Spring 2025 Upod Academy Videos
10 Media Bigwigs. 10 Must-See Sessions. Only at Upod.
Pitching fatigue. Budget cuts. AI-generated content. The media industry is shifting fast, and — ooof! — freelancers are feeling it.
But here’s the good news: I’ve gathered 10 of the smartest editors, writers and agents in the business to get candid insights you won’t find anywhere else. They spell out what’s working now—and offer ideas on how to roll with what’s changing.
with nearly ten hours (!) of exclusive Upod content, you’ll discover:
— How to find sellable ideas before everyone else
— The new rules of pitching for 2025
— surprising freelancer mistakes (and how to avoid them)
— What editors, agents, and publishers wish you knew
— a roadmap for building a sustainable career—despite the chaos
This 10-hour masterclass is only available through Upod. $150 for all 10 sessions (a $50 savings).
No individual sales—this is an all-in-one package.
Thanks for being part of Upod. Your support truly means the world.
Meg Guroff
Executive Editor
AARP
Meg Guroff is one of my favorite magazine people. She assigns features, essays, and investigative work at AARP The Magazine and AARP.org, and is herself a talented author, writer and teacher. This is her second visit to Upod Academy.
Patia Braithwaite
Senior Editor
NYT Well Section
Patia Braithwaite is a senior staff editor at The New York Times’ “Well” section, where she assigns stories on all aspects of health and wellness. She details how to reach the high bar of publishing in The New York Times. Follow the clues! They’re all right here.
Zach Helfand
Staff Writer
The New Yorker
Zach is wrapping up his role as Talk of the Town editor at The New Yorker and transitioning to writing full-time for the iconic publication. While he’s no longer accepting Talk pitches, he offers invaluable insights into the art of crafting compelling ideas and stories. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to learn the secret Eustace Tilly (IYKYK) handshakes from one of The New Yorker’s top editorial voices.
Danielle Stein Chizzik
Deputy Editor
Town + Country
Danielle is Deputy Editor at Town & Country, where she's spent 14 years covering money, power, philanthropy, culture, health, travel, beauty, and all things .01 percent. But you might be surprised at what she’s looking for—stories on status anxiety, hidden cultures, stunning adventures. Massively invigorating.
Julia Rothchild
Managing Editor
The New Yorker
Julia has spent her career at The New Yorker and takes us on an insider’s tour of the editorial process, from idea meetings to published pieces. Her wisdom extends to pitching at all publications, so please take good notes!
Julie Pfitzinger
Essays Editor
Next Avenue
Julie Pfitzinger is the managing editor for Next Avenue's lifestyle coverage for the site’s “grownup” audience (45+). A bunch of happy Upodders got personal essay assignments straight out of this session. Let’s gooooo!
Patrick Healy
Deputy Opinion Editor
New York Times
Oh, what a session! Patrick is the New York Times’ Deputy editor of Opinion, and offers one of the most generous primers on writing op-eds at the highest level. What does it take to sell your intelligent take on a relevant topic? Patrick shows you the way. An all-time great Upod session.
Jancee Dunn
Health writer
New York Times
Jancee Dunn has always had the coolest gigs in the biz, dating back to the days we worked together at Wenner media when she was living the ‘Almost Famous’ life for Rolling Stone. As a health and wellness writer for The Times, she lives a supercharged version of the freelancer life: scouring for rare ideas, pitching like a champ and crafting pieces that make AI bots weep with envy. A fantastic hour.
Molly O’Neill
Literary Agent
The Root Agency
Want to sell a children’s book or YA novel? Molly is your person. She’s so enthusiastic and thorough in covering the process of proposing and developing an idea and pitching it to publishers that you will be emailing her even if you didn’t know you wanted to write children’s books! A session I keep thinking about.
Sam Farkas
Literary Agent
Jill Grinberg Agency
Actively seeking submissions across genres, Sam is clear here on what she wants, from grabby YA concepts to compelling grownup family histories and essay collections. If she likes something, she’ll work hard to get it sold. Watch to see if she’s a fit for your next book project.
Questions: davidhochman@mac.com
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