Deborah Sickle Hill

Tag: publishing

  • JUST HIT SEND!

    JUST HIT SEND!

    JUST HIT SEND!

    I finished it a month ago—my latest novel, Dark Consequences. Normally, I self-publish. More creative control, no middleman, a say in the logistics of the book, the title, and the cover. The best part, I don’t have to wait a year for the final product to come out.

    For reasons that escape me, I’ve decided to get this book commercially published. You know the rat race—finding an agent, finding a publisher, rewrites to fit someone else’s ideas of publishable, and a decrease in creative say in the book cover.

    I know why—I’m tired of hearing self-published authors don’t count. Bull sh–! Tired of my lack of marketing skills, damn introversion.

    Are these the real reasons, or do I suffer from imposter syndrome? I’ve never held a book opening event. Just quietly published, made some posts, and let it ride. People tell me both books, Death in Disguise and The Revelation, are gripping, with well-developed characters and plots and subplots that keep the reader engaged.  So what the f—- is my problem?

    Everything is ready: The synopsis, the query letter, the pitch. I think it’s a great story.  Just hit SEND!

    Did I tell you it’s the first novel of a four-part series—all of it written? Just hit SEND!

    You want to know what the story is about? It’s a dark historical supernatural novel. Set in 1848 Maryland amid the upheaval of a quarry town, the story blends gothic atmosphere with folk horror and social tension. It explores superstition, grief, and the resilience of working-class families. There is no reason not to hit SEND!

    Here I sit, everything ready to go, a destination picked out, and a fear of HITTING THE DAMN SEND BUTTON! Can anyone relate to this? If so, I’d love to hear how you overcame this affliction.

  • WRITING NAKED (REVISED)

    “You have quite the internet presence,” the woman said during my second interview for a part-time therapy position.
    “You’re exactly what we’re looking for—except… well, this is complicated.”
    She hesitated.
    “I’m not sure what I think of what you write. The topics you explore, you know? Granted, it’s not fair to judge you based on your writing. The other applicants don’t have the same visibility. It’s just—I’m more comfortable hiring someone whose beliefs and ideas are unknown to me.”

    I sat there, feeling naked.
    I had purposely exposed myself to the world through my writing—and now someone was judging those parts of me that, at the time, had nothing to do with my clinical career. I was shocked, to say the least.

    And I did the unthinkable: I stopped writing. No writer should do that. You would not like me when I’m not writing. It’s in my blood. It’s in my soul.

    Years later, while running my private practice, the urge returned—louder, deeper. And with it came the question:
    Am I prepared to get naked again in front of friends, family, clients, the whole world, by picking up the pen?

    I thought I was. I wrote two novels. And then… I let them sit. I was terrified to send them out into the world. Maybe I wasn’t ready to face that vulnerability after all.

    Would I lose something—too much? Would total strangers stumble across my blog and turn away?

    Screw it.

    I self-published those novels—then looked over my shoulder.
    People bought and read them. No angry mobs, no torches. But I still felt exposed. I didn’t market them. Fear had crept back in.

    Then came the saga: a historical fiction rooted in supernatural folklore and local legend. I poured my soul into it. Polished it to death. And again, fear gripped me—this time because I wanted to try querying agents.

    Talk about nakedness.

    I gave the manuscript to my parents. They’d seen me naked before (literally), so it felt safe. They gave positive feedback. Of course, they’re my parents.
    And still, the manuscript sat. Maybe it needed read-through number fifteen.

    Eventually, I checked out agents. Wrote a query letter. Created hooks, taglines, back cover blurbs. And then I hesitated. I needed a web presence again.

    And that same old fear of being naked returned.

    I fought it. Damn you, fear.

    I built a website. Shared my work. People responded positively. I even sold a few copies of those old books. But still—every keystroke felt risky. Any moment, someone might show up—someone I know, someone unexpected—and say, “I don’t like you naked.”

    Well—too bad, buck-o.

    I am who I am. I write what I know, and what stirs my curiosity. If that’s not to your liking, as one of my loved ones would say:

    Don’t let the door hit you in the ass.

    I sweat just typing that. Ha. I can be such a wuss.

    But seriously—there’s nothing wrong with being naked. Get out there. Do what your soul tells you to do.

    (Just… make sure it’s legal.)

  • Join my Celebration! My Book, The Revelation, has Arrived!

    Dr. Edwin Collins is a physical anthropologist who etches crosses on soda cans. He thinks he’s facilitating the end times as written in the book of Revelation in the Bible.

    Michael English is a man of science. He is determined to rise above the insanity of his supervisor, Edwin Collins, by professionally excavating and documenting one of the country’s best preserved plantations. The only problem is that the Maryland plantation has a reputation for paranormal activity, and Dr. Collins has incorporated the local hysteria into his delusional thinking.

    Tempers fly; personalities clash as English’s team of eleven graduate and undergraduate students in archaeology excavate. One by one, team members experience unusual events that no one can explain, and science is not equipped to solve.

    Together, they must decide, is it hysteria, multi-dimensional time slips, a haunting or validations of Dr. Collin’s delusions. More important, they have to find a way to survive.

    ISBN: 978499158342

    Available in E-book and Paperback.

    https://amzn.to/3I7SrWE E-Book

    https://amzn.to/469xzs6 Paperback