Literary Blend: A Publishing Podcast
Welcome to Literary Blend: A Publishing Podcast, hosted by Demi Michelle Schwartz. Tune into new chapters every other Sunday to hear insightful conversations with authors, agents, editors, and other publishing industry professionals. There’s no perfect recipe for chasing a dream in publishing, but Demi hopes this show gives you the ingredients to bake yours into reality.
Episodes
July 14, 2024 • 29 mins
Okay, cover your eyes. Hey, don’t peek! Fine, you can peek. I’m beyond excited to share chapter twenty-seven of Literary Blend with Stephanie Henson on a peek into picture books. We talked about the picture book market, specific PB elements, working with an illustrator, and much more. It was a true delight having Stephanie on the show for such an insightful conversation, so I hope you learn lots about picture books.
If you would li...
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July 14, 2024 • 34 mins
Do you write short stories? If so, have you ever considered creating a collection? I’m delighted to share my insightful conversation with Michael Goodwin Hilton for chapter twenty-six of the show on crafting a short story collection. Michael’s debut short story collection, What the Statue Thinks, was published by Wild Ink Publishing, so he has first-hand experience with this topic. From discussing the process of choosing the storie...
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July 14, 2024 • 26 mins
Here we go, friends. We have reached chapter twenty-five of Literary Blend with Carey Blankenship-Kramer about writing for the middle grade audience. Whether you write for this age category or are simply interested in gaining industry knowledge, this conversation is for you. Carey and I covered tips for writing middle grade and things to avoid, the difference between lower MG and upper MG, word count expectations for this age categ...
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June 30, 2024 • 35 mins
Okay, friends, it’s time to get deep into craft, but don’t worry, this isn’t English class. Christine Goss and I sat down to cover line level writing in a super entertaining way for chapter twenty-four of the show. Whether you are drafting or revising, being aware of certain things on the line level can really elevate your writing and make it immersive for readers. I can’t thank Christine enough for joining me to tackle this topic....
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June 30, 2024 • 34 mins
Is your story plot driven? Is it character driven? What if it’s a secret third thing and both plot and character driven? I’m delighted to share chapter twenty-three of Literary Blend with Bethany Hensel on braiding plot and character. From covering how plot and characterization work together to breaking down the ways a character’s beliefs, values, surface pain, and deep pain are woven with the plot, Bethany and I hope our conversat...
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June 16, 2024 • 27 mins
Hey, you. Yes, you. If you’re a plotter, put your hand up! If you’re not, that’s perfectly okay, because you’ll get a chance to learn about this writing style. I’m delighted Megan Davidhizar joined me for chapter twenty-two to cover the plotter approach to writing. We talked about techniques for plotting a novel, the pros and cons of this approach, asking ourselves why we made the choices we did while working on our stories, and mu...
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June 16, 2024 • 32 mins
Here we go, friends, it’s time to talk about revising our stories. My best friend, Jessica Lee Minneci, and I sat down for chapter twenty-one to give you a glimpse into revision. We chatted about why revision is an essential part of the writing process, receiving and applying feedback, our revision tips and tricks, and much more. Oh, and we briefly touched on the mysterious power water has to help when we’re stuck. Whether you love...
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June 2, 2024 • 30 mins
Woohoo, we have made it to chapter twenty of the show, and what a wonderful one it is! I’m beyond delighted Arianna Siddiqui joined me for a highly entertaining and insightful conversation about staying organized as an author. From deadlines and boundaries to writing schedules and more, Arianna and I cover it all. Also, prepare yourself for lots of laughs along the way. I hope our conversation provides you with the tips and tricks ...
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June 2, 2024 • 32 mins
Have you started to write a novel a few times but never finished one? Are you halfway through your manuscript and struggling to reach the end? If so, my conversation with Bruce Buchanan for chapter nineteen on committing to writing a novel is for you. From covering common barriers for writing a book to sharing advice for how to keep making forward progress, this chat is packed with tips, insights, and personal experiences. I hope m...
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May 20, 2024 • 32 mins
It’s time to put on your editing hat! Kesia Lupo joined me on the show for chapter eighteen on being an editorial agent. During our conversation, we talked about the skills necessary to be an editor, what the life of an editorial agent looks like, preparing projects for submission, common issues in manuscripts that need to be addressed in revisions, and so much more. It was a true delight having Kesia on Literary Blend, so I hope o...
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May 19, 2024 • 25 mins
The publishing journey continues with a trip down the internship path to agenting. I’m delighted Esty Loveing-Downes joined me for chapter seventeen to share the steps she took to becoming a literary agent. Internships are a fabulous way to get your foot in the publishing door. Whether you’re interested in a career as a literary agent or simply curious about this path, I hope you find this conversation both engaging and informative...
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May 19, 2024 • 26 mins
Welcome to the query trenches, my friends. For chapter sixteen, Ann Rose joined me on the show to discuss querying from the agent perspective. From manuscript wishlists to offering on projects, Ann and I covered the whole process. If you have ever wanted a peek behind the curtain into what querying is like on the agent side, this conversation is for you. I’m so honored Ann sat down with me for this fabulous and insightful chat.
Are...
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May 5, 2024 • 26 mins
Perseverance is a core quality that is essential for publishing success. I couldn’t be more delighted to share my fabulous chat with Dana Hawkins for chapter fifteen on the power of perseverance. Chasing publishing dreams is an emotional roller coaster ride, so it takes strength to keep pushing forward. I hope my conversation with Dana reminds you that you’re not alone and gives you valuable tips for how to become more perseverant....
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May 5, 2024 • 28 mins
The literary adventure continues with chapter fourteen of the show. Cassidy Jackson and I sat down to cover why it’s important to read as a writer. Reading has so many benefits, from supporting other authors and staying on top of the current market to developing craft and beyond. Cassidy and I packed so much into our chat, so I hope it inspires you to embrace the importance of reading as a writer.
Are you enjoying Literary Blend? D...
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May 5, 2024 • 36 mins
May is mental health awareness month, so there’s no better time for me to share my wonderful conversation with Caroline J. Trussell for chapter thirteen on mental health and publishing. By covering subjectivity, social media, rejection, mental health representation in books, and more, we explored mental health and publishing through both the author and agent perspectives. I truly hope you find our conversation insightful. Also, rem...
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April 21, 2024 • 26 mins
Are you ready to take a deep dive into deadlines? I hope so because I sat down with Bri Eberhart to cover this topic for chapter twelve. From discussing why we like deadlines and how we set realistic ones to sharing how we deal with all the emotions when the clock is ticking, this conversation gives a glimpse into deadlines like never before. I had a blast chatting with Bri, so I hope our conversation gives you valuable insight as ...
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April 21, 2024 • 27 mins
It’s time to give the spotlight to the fabulous small publishing houses out there! I’m so excited to welcome S.E. Reed onto the show for chapter eleven on the small press path to publishing. Whether you’re interested in signing with a small press or you would like to discover more about this path to publishing, our chat is for you. Shelby is a very talented author who has found success with this path, so I learned so much from her ...
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April 21, 2024 • 29 mins
Woohoo, we have made it to chapter ten of the show. I couldn’t be more delighted to share my fabulous conversation with Amy Nielsen on writing and submitting short stories. During our chat, Amy and I cover the benefits of writing short stories, how to approach submission calls, the key elements of short stories, and much more. I truly loved having Amy on the show, so I hope our conversation inspires you to write and submit short st...
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April 7, 2024 • 32 mins
Wow, look at that! We have almost reached double digits for the chapters. Before we do, though, I have an insightful conversation to share for chapter nine with my fabulous literary agent, Michelle Jackson, surrounding being an agent and author. There are so many talented individuals in the publishing industry who are both, and Michelle sat down with me to share her experiences. During our chat, Michelle unveils what she has learne...
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April 7, 2024 • 30 mins
As authors, we have big dreams, like becoming best sellers and having our books adapted for film and TV. Though it’s amazing to shoot for the stars, we need to remember to keep our expectations realistic. I’m excited to bring you a fabulous chat with Christina Dotson for chapter eight, covering realistic expectations in the publishing world. We talk about where unrealistic expectations come from, how to adjust our expectations of t...
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