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.

Recent Episodes
  • Chapter 55 - Running a Kickstarter Campaign for a Literary Project with Marx Pyle
    May 4, 2025 – 00:26:34
  • Interlude - Playing in the Story Sandbox with Bruce Buchanan and Jessica Lee Minneci
    Apr 20, 2025 – 00:23:19
  • Chapter 54 - Mood Boards, Agent Guides, and Editor Guides with Aaliyah Paolucci
    Apr 6, 2025 – 00:19:25
  • Chapter 53 - Getting Books on Library Shelves with Karen McCoy
    Mar 23, 2025 – 00:27:40
  • Chapter 52 - Historical Fiction Corner with Cidney Mayes
    Mar 9, 2025 – 00:21:44
  • Chapter 51 - The Acquisitions Process with Jamie Ryu
    Feb 23, 2025 – 00:31:01
  • Chapter 50 - Blurring the Line Between Reality and Fiction with Alexandria Faulkenbury
    Feb 9, 2025 – 00:23:13
  • Chapter 49 - The Rocky Rejection Road with Vicky Weber
    Jan 26, 2025 – 00:33:10
  • Chapter 48 - A Trip Down Library Lane with Sam Helmick
    Jan 12, 2025 – 00:23:06
  • Chapter 47 - The Myth of Overnight Success with Olivia Jackson
    Jan 12, 2025 – 00:26:31
  • Interlude - Author Gifts with Danielle Render Turmaud and Kate Pockett
    Dec 29, 2024 – 00:35:00
  • Chapter 46 - Demystifying Debut Days with Robin Morris
    Dec 15, 2024 – 00:23:56
  • Chapter 45 - Owning a Small Press with Abigail Wild
    Dec 1, 2024 – 00:31:13
  • Chapter 44 - Five Pieces of Golden Writing Advice with T. A. Chan
    Nov 17, 2024 – 00:23:48
  • Chapter 43 - Conquering Writer’s Block with Dani Abernathy
    Nov 17, 2024 – 00:35:20
  • Chapter 42 - Anthologies Through a Business Lens with Arwyn Sherman
    Nov 3, 2024 – 00:33:40
  • Chapter 41 - Breathing Life Back into the Author Dream with Katie Brown
    Nov 3, 2024 – 00:26:18
  • Chapter 40 - Writing Horror with Sara Tantlinger
    Oct 20, 2024 – 00:31:11
  • Chapter 39 - The Indie Writing Life with Shaelynn Long
    Oct 20, 2024 – 00:29:08
  • Chapter 38 - Overcoming Barriers as an Author with J.K. Raymond
    Oct 6, 2024 – 00:27:30
  • Chapter 37 - Maintaining Authorial Authenticity in a Commercial Market with Riley Kilmore
    Oct 6, 2024 – 00:32:10
  • Chapter 36 - Creating a Writing Ritual with Diane Billas
    Sep 22, 2024 – 00:24:56
  • Chapter 35 - Mental Health and the Querying Process with Danielle Render Turmaud
    Sep 8, 2024 – 00:26:59
  • Chapter 34 - Twitter Pitch Events with Kate Pockett
    Aug 25, 2024 – 00:27:09
  • Chapter 33 - Research and Realism with Ian Tan
    Aug 25, 2024 – 00:28:04
  • Chapter 32 - Building an Author Platform with Emily Rae
    Aug 11, 2024 – 00:28:10
  • Chapter 31 - Landing Podcast Interviews as an Author with Michelle Glogovac
    Aug 11, 2024 – 00:24:49
  • Chapter 30 - Tackling First Drafts with Mitra De Souza
    Jul 28, 2024 – 00:28:29
  • Chapter 29 - Healing Through Writing with Heather Kays
    Jul 28, 2024 – 00:27:09
  • Chapter 28 - Diversity in Publishing with Ciara Smith
    Jul 28, 2024 – 00:29:04
  • Chapter 27 - A Peek into Picture Books with Stephanie Henson
    Jul 14, 2024 – 00:29:18
  • Chapter 26 - Crafting a Short Story Collection with Michael Goodwin Hilton
    Jul 14, 2024 – 00:34:30
  • Chapter 25 - Writing for the Middle Grade Audience with Carey Blankenship-Kramer
    Jul 14, 2024 – 00:26:18
  • Chapter 24 - Line Level Writing with Christine Goss
    Jun 30, 2024 – 00:35:59
  • Chapter 23 - Braiding Plot and Character with Bethany Hensel
    Jun 30, 2024 – 00:34:36
  • Chapter 22 - The Plotter Approach to Writing with Megan Davidhizar
    Jun 16, 2024 – 00:27:16
  • Chapter 21 - A Glimpse into Revision with Jessica Lee Minneci
    Jun 16, 2024 – 00:32:10
  • Chapter 20 - Staying Organized as an Author with Arianna Siddiqui
    Jun 2, 2024 – 00:30:47
  • Chapter 19 - Committing to Writing a Novel with Bruce Buchanan
    Jun 2, 2024 – 00:32:56
  • Chapter 18 - Being an Editorial Agent with Kesia Lupo
    May 20, 2024 – 00:32:30
  • Chapter 17 - The Internship Path to Agenting with Esty Loveing-Downes
    May 19, 2024 – 00:25:33
  • Chapter 16 - Querying from the Agent Perspective with Ann Rose
    May 19, 2024 – 00:26:07
  • Chapter 15 - The Power of Perseverance with Dana Hawkins
    May 5, 2024 – 00:26:31
  • Chapter 14 - Why It’s Important to Read as a Writer with Cassidy Jackson
    May 5, 2024 – 00:28:28
  • Chapter 13 - Mental Health and Publishing with Caroline J. Trussell
    May 5, 2024 – 00:36:21
  • Chapter 12 - A Deep Dive into Deadlines with Bri Eberhart
    Apr 21, 2024 – 00:26:43
  • Chapter 11 - The Small Press Path to Publishing with S.E. Reed
    Apr 21, 2024 – 00:27:54
  • Chapter 10 - Writing and Submitting Short Stories with Amy Nielsen
    Apr 21, 2024 – 00:29:04
  • Chapter 9 - Being an Agent and Author with Michelle Jackson
    Apr 7, 2024 – 00:32:46
  • Chapter 8 - Realistic Expectations in the Publishing World with Christina Dotson
    Apr 7, 2024 – 00:30:16
Recent Reviews
  • mojo0905
    Great stuff!
    Listening to how to get books on library shelves, I found myself taking notes. If I’m making notes, your podcast is providing helpful information! Thank you!
  • LenaMunzer
    Great tips on line level writing!
    Loved your interview with Christine on line level writing! So often we hear “show don’t tell”—but line level seems to go one step further: feel, move, immerse. I appreciate all of your tips and resources (plus the Taylor Swift shoutout!!). Thanks Demi & Christine!
  • BBNNC1
    Helpful Writing Resources in Fast-Moving Chapters
    The Literary Blend has become a go-to podcast for writing tips and strategies. Demi does a great job keeping the conversations focused, and she’s lined up guests with a variety of experiences in writing and publishing. I like the relatively short nature of each episode, too.
  • Great real estate app
    Great new writing podcast!
    Just two chapters in and I’m already loving Demi’s personality and her insightful conversations with fabulous guests. If you’re a writer, this is one podcast you don’t want to miss!
  • anima_s
    Exciting new writing podcast
    Loving the vibes and the writerly podcast.
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