Interview (Part II) with Louella Turner, CEO of High Hill Press -- and A Special Giveaway

As promised, here is Part II of my interview with Louella Turner, CEO of High Hill Press.

Today Lou answers questions about some of her authors, explains the process from acceptance to publication, shares some advice, and gives her contact information. She has also agreed to answer questions from visitors. So if you have a question about High Hill, the publishing process, or anything related to writing, leave it and Lou will answer it.



Oh, and Lou is also giving away a copy of Master Course in Writing by Jory Sherman. One lucky person who posts a comment or a question either on today's post, Monday's post, or on A Book A Week, my other blog, where I have reviewed Jory's book, will be entered in a random drawing to receive a copy of Jory's book.

Now, on to our interview:

Who are some of the authors you have published, and what are some of the titles in your catalogue? We've published the well-known Spur Award winning western writer, Dusty Richards. This fall we're launching Cactus Country, an idea that Dusty had last fall for publishing strictly westerns. We're doing an anthology of western short pieces to go along with it. The project is getting a lot of attention by some big names in the industry. Jory Sherman, a Pulitzer finalist, published “Master Course in Writing” with us, and we have his poetry collection coming out in the summer of 2011. “Geese to a Poor Market” by Lonnie Whitaker, a St. Louis attorney, was published in the summer of 2010. Brenda Brinkley, a Missouri native, published her first children's picture book in her Brenda's Barnyard series in the fall of 2010, and we're now finishing up the second in her series about a camel named Cleveland. All together we have published nearly 50 titles under High Hill Press, and worked with another publisher in Texas on 8 other books. We have another 40 books scheduled for the next 12 months.

Please describe the process from acceptance to completion of a project. When we get a query it can often takes weeks to respond. But if we like the idea for the book, we'll then ask for samples. If we like what we read we ask for the entire manuscript. If we decide it's a book we want to publish we call the author and then the adventure begins. A book usually takes between 8 and 12 months of work before it's actually published. Once in awhile we do one quicker than that in order to have it ready for a conference or event the author wants to attend. But the speed between query and publication depends on the amount of editing needed in the book, and our schedule.

In addition to being a publisher and an editor, you are a Pushcart Prize nominated writer. With so many writing awards and publishing credits of your own, what writing accomplishment makes you most proud? Just the fact that I've ever managed to write anything that people want to read is amazing to me. I love to write. I don't do as much of it as I'd like because of the time I spend on High Hill projects, but I still manage to polish a story here, or start a new one there. Lately I've been revising a western I wrote years ago. I've been very lucky in my writing career and managed to find a New York agent who has a bucket load of patience with me and is waiting for those revisions. My goal is to have at least one book published in NY before I die. So I've got plenty of time.

Do you have any advice for writers just starting out, or even those who have been writing for years? Do it because you like it and don't let anyone dash your dreams. If you simply want to publish a few stories or essays or articles, go for it. If you want to publish a book, you can do that too. If NY is your goal, don't give up. If you'd like to go with a small press, there are a ton of good ones out there. The word can't should never be in a writer's vocabulary.

What’s the best way to contact you or to find out more about High Hill Press? Probably e-mail. HighHillPress@aol.com But don't expect an answer right away. When I'm working frantically to get a book out on time, I often don't respond to e-mails right away. And if I ask for a sample of your writing, don't write back the next day and ask if I liked it. I recently had a client write to me to say her friend told her that she should bug a publishing house to get their attention. That is NOT the way to do. Just because we're small, doesn't mean we're not as busy as the big publishing houses. We're probably busier because our staff is smaller. Just be patient. While you're waiting, edit, edit, edit.

Thanks for visiting with us, Lou, and for sharing your wealth of advice, experience and knowledge.


I will post the name of the lucky winner of Jory Sherman's Master Course in Writing on Friday.