During our Friday Indie Q&A this week we ask Author Diana Marie Hall a few questions about her venture into the publishing world. She shares with us her big indie win happening right now, and the importance of awareness around mental health and suicide prevention.
Traditional & Indie Publishing
Q: I know you’ve been published both traditionally and indie. Can you tell us about your experience with both, and what brought you to the point of being an indie author?
A: My first venture into the publishing world was with Whisper Publishing, a wonderful independent publisher in the United Kingdom. They held a romance writing competition in 2018 and I was chosen to be featured in their anthology which debuted on Valentine’s Day in 2019. I worked with their wonderful team of editors and their support was astounding. It was a true privilege and had it not been for them, their support, and the competition, I’m not sure I would have ever had the courage to publish anything at all.
The experience was wonderful though after my spine surgery in August of 2019 to remove a benign tumor, I questioned who I wanted to be as an author. I wondered – Can I do this on my own? It has always been a dream of mine to publish my own books and perhaps start a publishing company of my own one day. I published a short story on Amazon called Hannah’s Song in September of 2019 right after my surgery. It was an incredible moment of accomplishment. I just released a second edition.
“I have tremendous respect for both traditional and independent publishing; however, I decided that I love the idea of being an independent author.”
-Diana Marie Hall
Identity
Q: What kind of advice would you give to an Indie Author that you wish you had prior to starting on your Author journey?
A: First and foremost, you need to decide who you want to be as an author. What are your goals? What are your passions? I have often struggled with my own identity and tend to tackle too many projects at once because I have so many stories I want to share with the world. I would recommend talking with other independent authors about their experiences, reading their books and doing extensive research. There are so many great resources out there for independent authors that I wish I had discovered when I started my writing journey. Although I have come a long way since then, I have such a long way to go.
Suicide Prevention & Awareness
Q: You are a huge advocate for mental health and suicide prevention. We love your posts around this, and recognize that your honesty and realness reach many of your followers. For those who don’t know you, tell us about your journey and the importance of mental health advocacy to you.
A: Losing my brother Michael to suicide was utterly devastating and a pivotal turning point in my life. However, it took me thirteen years to find the courage to speak about it. I received such incredible support from the writing community, and I plan to write a suicide prevention novel called, Chasing Sunsets which will hopefully debut in 2022.
“It has been a challenge to write but I am determined to honor his legacy. I chose the pen name Dianna Michaels to pay tribute to his name. I want people know about the incredible man he was. All proceeds from Chasing Sunsets will go to a suicide prevention program.”
As far as mental health advocacy, I tend to share my experiences with anxiety and depression openly on social media because I want to help others feel less alone. Maybe if they see my struggles followed by my successes, it will hopefully inspire them to keep going. I want people to know that they matter and that they belong here. I am more than happy to share that part of my life on social media if it will help others in need.
Sense of Purpose
Q: Tell us, how do you find balance day-to-day in order to keep writing, promote your books, and work a day job?
A: I love to keep busy, so I generally have a lot of projects going on at once! I have such diverse interests and love writing in different genres using different pen names. Promotion on social media is a job itself but I absolutely love connecting with other independent authors, sharing my books and sharing theirs as well. I am also blessed with an incredible day job and their mission is close to my heart. It gives me a true sense of purpose.
As for writing, I try to keep a set schedule. I am a night owl by nature, so I write late at night into the early morning hours because that is when my best ideas come to me. Balance is so important as an author. I like to set aside time to connect, promote, read and review indie books and work on my projects. It is definitely busy day to day, but I love every minute of it!
A Big Win
Q: What is one big win that you’d like to share with us?
A: Today is the publication day of my debut poetry and prose collection, Speechless, Breathless: A Collection of Moments written under the pen name Allie Everett. The name Allie came to me in a dream, and it is the one I use for more sensual romance. Many know me as a sweet romance author. I am incredibly proud of this collection because it focuses on moments of first loves, heartache, self-discovery, and sensual bliss. This collection is a bit different than what my readers have come to know me for in previous publications. However, it was important to me to put myself out there. I wanted to create a collection that readers could truly relate to. I even dedicated the collection to my readers. My hope is that they will experience incredible moments of happiness and joy, heal from heartache, and discover themselves in the process.
Shoutout
Q: There are so many people that assist us along our publishing path. Who would you like to give a shoutout to?
A: First and foremost, I have to thank my incredible family for their support. I don’t know where I would be without them. I also want to thank Whisper Publishing UK for the incredible opportunity to be traditionally published with other incredible authors in their anthology. I’d like to thank my co-author, editor and friend, Eric Woods, who has supported my writing journey and encouraged me to keep writing when I was almost ready to give up. And of course, I also have to thank the entire #writingcommunity of Instagram. Their continued support of my writing journey is incredible, and I feel very blessed to be among such a talented group of authors.
My website is currently under construction, but I am on Instagram @dianamariewrites. You can also follow me on Amazon and Goodreads under the name Diana Marie Hall.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.
