My First Year as an Indie (Lessons Learned)

April 1, 2026 / Janna Hill / Leave a comment

A blast from the past. March of 2013

Part I

Can you believe I have a solid year behind me in this adventure as an independent author/publisher?

My how time flies when you’re having fun.

So what have I learned other than how to type while holding fried chicken in one hand and a biscuit in the other?

*Who doesn’t love fried chicken and a biscuit?*

A lot!

Do I have any advice for beginners?

Oh yes! Indeed I do and my first pearl of wisdom is this: cut the biscuit in half, strip the chicken and make a sandwich. It will be much easier to handle.

I would also suggest turning the keyboard over and gently shaking the crumbs loose verses picking between the keys. That tip will save you time and keep your proofreader from returning your manuscript un-proofed with a note that says Get back to me when you’re sober!

I don’t have any real pearls but if you’re interested I’ll be happy to share a handful of pebbles and opinions.

#1 Support: Get some! No man is an island. Editing, proofreading and polishing don’t necessarily mean stripping away your authenticity.

Surround yourself with people you can trust, people who are willing to encourage you, offer constructive criticism and be brutally honest when necessary.

If your book is your baby, prepare it to face the world and get that baby some child support.

Lesson: Keep it real even in fiction. Find people you can trust (paid or voluntary) and listen to them.

#2 Reviews: Good reviews are fabulous but they don’t guarantee massive sales. On the other hand bad reviews definitely hurt sales.

You may cry. You may get furious. But do not respond!!

Responding to bad reviews and personal insults is a no-no.

Lighten up, insults can be funny. Learn from the constructive ones and laugh at the assholish ones.

Yes, I just made assholish a real word.

Not everyone likes spaghetti so what makes you think everyone will like what you dish out?

Lesson: There will be haters. Get used to it.

#3 Social Media: I firmly believe in building an online presence and interacting. I said in- ter-act-ing.

That means relating to people,not only networking and connecting but talking and occasionally having a conversation.

I tend to avoid a couple of the most popular media sites for that very reason.

How do you respond to “Buy my book! My book’s on sale!”

You say something like “I see you’re from Manhattan. How is the weather there?”

And they respond with “Here’s a link to Amazon. Be sure to leave a review.”

Yeah. I’m not talking to them anymore. Neither is a lot of other people.

Lesson: In-ter-act.

I like blogging. I’m not sure how many book sales it has garnered (if any) but I enjoy it.

It’s like bloggers are… wow, I don’t know… like they are real human beings or something.

Lesson: Blog away. Blogging has zero calories and you meet great people from all over the world. It’s an inexpensive means of travel and sometimes you find the inspiration needed for your next story.

While we are on the topic of blogging allow me to weave in an experience related to marketing.

I recently consulted with a couple of PR firms who shall remain nameless. One suggested I buy their book (argh). Um, no. I am looking for someone to create “the buzz” for me — just do it okay?!

The only buzz I am motivated to create comes in the aftermath of consuming liquor.

The second person (much more helpful) looked at my social media sites and informed me I was not promoting myself enough. The conversation went like this: “You’re just there” she explained while politely pointing out I was not utilizing said media properly. “I’m sorry but one more ‘buy my book-my book’s on sale’ and I may rip the arm off of this chair. I can’t do it, that’s why I contacted you special magic guru lady.”

*She may be a lovely little witch, but she is not a special guru lady.*

“It’s not that easy anymore. What about your blogger account?” She was scanning search results as we spoke, “Do you have one?”

“Well sure. I posted something about 2013 releases but I’m more comfortable at WordPress.”

“Let me see what you are doing on WordPress… It seems your focus is on photography and just hanging out?”

“Yeah, it’s like a bar/library/art gallery, cool huh? Except they don’t serve drinks. It’s BYOB.”

“That’s fine but you need to squeeze in a pitch directing readers to buy your books.”

“I have a website listing most published works. Just google Janna Hill and you’ll find me.”

“That’s not enough. You’re going to have to get more involved in promoting yourself. You have to get out of your comfort zone.”

“Oops my macaroni is burning. I’ll have to get back to you.”

Lesson: Even for a fee no one will do it all for you. I need to “get out of my comfort zone.”

Maybe I will but if I ever respond to a greeting with “Buy my book. Leave me a review” somebody shoot me please.

*BYOB: bring your own bottle could now mean bring your own book.

Happy Fall Y’all

September 23, 2025 / Janna Hill / Leave a comment

May your harvests be plentiful & May you reap your rewards!! 🍻

The View (Wordless Wednesday)

April 13, 2022April 13, 2022 / Janna Hill / Leave a comment

The Chest of Hope (Friday’s free for All)

October 1, 2021March 7, 2022 / Janna Hill / Leave a comment

IT’S JUST A SMALL BROWN wicker basket, not built to hold much –

and a bit tattered from over handling.
It’s beautiful warm browns have dulled and faded with age on the outside –

but inside the natural luster still shines.

It’s top is held in place by make-do leather ties because the first woody hasps were worn in two –

and now dangle loosely, without purpose.

What hands made the airy coffer? I wonder as I stroke the thin smooth fibers.
Was it one as handsome as the tight weaves frayed by time?

Though dust has long since claimed his finger prints – I know that he was a weaver; I imagine that he was a dream weaver…
Diligently intertwining each cane thread with my hopes in mind…

A place to store my breathing dreams so that they could be kept safe and close at hand, amassed in a beautiful fibrous reminder.
A quaint little chest of hope I will one day hand down to a child, a grandchild or perhaps even a great grandchild –
when I have used up its contents.

When I have taken the dusty lid off one last time and felt deep into the corners to make certain I haven’t left any ideas untouched…
I imagine when I offer it up to him (or her) they will look at me like I’m crazy (and I may well be) then they’ll tear the lid off, expecting to find a treasure of sorts before saying with disappointment,

“It’s just an empty old basket.”

It is then I will share with them the wishes and ideas that were stored and later born of that basket.

How they were kept safe till I could see them come to fruition.
And one more time I will imagine the handsome dark skinned man who meticulously weaved the wonderful piece…
a place to store my dreams because dreams need room to breathe.

Then I will show them how to place their own aspirations into the old auburn chest with caution to keep them safe, to nurture their hopes and give them time to mature. And if my last wish were to come true I will see them realize the birth of their visions.

*I adore woven baskets and this bit of prose was inspired by one of my favorites.

The Chest of Hope was taken from Getting me Back

The Elevator Pitch

January 25, 2018 / Janna Hill / 2 Comments

“Think Ten Seconds or Fifty Words”

An elevator pitch is a quick description of the crux of your novel. It’s called that because you’re to picture yourself in an elevator with an agent, editor, or publisher. You have only three floors to wow them.

What do you say?

Hurry on over to AIW and get the full story.

race

Read the full article at AIW Press

Tuesday’s Tell All (It’s Only Natural)

November 14, 2017 / Janna Hill / Leave a comment

Plots and characters are like plants and seasons; they come and go. They bloom, hopefully they shine and then they perish.
But even in their perishing they can serve a purpose.
It’s only natural.

For you NaNoWriMoers right now just write. You can decide what goes into the compost pile later.

compost (1024x694)

Write on!!

Friday’s Free-for-all (Genres & Tools & Fried Taters. Mhm)

November 10, 2017November 9, 2017 / Janna Hill / Leave a comment

It will be necessary to choose a genre (or a narrow list of genres) when you get ready to submit/publish but don’t let that ~~annoying~~ detail inhibit your writing.
For now just write; your story can be catalogued later.
Here is a brief overview of primary genres. Glance at them and move on.
Action/Adventure: fast paced exploration with conflict.
Erotica: focuses on the sex, not the romance.
Fantasy: Magic other worldly, mystical and mythological.
Horror: anything that invokes fear/dread.
Literary Fiction: focus on the quality of writing style/prose over the narrative/plot.
Mystery: involves solving some sort of crime.
Thriller/Suspense: creates tension which can involve action or mystery.
Romance: love and intimacy without the down and dirty details of said intimacy.
Science fiction: think aliens, alternative worlds and high tech
Westerns: usually taking place in America’s ‘Old West’; cowboys, etc…
Women’s fiction: all about the woman e.g. growth and hope.

I just finished packing to head to Benton Arkansas for the weekend and I thought about the movie Sling Blade.
Sling Blade is a drama. No, there is not a drama category listed above because drama is written for performance. The paperback copy is categorized as screenplay. As a screenplay it is listed on Amazon as follows:

#1100 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Movies > Screenwriting
#5851 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Television
#26979 in Books > Arts & Photography > Performing Arts

Now allow me to detour a moment because I do love me some Billy Bob Thornton. I am also excited about visiting Two Peas in a Pod Flea Market and some dear kinfolks in Benton where Sling Blade was filmed.
Ahhh. I still cackle when my [adult] kids slip into character and quip, “fried taters, Mhm.” “With mustard and biscuits. Mhm.”

If you are familiar with the movie Sling Blade you’ll be familiar with this line, “Some folks call it a sling blade; I call it a Kaiser blade.” Yeah, I heard some of you saying, Mhm.
Well I have a sling blade too (along with a few other tools) but I call it a limb-chopper. torture chamber (553x800)

People can call it what they want but that will not alter the way I use my limb-chopper. I use it to chop limbs — all sorts of limbs.

I call it what I want to; I use it however I please BUT if I decide to sale my tool… my merchandise, I will need to identify it properly and list it in an appropriate category.
See what I mean? Mhm?

How are They Going to Get There?

November 9, 2017November 8, 2017 / Janna Hill / Leave a comment

Congratulations on your writing accomplishments!

Whether you have written a paragraph or five hundred pages so far this month, you’re doing great.

I once wrote 500 pages in one day. Yep, the Ctrl+v got stuck on my keyboard. When I returned from my walk I had five hundred pages of totally inconceivable gibberish.

I jest, but speaking of taking a walk…

Where are your characters going? Why are they going? How are they going to get there?

Feel free to use the photographs to get the creative juices flowing.

Write on!!

No Such Thing As Ghosts

August 4, 2017 / Janna Hill / Leave a comment

Ernest Hemingway’s study in Key West, Florida.

Note the portrait in the background. Sorry, I don’t know who the artist is but I thought it meshed well with the poem No Such Thing as Ghosts. I snapped this photo last February after a long ride through the keys with Ernie. 😉

No Such Thing As Ghosts completes chapter 17 in Unjustified Favor (Clan Destiny Book III) after an ordeal forces Lawrence Jeffcoat to rethink his beliefs.

… ghosts were manifestations of irrational fears and folklore. Ghouls, phantoms, spirits – those were make-believe stories invented for campfires and fiction.