Long Overdue Newsletter - April 2025
- Chris OBrien
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read

Save the Date

We'll have two exhibitor tables again. Table assignments and maps to come in a future newsletter.
Our goal is to have 10 new releases at our tables that weren't there last year. It's an ambitious goal, but I think we can do it.
With that being said, if publishing your book by Printers Row is your goal, May - July are critical as "Editing" and "Design" months. That leaves August as the printing/shipping month. We can hit these deadlines, but those next 60 days are super important.
What's New With The Safe Landing Authors


When: Monday, May 12th from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Where: Elmwood Park Public Library (1 Conti Pkwy, Elmwood Park, IL) | Ferrentino Meeting Room
The book tour continues this month with a discussion of the award-winning Safe Landing: A family's journey following the crash of American Airlines Flight 191 facilitated by two of the book's authors, Kim Jockl and Melody Smith. Registration required. More info here.
Learning from our Authors


I don't know if this will be an upcoming webinar, article, or both, but we are learning a lot from one of our newest authors, Rick Tabor. In the past four months, he has:
Reached out to libraries all around the country, landing his book in 37 of them
Created a great author website
Navigated the Kirkus Review process
Booked a conversation/interview with a YouTube channel
And more
The more I'm typing this, the more I'm thinking webinar. This will be a great conversation for any first-time author wondering, "Now what?" after their book is published (or gameplanning their marketing strategy before the book launch). So, stay tuned for more details in the May newsletter.
From a Conversation at the Texas Book Festival
to Published Book 6 Months Later


Like the Rick Tabor section above, this is a teaser for what's to come in the May newsletter.
But in short:
I'm incredibly proud of this new book. Like Safe Landing, it's a moving, emotional backstory with an inspirational message. On top of that, it's great writing and great illustrations. Honored to work with the author, Russ Garcia, on his debut children's book
Met last November at our exhibitor table at the Texas Book Festival. Half a year later, the book is published, and we're doing an official release/launch in May
Hoping to go full circle and have this book on our table in November at the Texas Book Festival. Will be pretty awesome to have a local Austin, Texas author!
Stay tuned!
Rory McIlroy, Ken Griffey Jr., & the Monday Morning Golfers: Three Types of Long Overdue Stories
It's a few weeks old now, but Rory McIlroy finally won The Masters golf tournament. And you know who was there to photograph the iconic moment? None other than former baseball star, Ken Griffey Jr. Pursuing his new retirement hobby of photography.
This got me thinking about pursuing something meaningful, and hobbies, and getting started. It parallels the three types of "Long Overdue" author stories and how Long Overdue seeks to help in each scenario. Hope you'll see some aspects of your story in these characters!

And happy birthday to Crash! That loyal, forever puppy. Here's to another 9+ years of appearances in the monthly newsletter. 🐕
Keeping up with Long Overdue

Best place to keep up with all things Long Overdue is a tie between our monthly newsletter and our Instagram page. If you enjoy this newsletter and know someone who might enjoy it as well, let us know, we'll make sure to add them to our subscriber list. We also got back on Facebook recently, you can follow us here.
And check out the rest of our website - Long Overdue Books. Long Overdue Books is a community for creating books. It's a place for authors (and soon-to-be-authors), readers, editors, artists, and designers to come together and move their stories from ideas to finished books.
Also, if you have any questions, ideas, stories to tell, you can reach Cal the Librarian at - library@longoverduestories.com

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