April Henry goes to extreme lengths to research her mystery/thriller novels, like allowing herself to get kidnapped! 

She has published 31 mysteries and thrillers for teens and adults, with more to come. Her latest YA novel is called IN THE BLOOD.

In this episode we talk about where she finds inspiration, her adventures in co-writing, and, of course, the ups and downs on her long road to publishing.

• Follow me on Substack or subscribe to my Substack Newsletter for Writers.
• Find me on Instagram and Blue Sky.
• Send me an email at [email protected]
• To pitch to the podcast, go here
• Find books by guests and books mentioned on the podcast at the Long Road Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/evalangston

• Website: aprilhenry.com
• Instagram and Threads: @aprilhenrybooks
• Facebook: @aprilhenry 
• BlueSky: @aprilhenry
• TikTok: @aprilhenrywritingadvice and @aprilhenrybooks 
• IN THE BLOOD: https://annieblooms.com/april-henry-signed-books

• Rules for Liars by April Patten and Debra Garfinkle

The Long Road to Publishing is produced and edited by Eva Langston, and the intro/outro music comes from the artist Soundroll on #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/lost-in-love

License code: EEKRDQPCTGSBM5LZ

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Tara Sexton landed a 3-book deal with her sports romance series... but it didn’t come easy! She had a 10-year marathon of close calls, TONS of unpublished manuscripts, and a crazy submission process before scoring this big win! The first book in the End Game series, THE GREATEST GAME, was just released in the UK and will be published in the US on May 19.

• Follow me on Substack or subscribe to my Substack Newsletter for Writers.
• Find me on Instagram and Blue Sky.
• Send me an email at [email protected]
• To pitch to the podcast, go here
• Find books by guests and books mentioned on the podcast at the Long Road Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/evalangston

• Website: www.tarasexton.com
• Preorder The Greatest Game: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/833386/the-greatest-game-by-tara-sexton/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writerta13/
• Find her on other socials at @writerta13

• Tara's unboxing video on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DXiDzG8jfNK/

The Long Road to Publishing is produced and edited by Eva Langston, and the intro/outro music comes from the artist Soundroll on #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/lost-in-love

License code: EEKRDQPCTGSBM5LZ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After Amin Ahmad lost his agent and his editor, his crime novel series was cut short. But now he’s back in the game with a brand-new thriller called A KILLER IN THE FAMILY. In this episode Amin talks about teaching creative writing, and how he writes his novels the same way he used to design buildings.

• Follow me on Substack or subscribe to my Substack Newsletter for Writers.
• Find me on Instagram and Blue Sky.
• Send me an email at [email protected]
• To pitch to the podcast, go here
• Find books by guests and books mentioned on the podcast at the Long Road Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/evalangston

• Website: https://www.aminahmadbooks.com/
• IG: @aminahmadbooks
• A KILLER IN THE FAMILY: https://bookshop.org/a/91104/9781250394897

• Writer's Center in DC: https://writer.org/
• New School in NYC
• StoryStudio Chicago
• Grub Street in Boston

The Long Road to Publishing is produced and edited by Eva Langston, and the intro/outro music comes from the artist Soundroll on #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/lost-in-love

License code: EEKRDQPCTGSBM5LZ

The Long Road to Publishing is produced and edited by Eva Langston, and the intro/outro music comes from the artist Soundroll on #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/lost-in-love

License code: EEKRDQPCTGSBM5LZ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ruth Knafo Setton was told there was “no chance” her book would get published, but after parting ways with her agent, she sold the book on her own and won some awards for it along the way!

Ruth writes her novels the way a magician creates an illusion, and she combines creative intuition with a regular writing practice, lots of revision, and a healthy dose of tenacity. Her novel Zig Zag Girl, about a sisterhood of female magicians, was released in the UK in the fall of 2025 and in the U.S. in March 2026. It won Grand Prize for ScreenCraft's Most Cinematic Book, and the screenplay for a pilot episode of Zig Zag Girl won 1st prize in the LA Crime & Horror Film Festival. 

In this episode, we talk about Ruth’s long road to publishing her two novels, her fascinating creative process, and how she fell in love with screenwriting.

• Follow me on Substack or subscribe to my Substack Newsletter for Writers.
• Find me on Instagram and Blue Sky.
• Send me an email at [email protected]
• To pitch to the podcast, go here
• Find books by guests and books mentioned on the podcast at the Long Road Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/evalangston

• Website: www.ruthsetton.com/  
• Substack: www.ruthsetton.substack.com/ 
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/rksetton/ 
• Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/list/122004.Ruth_Knafo_Setton
• ZigZag Girl: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/ZigZag-Girl/Ruth-Knafo-Setton/9781917788038

• Substack article by Vicky Weber: https://vickyweberbooks.substack.com/p/what-nobodys-telling-querying-writers
• VCCA: https://www.vcca.com/
• Andrea Bartz's article about Ruth: https://andibartz.substack.com/p/guest-post-being-sawed-in-half-taught
• Black Spring Press's Crime Series: https://blackspringpressgroup.com/collections/black-spring-crime-series
• Manuscript Academy: https://manuscriptacademy.com/

The Long Road to Publishing is produced and edited by Eva Langston, and the intro/outro music comes from the artist Soundroll on #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/lost-in-love

License code: EEKRDQPCTGSBM5LZ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beekeeper and kidlit author Shanna Upchurch got orphaned by her editor and dumped by her agent within a 48-hour period. But she kept things professional and a few weeks later landed a 6-figure deal at auction! 

Shanna has always taken her writing and publishing career seriously, even during her many (many!) years of rejection. Her debut picture book, The Honeybee Highway, was just released in April 2026, and she has two middle grade novels coming out in 2027 and 2028.

• Follow me on Substack or subscribe to my Substack Newsletter for Writers.
• Find me on Instagram and Blue Sky.
• Send me an email at [email protected]
• To pitch to the podcast, go here
• Find books by guests and books mentioned on the podcast at the Long Road Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/evalangston

• Website: https://www.shannaupchurch.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sdupchurch4/
• The Honeybee Highway: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-honeybee-highway-shanna-upchurch/7526ed79e126c673?ean=9781368116022&next=t

• Highlights Foundation (now called Boyds Mills): https://boydsmills.org/
• SCBWI: https://www.scbwi.org/
• The Manuscript Academy: https://manuscriptacademy.com/

The Long Road to Publishing is produced and edited by Eva Langston, and the intro/outro music comes from the artist Soundroll on #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/lost-in-love

License code: EEKRDQPCTGSBM5LZ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Darien Gee experienced many years of ups and downs with writing and publishing novels before getting her MFA (at the age of 50) and discovering a love for micro-prose, poetry, and narrative nonfiction. 

In this episode we talk about Darien’s journey through the publishing world with sales numbers “trending down” and selling a book at auction. We also talk about the magic of micro-prose, how she used micro-prose to transform a novel into an award-winning chapbook, and her two Substack newsletters for writers. 

• Follow me on Substack or subscribe to my Substack Newsletter for Writers.
• Find me on Instagram and Blue Sky.
• Send me an email at [email protected]
• To pitch to the podcast, go here
• Find books by guests and books mentioned on the podcast at the Long Road Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/evalangston

• Website: https://www.dariengee.com
• Substack: https://writerish.substack.com 
• Substack: https://draftsdealsdetours.substack.com

• Object Lessons: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/discover/bloomsbury-academic/object-lessons/
• Rainier Writing Workshop: https://www.plu.edu/academic-programs/program/mfa-rainier-writing/
• Shout-outs to Patricia Smith, Rigoberto Gonzales, Lauren Groff, and others!

The Long Road to Publishing is produced and edited by Eva Langston, and the intro/outro music comes from the artist Soundroll on #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/lost-in-love

License code: EEKRDQPCTGSBM5LZ

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Casey Sciezka runs the Spruceton Inn, a Catskills Bed & Bar, as well as its annual Artist Residency that hosts world-renowned painters and bestselling and award-winning authors. Now on her third agent (who happens to be my agent as well!), she has finally published her debut novel, The Fountain, which is pitched as Tuck Everlasting for adults.

• Follow me on Substack or subscribe to my Substack Newsletter for Writers.
• Find me on Instagram and Blue Sky.
• Send me an email at [email protected]
• To pitch to the podcast, go here
• Find books by guests and books mentioned on the podcast at the Long Road Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/evalangston

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sprucetoninn/
• Substack: https://sprucetoninn.substack.com
• Website: https://www.caseyscieszka.com
• The Fountain: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-fountain-casey-scieszka

• Spruceton Inn & Artist Residency Website: https://www.sprucetoninn.com
• Jami Attenberg and #1000WordsofSummer: https://1000wordsofsummer.substack.com/about

The Long Road to Publishing is produced and edited by Eva Langston, and the intro/outro music comes from the artist Soundroll on #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/lost-in-love

License code: EEKRDQPCTGSBM5LZ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wendy Tokunaga has weathered bad book sales and agent break-ups. She’s published with a Big 5 publisher and self-published, and in this episode she makes a strong case for why most writers should at least TRY for the traditional book deal. She was the oldest person in her MFA program, and her latest novel, Brenda Barker’s Next Chapter, features a 64-year-old aspiring author as the protagonist.

• Follow me on Substack or subscribe to my Substack Newsletter for Writers.
• Find me on Instagram and Blue Sky.
• Send me an email at [email protected]
• To pitch to the podcast, go here
• Find books by guests and books mentioned on the podcast at the Long Road Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/evalangston

• Website: https://www.wendytokunaga.com/
• Bluesky: @wendytokunaga.bsky.social
• Twitter: @Wendy_Tokunaga 
• Buy Brenda Barker’s Next Chapter: https://bookshop.org/a/91104/9798218774769

• Eva's article on Jane Friedman's Blog: https://janefriedman.com/after-my-second-book-died-on-submission-i-took-these-4-crucial-steps/
• Stanford's Novel Writing Certificate Program: https://continuingstudies.stanford.edu/writing-certificate/overview
• Maiden, Mother, Crone Substack Article: https://substack.com/home/post/p-185776582

The Long Road to Publishing is produced and edited by Eva Langston, and the intro/outro music comes from the artist Soundroll on #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/lost-in-love

License code: EEKRDQPCTGSBM5LZ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

USA Today bestselling suspense author Marisa Walz uses her intuition when making writing and publishing decisions. After many manuscripts she “just knew” Good Intentions would be the one to finally get published. In this episode we talk about Marisa’s drafting process, how she broke up with her first agents, and a tarot card reader who predicted a major moment in Marisa’s author career.

• Follow me on Substack or subscribe to my Substack Newsletter for Writers.
• Find me on Instagram and Blue Sky.
• Send me an email at [email protected]
• To pitch to the podcast, go here
• Find books by guests and books mentioned on the podcast at the Long Road Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/evalangston

• Website:  https://www.marisawalz.com/  
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marisacwalz/
• GOOD INTENTIONS: https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/good-intentions-9781250397409/

• Instagram post that made me want to interview Marisa: https://www.instagram.com/p/DT_tfMMjabq/?img_index=1
• The Shit No One Tells You About Writing Podcast: https://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/

The Long Road to Publishing is produced and edited by Eva Langston, and the intro/outro music comes from the artist Soundroll on #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/lost-in-love

License code: EEKRDQPCTGSBM5LZ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When traditional publishers didn’t think there was a market for historical fiction featuring black female leads, Vanessa Riley bet on herself, and won big! After finding success with self-publishing, she is now traditionally publishing her historical fiction, romance, and mystery books with the Big 5 Publishers.

Vanessa Riley is an award-winning author of over twenty-nine novels including Island Queen (a GMA buzz pick), Queen of Exiles (ABC’s The View’s Lit Pic), and the Lady Worthing Mystery Series (which won the 2024 Georgia Author of the Year for Mystery). 

With a doctorate from Stanford University and other engineering degrees from Penn State, Vanessa brings a research-oriented approach to her inclusive storytelling which spotlights hidden narratives of Black women and women of color, emphasizing power, sisterhoods, and family sagas across historical fiction, romance, and mystery genres.

• Follow me on Substack or subscribe to my Substack Newsletter for Writers.
• Find me on Instagram and Blue Sky.
• Send me an email at [email protected]
• To pitch to the podcast, go here
• Find books by guests and books mentioned on the podcast at the Long Road Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/evalangston

• Website: Vanessariley.com
• Fire Sword & Sea: https://bookshop.org/a/91104/9780063271043

• Eva Rutland: https://romancehistory.com/2022/04/05/eva-rutland-1917-2012/

The Long Road to Publishing is produced and edited by Eva Langston, and the intro/outro music comes from the artist Soundroll on #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/lost-in-love

License code: EEKRDQPCTGSBM5LZ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.