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.

The Long Road to Publishing with Eva Langston:

• 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

Wendy Tokunaga:

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

Show Notes:

• 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

Credits:

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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