Writers That Get Noticed: Anna Rollins
In this new regular feature I shine a spotlight on writers, fans of my book and teaching and former students.
Welcome to Writing That Gets Noticed, a newsletter designed to help writers, memoirists, and journalists succeed in an ever-changing industry. If you like what you’re reading, please consider a paid subscription. Paid subs get access to all past and future paid-only posts, the full archive of recorded bonus Freelance Writing direct clips, the opportunity for pitching and essay feedback from me, plus advice on editors.
I asked writer Anna J. Rollins a few questions on how she gets her writing noticed.
1. Can you tell me your background?
I attended Marshall University in Huntington, WV for both undergrad and grad school. During undergrad, I majored in English (and specialized in creative writing). I also received my MA in English where I specialized in applied linguistics (my MA thesis analyzed high and low-ranked student personal essays through the lens of several linguistic theories. Basically, I wanted to see if there was a difference, on the level of the grammar, in the high and low-ranked essays -- and there was!). After I graduated, I got an instructor position at my alma mater. I've been teaching English classes at Marshall University since 2012, and I began directing the Writing Center there in 2014.
2. What has been your publishing experience?
I published a few poems and essays while I was in grad school in small literary journals, but I never really had the confidence or drive to put my creative work out there. After grad school, I mostly focused on publishing academic work in writing center and composition journals.
I continued to write creatively, though — when my son was born in 2016, I made it a practice to write something fun (anything!) for at least 10 minutes each day. I wasn't sure if that writing would ever make it out into the world, but I honestly didn't care. It felt like a practice that kept me sane (and it also felt like something that was making me a stronger writer).
During the pandemic, though, I decided to start working on a book (one that I'd always wanted to write). At first, I told myself I was just writing it to get it out of me. For about a year, I didn't even think about ever trying to publish it. But I worked on it diligently (obsessively?) during my children's nap times and after they went to bed. I dictated portions of it on voice notes while they played outside. The book was always in the back of my mind throughout lockdown.
After a while, I realized I wanted to see if I could get it published -- but I had no clue how to go about doing that. And that's when I began seeking out various books and support from people like you, Sue Shapiro, and Courtney Maum. I learned that if I ever wanted to publish a book, I had to build a platform. And part of that included publishing essays in popular outlets. So, in 2022, I began pitching essays. And since then, I've published nearly 50.
Estelle’s Note: Freelance Writing Direct features Courtney Maum in episode #16, one of the earliest episodes, before I became the solo host.
“I learned that if I ever wanted to publish a book, I had to build a platform. And part of that included publishing essays in popular outlets.”
3. Is there a mindset that you adopted that works for you?
I have three small children, and so I don't have a lot of extended time to write. But I really love writing — it makes me feel alive, and it makes me feel like I'm connected to the world outside my home. So, I prioritize it without punishing myself (there is no way you'll see me joining the 5 a.m. writer's club, for instance —at least not until I'm sleeping more at night).
I really try to pay attention to my energy and commit to writing tasks based upon what's available to me. For instance, right now my daughter is a newborn, and she's not sleeping through the night. I don't commit to early morning writing time (my sleep is too important), but I've noticed that I write some of my most fun/weirdest (in the best way) work when I'm a little bit sleep deprived. There's something about the fog that enhances my creativity (or makes me let down my guard). I'm probably not going to write a thesis-driven essay at this time (or a book review), but I can write some really fun scenes.
So, I woke up about twenty minutes before my daughter did the other day, and I wrote something creative and narrative-driven. When my older kids get screen time, I can complete more straight-forward writing (like a pitch or answering interview questions). And then I try to save the more thesis-driven stuff for times when I have childcare or my partner is home. I think a lot about what little pockets of time I have each day, and what (realistically) I can accomplish during those pockets.
4. How have you gotten your writing noticed?
Through pitching personal essays to popular outlets. And then, the connections I've made because of those essays have been invaluable. For instance, I'm in a number of private Facebook groups devoted to writing and to the topics I write about (specifically diet and purity culture). I connected with my agent because of a post I made about writing in one of those Facebook groups.
I'm not the most savvy on social media (I also don't feel like I want to prioritize social media too much in my day because when I spend too much time there, it impacts my mental health in a negative way), but I've connected with some fantastic people that way, and these connections have been so important to my writing career.
5. Ubiquitous question: How has working with Estelle/her courses/book helped you to get your writing noticed?
Oh my goodness — well, first of all, you were the one who helped me learn the basics of interviewing people. I made a post in a private Facebook group asking for interview tips (at that point, I had very little experience with this component of writing), and you gave me some incredible advice, including suggestions for transcription and recording. I also listen to your podcast Freelance Writing Direct each week (on Thursdays, I always have it playing on my commute to drop off my children at school). Even the episodes that seem unrelated to my own work end up having tidbits that I can apply to my writing. And then, your book Writing That Gets Noticed, is something I reference often (and I've suggested it to many of my own students at Marshall University).
6. What is something you want to brag about for yourself?
I signed a book deal for my memoir, Famished, this past fall with Eerdmans (forthcoming in 2025), and I am so thrilled about my editor and publisher. I couldn't have dreamed of a better fit in terms of a shared vision for the project. My book challenges scripts that encourage women to take up less space and not trust their own bodies, messages common in diet and purity culture. I'm so excited to finish developmental edits and to see the book go into production.
7. What are your future goals?
I want to spend some time writing just for fun again to figure out what I want to do next. I want to write another book, and I have several ideas sketched out, but I want to figure out what lights me up. So, I've really just been trying to write for fun to see what appears on the page and to see where that takes me.
8. What is something you want to shout out for a friend?
I'm so excited for my friend, Jocelyn Jane Cox, and her forthcoming memoir, Motion Dazzle: A Memoir of Motherhood. Loss, and ... Skating on Thin Ice (Vine Leaves, 2025). I've admired Jocelyn's writing on competitive skating and motherhood for such a long time, and I am so eager to read her book.
Estelle’s Note: Jocelyn is a former student, and I feature pertinent parts of an essay of hers and its iteration in Writing That Gets Noticed. I’m equally excited for her forthcoming memoir.
9. What would you tell 16 year old Anna?
There's a lot of stuff you're going to want that you're not going to get -- and that ends up being a good thing. Sometimes it's not bad to be disappointed. You don't always know what's best for yourself.
10. What is the best life advice you ever received?
Shortly after I had my first son, my department chair retired. She invited me to her retirement party (kind of an exclusive event -- I was surprised to receive an invitation). It was the first night I'd ever spent away from my son. She pulled me aside at the party, and she told me, "Anna, you can do anything. Absolutely anything. Don't ever forget that." At the time, I didn't know how I was ever going to balance my own dreams and aspirations with motherhood, and I think she knew that. But she saw something in me that I wasn't really able to see yet, and she really supported me (in ways I wish every working mother was supported) in the postpartum period.
I'm not sure if that's advice, necessarily -- but her belief in me and the potential she saw really stuck with me. It gave me something to live up to. I'll always be grateful.
11. Where can people find you?
I'm on Instagram and Substack at @annajrollins. On Substack, I'm currently running a monthly series where I'm discussing pitch information, process, and craft related to essays I've published in popular outlets.
Thank you Anna for letting me shine a spotlight on you!
Also, From Estelle…
I have an excellent Micro Memoir workshop for Writer’s Digest coming up in May. Sign up here.
If you want to work on essays, pitches and articles, and how to publish them I have one spot left in my private 6 week Zoom class, starting next week. Email me at freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com for more info.
I’d also love to hear what topics you’d like to see my live TikTok (first one is on Monday at 7 pm EST) and future workshops on! Email ideas to freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com and put “Workshop ideas” in the subject line.
One Other Important Item …
• I’m going to start doing coaching sessions on Freelance Writing Direct in addition to my solo episodes (see the latest here, #75, where I talk about trends in publishing). If you are interested in a coaching session on pitching, articles, essays or books, drop me a line at freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com and I may feature you in a future episode.
Talk soon,
Estelle
This is helpful.