Today we’d like to introduce you to Demi Michelle Schwartz

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?

My love for books started when I was a child. I have vivid memories of my parents reading stories to me before bed, especially fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel. In school, I always looked forward to silent reading time and creative writing activities. I didn’t know back then that I would one day be involved in the publishing industry.
I can honestly say my teachers and professors are the ones who set me on the path of being an author. My senior year of high school, my creative writing teacher told me I had potential and asked if I had considered studying English in college. I have to admit, I was surprised. I had only seen myself pursuing music, another passion of mine that led to me becoming an award-winning songwriter and recording artist, but creative writing? Sure, I loved crafting my own stories and reading, but I never thought about making books a bigger part of my life.
Not long after this, I had to take an English course as a freshman at Seton Hill University, and my professor said things that echoed what my high school English teacher had told me. After giving her words much thought, I decided to minor in creative writing. That minor soon turned into a major, leading me to double major in music and creative writing.
Later in my undergraduate education, another one of my professors, who is the program director of Seton Hill’s MFA in Writing Popular Fiction program, approached me during class one day and asked me if I had thought about getting a masters degree. At the time, I didn’t know about the program, and honestly, I hadn’t even considered going to graduate school. My professor invited me to attend the January residency my senior year, and right away, I knew I wanted to apply to the program. I did so a few months later and got accepted. About a month after I graduated with my dual bachelor of arts degrees, I started the next chapter of my literary adventure.
During my three years in the program, I learned from the wonderful faculty, a group of talented authors I hope to be a part of one day. From developing my craft to gaining knowledge about the publishing business, my professors and mentors helped me build the skills I needed to pursue traditional publishing.
Only nine days after I walked across the stage and earned my masters degree, I started querying agents. Three manuscripts and over a hundred rejections later, I signed with my fabulous literary agent, Michelle Jackson at LCS Literary, on November 10, 2023. Working with Michelle has been a gift so far, and I can’t wait for the day I get my yes from an editor and sign a publishing deal.
Along with working on my books, I have discovered my passion for crafting short stories and submitting them to anthologies. At the time of doing this interview, I have already gotten accepted into seven anthologies. Three of them are already published. Also, I received an invitation to be the lead editor for another anthology, set for publication in spring 2025.
Speaking of being an editor, I have my own freelance editing business, Amethyst Ink Editorial, where I focus on developmental and line editing for fiction manuscripts. When I was in my MFA program, I gained lots of experience critiquing others’ stories and enjoyed doing so. It’s a dream come true to be a professional editor now, since I love working with other authors just like me.
I’m also a publicist at Wild Ink Publishing, a wonderful small press that publishes such kind and talented authors. Since I have cultivated skills from doing my own PR as a songwriter and recording artist, I have found my role to be a natural one. Getting to build my network in publishing while booking opportunities for the authors I’m working with has been so enjoyable and rewarding.
Giving back is also important to me, and so, I decided to host my own show called Literary Blend: A Publishing Podcast, where I chat with authors, agents, editors, and other publishing professionals about topics related to the craft of writing, publishing business, and beyond. Hosting this show has been a total joy, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to talk to so many talented individuals in the industry.
So, looking back, my love for books as a child has led to me pursuing a career in publishing. I’m still at the beginning of my journey, but I’m embracing every opportunity and hoping for a bright future in the industry.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

I wouldn’t say my journey so far has been a smooth road, but I have started to enjoy the ride. Especially in an industry like publishing, it’s easy to fall down the comparison trap. I’ve realized that my journey is my journey, no one else’s. When things are meant to happen for me, they’ll happen. Sometimes, it’s difficult to maintain this mindset, especially while facing rejection, but I try my best to do so.
So far, I struggled the most while in the query trenches. It took me a year and about four months to get my offer of representation. To others, that may seem fast, but believe me, when I was in that space, it felt like an eternity. I dealt with a lot of self-doubt and developed anxiety from email notifications. Every rejection hurt. I even cried a few times. I know now that every pass only brought me closer to my agent’s offer. Still, when I was drowning in the rejection sea, it was hard to believe my querying journey would have a happy ending. Despite all this, my time querying brought me many author friends. So, even when things were hard, I had others to lean on who understood what I was going through and how I was feeling. Having friends to celebrate with me when I finally signed with my agent made the roller coaster ride worth it in the end.
In publishing, there is a lot of waiting and tons of rejection, but there are also open doors. I have opened several of those doors by building relationships and making friends in the industry. I would definitely not be where I am today if I hadn’t put myself out there and connected with others. So, next time the journey gets rough, I know I’ll have a wonderful agent and incredible industry friends in my corner to be a light in the shadows.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?

When it comes to my books, I write young adult fiction, focusing on the fantasy and thriller genres. I love to explore other genres and age categories in my short stories, since I believe stepping outside my comfort zone allows me to continue growing as an author.
As an editor, I specialize in developmental and line editing for fiction manuscripts in most genres across middle grade, young adult, and adult. I offer critiques for full manuscripts, opening pages, and short stories, and my clients have the opportunity to chat with me on a call about their work after they review my feedback.
As for what I’m most proud of, I’ll have to say my passion to learn and grow. I’ve always been a student at heart, and even though I’m no longer in school, I still embrace every opportunity as a learning experience. Each day, I look for ways to better myself as an author, editor, and publishing professional. From being receptive to feedback and advice to furthering my education by consuming wisdom from others in the industry, I’m constantly evolving. I’m proud of myself for taking every chance I get to learn more about the wonderful world of books.
I believe one of the biggest qualities that sets me apart is my versatility. As an author, editor, publicist, podcaster, songwriter, and recording artist, I’ve developed tons of skills that transfer to different roles. For example, I’m bringing what I learned through booking interviews as an artist into my role as a publicist working for other authors. As a podcaster, I have enhanced my communication skills, which are essential in any business interaction. Also, on the creative side, I use similar poetic devices in both my music and my stories. Being versatile has made me a well-rounded person and allows me to stand out in the publishing, music, and podcasting industries.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?

Ooh, this is a hard one. I’ll go with being perceived as a positive ray of light. When someone interacts with me or sees my content online, I want them to view me as a good person who is always kind and professional. This really matters to me because I care so much about others and all that I do, so I hope that comes across. I want other authors to feel like they can talk to me if they’re going through things and need encouragement from someone who knows what it’s like. I want my clients to feel like I care about their work just as much as they do. I want my podcast guests to leave recording sessions feeling like I created a safe space for them to use their voice and share their story. I could go on, but overall, I hope everyone I cross paths with sees me as someone who radiates positivity. I have met so many special people in publishing who have brightened my world like the sun, so I aspire to be like them every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://demimschwartz.com
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/demimschwartz
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/demimschwartz
• Other: Amethyst Ink Editorial: amethystinkeditorial.com