The Long Road to Publishing with Eva Langston

Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau started out writing books for teens in French for a French publisher. She now writes in English, and has had four novels published in the US: two YA rom-coms and two adult thrillers. In this episode we talk about her experiences with book packagers, her three different literary agents, her love of screenwriting, and so much more. Anne-Sophie’s latest book is We Would Never T...

Bestselling author Eliza Knight self-publishes romance novels and traditionally publishes historical fiction and contemporary thrillers. Her latest novel TRADWIFE, coming out in August under the pen name Michelle Brandon, will be her 99th published book! Her journey has been long and twisty… and wildly prolific!  We talk about her latest historical noel, LOST IN THE SUMMER OF ‘69, and how she...

Lawyer and bestselling author Emily Jane has penned an incredible pile of genre-bending manuscripts, and her publishing journey is just as unconventional as her books.  It wasn’t until her 6th manuscript that Emily landed her amazing agent, and her debut novel was actually the 17th book she wrote. Plus… you won’t believe the mind-blowing reveal that comes towards the end of this episode!&nbsp...

Moniza Hossain had FOUR middle grade novels die on submission before landing two picture book deals. Now she also has a middle grade horror novel coming out. After a brutal 10-year journey, it’s finally her time to shine! Her two picture books, Street Puppy, Masjid Cat and Ritu in the Sun , are out now. Her middle grade novel Bad Things Happened Here is coming out this September.  The Long Ro...

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 publ...

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 She had a 10-year marathon of close calls, TONS of unpublished manuscripts, and a crazy submission process before scoring this big win!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. The Long Road to Publishing with Eva Langst...

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. The Long Road to Publishing with Eva Langston: Follow me on Substack or subscribe to my Substack...

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...

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 i...

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 s...

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. The Long Road to Publishing with Eva Langston: Fo...

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. Th...

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. The Long R...

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 &nb...

Michelle Maryk has had a long career in acting and sketch-writing, and her debut novel, The Found Object Society, was just been released from Disney Hyperion.  Michelle and I discuss how her acting background informs her writing, how she got hooked on writing conferences, and, of course, her writing and publishing journey. The Long Road to Publishing with Eva Langston: Follow me on Substack o...

Karin Gillespie has had FIVE literary agents and has published in all the ways: Big 5, small indie press, & self-publishing. With 20+ years of experience in publishing, she knows how to pitch a novel and what it takes to sell a book.  She is the author of the popular southern fiction Bottom Dollar Girls series, and her most recent novel, The Pitch Queen , is a satire of the publishing ind...

Author Lincoln Michel talks about teaching, freelancing, being a lit mag editor, and writing his popular Substack newsletter, Counter Craft. We also discuss short story collections, AI in publishing, and why authors should write weird things. Lincoln's latest genre-blending novel is METALLIC REALMS, and he is the author of THE BODY SCOUT, which was named one of the 10 Best Science Fiction Books of...

Raidah Shah Idil’s middle grade fantasy novel, HOW TO FREE A JINN, was first published in Australia before being picked up by a U.S. Big 5 publisher. Raidah and I talk about writing and publishing, and bond over being writer-moms with Type A personalities.  Australian author Raidah Shah Idil was born in Singapore, grew up in Sydney, worked in Jordan, and now lives in Malaysia with her husband...

Cynthia Swanson’s Harper Collins debut, The Bookseller , was a NYT bestseller with a film option from Julia Roberts. Less than a decade later, after struggling to find a publisher for her third book, Cynthia decided to self-publish her psychological suspense novel Anyone But Her and was named Indie Author of the Year. The Long Road to Publishing with Eva Langston: -Follow me on Substack or subscri...

In this special end-of-year episode, Eva reflects on the first 16 episodes of The Long Road to Publishing, hints at what's to come on the podcast in 2026, and awards some "superlatives" to a few of the episodes and guests. She also talks about her podcast goals and how listeners can qualify to win a free copy of Courtney Maum's book: BEFORE AND AFTER THE BOOK DEAL! The Long Road to Publishing with...

Darlene P. Campos is the author of a YA novel, two middle grade novels, and a picture book. Earlier this year, only a month before the release of her middle grade historical novel, she suffered “the worst rejection of her life.” In this episode we learn about Darlene’s publishing journey, as well as this shocking rejection and how she survived it. The Long Road to Publishing with Eva Langston...

Lindsey Goldstein got serious about her writing career at the age of 40, and her debut novel Gap Year is a middle-age coming-of-age story. Lindsey talks about revising Gap Year many, many times, parting ways with an agent who wasn’t a good fit, and signing with a small, indie publisher.  The Long Road to Publishing with Eva Langston: -Follow me on Substack or subscribe to my Substack Newslett...

Rebecca Thorne is the instant USA Today, Indie, and Sunday Times bestselling author of the Tomes & Tea series. She started out pursuing traditional publishing for many years. With great strategy and timing, she ended up finding huge success with self-publishing… then the traditional publishers came a-knocking! She now has two series being re-published with the Big Five imprint Tor. The Long Ro...

Kate Broad published ten romance novels with Entangled (and wrote a LOT of books that didn’t sell) before publishing GREENWICH, her literary debut, with St. Martin’s Press. Kate's publishing journey is WILD and she has so much great advice to share about writing and publishing. The Long Road to Publishing with Eva Langston: -Follow me on Substack or subscribe to my Substack Newsletter for Writers...

David Lane Williams always knew he wanted to be two things: a cop and a writer. He started out writing excellent police reports before publishing two nonfiction books. And now, after many detours, his debut novel, Carousel Grift, is out in the world.  David’s path to publication has more twists and turns than an amusement park ride, from going to film school, to finding himself on the board o...