gets Noticed
In Poets & Writers “Best Books for Writers”
2023 Zibby Award winner for the “Best Book for The Writer”
Recipient 2023 NYU SPS Teaching Excellence Award
Contributing Editor, Writer’s Digest
www.estelleserasmus.com (sign up for my newsletter)
Freelance Writing Direct Podcast (I speak to Cheryl Strayed, Ann Hood, Noah Michelson and more)
Follow me: Twitter, Instagram, TikTok
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