Emily Paull on "retiring" from writing and her 17-year journey to publishing The Distance Between Dreams
Emily Paull is a Western Australian librarian, author and book reviewer. Having formerly worked in bookselling, Emily is an avid reader and a big supporter of the WA writing community who regularly moderates author interviews around Perth. She is the author of the historical novel, The Distance Between Dreams (Fremantle Press, 2025) and the short story collection, Well-Behaved Women (Margaret River Press, 2019). The Distance Between Dreams was shortlisted for the 2023 Fogarty Literary Award under the working title 'The Dreamers.' Emily was also highly commended for the 2021 Fogarty Literary Award for her manuscript, 'The Good Daughter. Emily shares the highs and lows of her 17-year journey to publication, including the inspiration behind her works, the significance of setting, and the importance of place in historical fiction. They discuss Emily’s experiences with the publishing industry, her role as a book reviewer and librarian, and the value of libraries for authors. Emily also offers practical advice for writers at every stage of their journey and emphasises the importance of community and persistence in the literary world.You can subscribe to Emily's Substack here.This week's Debut in the Spotlight is Darcy Green with their debut novel, After the Siren (Penguin, September 2025), 00:55 Introducing Emily Paull01:37 Emily's Journey in the Book Industry04:58 The Reality of Being a Writer08:40 The Long Road to Publication19:07 Short Stories27:59 The Fogarty Literary Award30:35 The Distance Between Dreams33:07 Darcy Green's Debut Novel34:24 The Fogarty Award Journey40:23 Historical Research and Fremantle's Significance45:47 Writing About the Thai-Burma Railway49:25 Tips for Authors Working with Libraries58:44 Becoming a Book Reviewer01:02:16 Final Thoughts and Top Tips for WritersJoin our Patreon community for less than the cost of a coffee per month and support the pod! Your contribution will go to directly paying our sound producer, Brogan, and to help us bring you the conversations with industry professionals you love. Follow The Book Deal podcast on Instagram The Book Deal podcast (@the_book_deal_podcast) • Instagram photos and videosYou can find out more about Tina, Madeleine and Natasha and follow their journeys here: Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videosTina Strachan children's book authorMadeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videosMadeleine Cleary | AuthorNatasha Rai (@raiwriting) • Instagram photos and videosNatasha Rai | Author | Mentor If you want to stay in the know, sign up to Madeleine, Tina and Natasha's newsletters for the latest news first. Madeleine: Subscribe here...
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