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


May 2, 2024

This is a new element to the show, where Estelle will do episodes where she taps into her 3 decades of publishing experience and  live coaches writers at every stage of their career on the next steps to take to elevate their work and navigate through issues facing writers. 

 

Anna Medaris is a freelance health and lifestyle journalist with nearly 15 years of experience writing features, narratives, explainers, profiles, and news hits for publications including the Washington Post, Business Insider, Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health, US News & World Report, Vox, Everyday Health, Monitor on Psychology, and others. She left staff jobs to go freelance full-time for the first time in June 2023. Anna is passionate about, and skilled in, telling sensitive human-interest stories (from heartbreaking tales of maternal suicide to light-hearted exposes of runners' digestive issues), critiquing quirky cultural trends (from White Claw to cold plunges to "biological age" tests), and answering questions you didn't know you had (what does "skoliosexual" mean? Can you cure an "emotional hangover?" Is "resting bitch face" real?). Anna has appeared as a health expert and commentator on the "TODAY Show," "Good Morning America," Hulu’s “Age of Influence," and many local TV and radio stations. A champion for journalism and community, she serves as the New York City chapter lead of the Association of Healthcare Journalists; the VP of Communications for the Deadline Club, the Society of Professional Journalists’ local chapter; and as a writing coach through the New York Writing Room. Anna is a proud University of Michigan alum, recreational triathlete, and beer enthusiast who lives in Brooklyn with her husband and basset hound, Lou Longbody.



In this episode:

  • Estelle delves into 3 issues that Anna Medaris is confronting at the mid-point of her career [1:18]

  • Anna’s present and future publishing goals [6:41]

  • How she found guidance and community through Freelance Writing Direct  [6:47]

  • Estelle Edge on showing voice, expanding publishing opportunities, navigating through a day to day job, and finding joy in the work [10:11]

 

Connect with Anna

Website: www.annamedaris.com

Twitter, Instagram: @annamedaris

Twitter: https://twitter.com/annamedaris

Instagram: https://instagram.com/annamedaris

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-medaris/

 

FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode  at 

https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for my newsletter.

 

Sign up for Estelle’s Micro Memoir Workshop with Writer’s Digest on May 23

https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/making-your-mark-with-micro-memoir

 

Sign up for Estelle’s NYU class Writing Parenthood. She will work with you on articles, essays and pitches, plus offer editor intel.

https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/courses/WRIT1-CE9225-writing-parenthood.html



Connect with Estelle:

Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://estelleserasmus.com/books/writing-that-gets-noticed/

 

Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities)

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus

TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus 

 

For a media-focused episode try Episode #67  How to Be a Media-Friendly Author

https://estelleserasmus.com/67-how-to-be-a-media-friendly-author-with-paula-rizzo/

 

Read Estelle’s latest blog post: A View from the Erma Bombeck Writer’s Workshop

https://estelleserasmus.com/a-view-from-the-erma-bombeck-writers-workshop/



Estelle’s Latest Articles

I’m Learning to Listen in New Ways (Shondaland)

https://www.shondaland.com/live/family/a46102451/im-learning-to-listen-in-new-ways/



What to Do PreLaunch to Get Your Book Noticed (Writer’s Digest)

https://www.writersdigest.com/getting-published/what-to-do-pre-launch-to-get-your-book-noticed

 

How to Resist the Temptation of AI When Writing (Wired)

https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-resist-ai-temptation-writing/