Ever wonder what's really happening behind closed doors in the publishing industry?
In this solo episode, Estelle Erasmus pulls back the curtain on the People of Publishing Conference, held on September 17, 2025, and hosted by the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA). Featuring top CEOs, editors, and agents, the event revealed key trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping today's book world.
Estelle shares her firsthand insights—including what publishing leaders are prioritizing, how AI is reshaping the industry, and what authors can do to stand out in an evolving landscape. Whether you're writing your first book or deep in the query trenches, this episode offers invaluable perspective from inside the industry, plus Estelle's Edge—her signature takeaway for writers.
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SUYC2sDe51k
In this episode:
The big shifts in publishing today [2:25]
Why traditional media appearances don't always sell books [5:05]
How the Anthropic and Meta lawsuits are protecting authors' rights against AI companies using copyrighted work. [6:30]
What foreign publishers are buying right now [7:25]
What agents want in memoir proposals and how "Memoir Plus" and light research threads can elevate your story. [13:10]
AI in publishing: how it's being used for translation, productivity, and why every author should learn to use it responsibly. [14:57]
Estelle's biggest takeaway [16:15]
Website: https://peopleofpublishing.org/
Podcast Episode Mentioned
#35 Flying High with Storyteller Ann Hood
https://estelleserasmus.com/35-flying-high-with-storyteller-ann-hood/
Modern Love Essay Referenced
Negotiating the End of Us by Leslie Blanchard
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/style/modern-love-negotiating-the-end-of-us.html
Register for a free online, lunchtime, Editor-on-Call NYU event on October 29th: Inside Slate an Unfiltered Conversation with Senior Editor, Rebecca Onion.
https://events.nyu.edu/event/368190-editor-on-call-inside-slate-an-unfiltered.
Sign up for her 6 week Zoom NYU Course: Writing About Your Life Through Memoir, Essays and Articles
New Substack post: Why Every Memoir Needs the "Echo Effect". https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/why-every-memoir-needs-the-echo-effect
🎤 TEDx Talk: How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond
Estelle blends personal storytelling with actionable strategies for standing out—starting with a chaotic moment involving Thomas the Tank Engine.
📺 Watch, comment, and share
📬 Newsletter + FREE Pitching Guide
Find out more about this episode and get Estelle's free pitching guide when you sign up for her newsletter: https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast
About Estelle:
Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist, author of Writing That Gets Noticed (named a "Best Book for Writers" by Poets & Writers), and host of Freelance Writing Direct—2025 Podcast of the Year (Education), American Writing Awards. A Contributing Editor for Writer's Digest and adjunct professor at NYU, her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, PBS/Next Avenue, The Independent, and AARP: The Magazine. She's served as editor-in-chief of five national magazines.
📘 Writing That Gets Noticed – Buy the book | Audiobook
📰 Subscribe on Substack: https://estelleserasmus.substack.com
Latest posts: "Why Every Memoir Needs the "Echo Effect". When Writers Are the Ones Blocking the Page: 6 Ways to Move Forward (and An Offer); "How to Get Published in Cosmopolitan or Seventeen"
🎧 More episodes: Freelance Writing Direct Podcast
Read Estelle's latest article How to Use the Internet to Become Your Own Private Investigator (Next Avenue/PBS)
Instagram: @EstelleSErasmus
TikTok: @EstelleSErasmus
Twitter: @EstelleSErasmus
BlueSky: @estelleserasmus.bsky.social
