Hayley Price, an innovative and passionate author, has captivated readers with her unique storytelling. With a career spanning decades, her journey from the inception of The Vermilion Ribbon in 1994 to the expansive Vermilion Saga showcases her dedication and creativity. Despite the challenges of self-publishing and marketing, Hayley’s resilience shines through her work. In this inspiring interview, she shares the intimate details of her creative process, the personal struggles that shape her narratives, and the wisdom she’s gained along the way. Join us as we delve into the world of Hayley Price, where imagination meets perseverance, and discover the drive behind her literary achievements.
1. Can you tell us about the moment when you first came up with the idea for your book? What inspired you to pursue it?
I had the original idea for The Vermilion Ribbon around 1994. It was initially a short story that explored the theme of love that endures beyond death. The original short story remains in the book as the scene that creates the necessity for Corelle (the main character) to flee. Once I had written the story, I felt compelled to expand on it and create a full-length novel that continued the same theme. During Covid, I re-discovered the long-abandoned project and had some thoughts on how I could expand it, and The Vermilion Saga was born
2. How has your personal journey shaped the stories you tell in your books?
There is much pure imagination in my storytelling, but some of Corelle’s characteristics, and much of the torment she puts herself through, resonate with my own life experience, and it would be fair to say the same applies to her love interest, Deineike, who shares some personality traits with my partner. It’s possible to draw several comparisons between our relationship and the relationship between Corelle and Deineike.
3. What challenges did you face when deciding to self-publish your work, and how did you overcome them?
When I set out on the self-publishing journey, I knew absolutely nothing about how to do it. I read the guidelines on the IngramSpark website about how to format a book for publication and didn’t understand a word of it, so I decided to use the services of a hybrid publisher, who created the cover and did the formatting. They also uploaded the book to the various platforms, but the process frustrated me once we came to the publishing stage.
They missed Apple Books, for example, and I had to do it myself. I also got some feedback that the cover wasn’t up to scratch, so I decided to start again with a second edition. I had learned a lot as I watched the book take shape under the hybrid’s guidance, and somebody pointed me to Vellum, a book formatting software, so I took a deep breath and decided to do it all myself. I learned from my mistakes, but it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. The marketing and selling of the book remains the biggest challenge. How to be seen as a tiny fish in a huge pond? That’s very difficult, and I honestly can’t say I’ve cracked that one. It is possible to spend huge sums on self-publishing; cover art, editing, adverts and so on. It’s a challenge to know where one gets the best bang for one’s buck.
4. Can you share some insights into your creative process? How do you go from an idea to a finished book?
If I have an idea, I always capture it on my phone or computer, even if I never return to it. I am an enthusiasm junkie, and if I’m excited about something, nothing can get in my way. I have to bottle the lightning fast, though. If I go cold on something, I’ll drop it without a second thought. While I’m excited by the idea, I create an outline. That is often the catalyst for the decision to continue with it. As I start writing to flesh out the outline, I’m usually captivated by the storytelling, which is the thing I love most of all. I write my first draft in sequence – I couldn’t keep track if I jumped around like some writers do, and I don’t worry about how strong the writing is. I’m trying to get the ideas down, nothing more. Once that’s done, I go back and start editing myself before I involve a professional editor.
5. What personal struggles have you encountered as an author, and how have they influenced your writing?
Without a doubt, the marketing and selling is the hardest part. It’s soul-destroying trying to get engagement on social media, understand and utilise adverts, and just trying to persuade people to take a chance on an unknown author with a somewhat niche story to tell. It makes every day a challenge, and when nobody buys the books regularly, it sometimes makes me wonder whether I should continue. So far, I’ve kept at it, but who knows? One day it all might make me stop spending so much energy on the part of the process I enjoy the least. I could then, at least, write for myself without having to deal with the marketing challenges.
6. How do you manage your mental health while working on your books, especially during challenging times?
It’s difficult. I have suffered from mental health issues for much of my life, and writing, both stories and songs, has been cathartic for me. Lack of success is hard to deal with when I believe in what I’m doing so much, and it takes its toll. My partner helps me to keep things in perspective, and I have other things away from writing that help – music, staying fit, our adorable cat. Time away from the process to recharge my batteries is a must for me. I’ve always loved travel, and I like to get away and forget about the business side of things from time to time.
7. What message or themes do you hope your readers take away from your books?
First and foremost, I want them to enjoy the story and the way I’ve told it. With the Vermilion Saga, I hope they might stop to think about how women are viewed in our own world, especially queer women. Corelle pushes through Dur’s intolerance of same-sex relationships and their jaded view of what a woman can do, and she goes her own way. That’s how we all have to be. Strong women role models are everywhere, but strength lies in each of us. Don’t be negative about other women, don’t play the game of judging them by how they look. Most people would get the wrong impression of Corelle, and it could be a fatal mistake. I don’t advocate violence, but I do say we all have a voice. Let’s be brave in the way we use it.
8. How has your experience as a self-published author impacted your view of the publishing industry?
It has given me a jaded view of the traditional publishing route. Books have been distilled down to a few popular tropes, and if your story doesn’t have them, the big five don’t want to know about you. How have they allowed this to happen? They have such a loud voice that smaller authors cannot be heard, even as traditional publishing is no guarantee of quality. Some of the traditionally published books I’ve read recently were no better quality than many of the indie books out there. Success breeds success, and the publishing industry seems laser-focused on making money rather than enabling different voices to be heard, especially marginalised voices such as BIPOC and Indigenous voices.
9. What advice would you give to other women who are considering self-publishing their own work?
Do it. Learn the skills or find someone to help you and go for it. Don’t listen to anybody who says you’re no good or you’ll never make it. Get your words out there. The most important piece of advice for any writer is to get a professional editor if you can possibly afford it. A good editor makes a huge difference. Of course, under no circumstances use Generative AI.
10. How do you balance the demands of writing and self-publishing with your personal life?
I treat writing like a job. I work Monday to Friday, normal work hours, then I turn the computer off. Obviously, I’m always looking at social media – as I would be even if I wasn’t an author. I don’t work on the weekend, and I make sure I take a day off if I feel I need it. Burning out is not on my radar, but sometimes it’s hard to balance everything, especially if I’m writing something I’m really into.
11. Have you faced any unique challenges as a woman in the literary world? If so, how have you navigated them?
I’m a fledgling author who hasn’t earned a big reputation and I tend to fly under the clouds. I have seen terrible misogyny and sexism directed at other women authors I’m engaged with, and it’s awful. The biggest pressure I feel is with my looks. I’m reluctant to use photos of myself because I’m an older woman and don’t think I’m very photogenic. Appearance is a constant challenge for women, and that needs to change.
12. How do you stay motivated and inspired to keep writing, especially when faced with setbacks?
I’ve always got more projects kicking around than time to work on them, so the inspiration to pick one up and work on it is never far away. Twenty percent of the way through the hundredth edit, it sometimes takes a lot of effort to keep going. I tell myself it will be worth it once it’s finished, polished, and in the hands of readers. There are days I just can’t face it, and I think it’s important on those days to take time for myself. I love writing, telling stories, but some days, I just feel more love for doing something else. It’s important for me to give myself permission to step away if it’s too difficult on any given day. I would rather do that than destroy all my motivation completely.
13. What role does community play in your writing journey, and how do you connect with your readers?
As an author, I don’t think I could overstate the importance of feedback from people who’ve read the book. I read all my reviews if I see them, and the warm fuzzies from a great review or a piece of positive feedback can blow away the clouds at times. I run a newsletter and send something out every month, and I encourage readers to contact me at any time. I never want to be aloof from somebody who’s read my book, even if they haven’t enjoyed it. It’s important to keep some barriers in place though. I guard my private life and time jealously and I’m careful not to become over-familiar with people I don’t know. I’ve hand-delivered a few books to local readers, and I get a great buzz from that.
14. How have your books evolved since you first started writing, and what are your future goals for your writing career?
I have levelled up as a writer so much since that first draft of The Vermilion Ribbon, and the books have come with me. I’m never satisfied with anything I do – I could tweak forever, but you have to draw a line in the sand at some point. I have updated published books in response to feedback or when I read something I don’t like, but I missed it a thousand times before. A classic example of that was the decision to release a second edition of The Vermilion Ribbon. It was good the first time round, but it’s far better now. My goals are fairly simple – I want to finish The Vermilion Saga and find its people, then move on to the next thing. I have a WIP at the moment that’s 100k words long already, with a bit to write yet, so I imagine my short-term goal beyond The Vermilion Saga is to finish that and publish it. I’m an older woman, and I firmly believe I won’t die until I’ve told all my stories, so the more ideas I have, the better. I think I already need to live until I’m a hundred and twenty, or I won’t finish everything!
15. If you could offer one piece of advice to women who are struggling with self-doubt or creative blocks, what would it be
Never doubt yourself. Imposter syndrome will eat you alive if you let it. You have a story to tell, and you’re the only one who can tell it. Above all, don’t get in your own way. Finish your story and don’t worry about how rough your first draft is. The most beautiful diamond in the world was just a dirty, unpolished rock when they pulled it out of the ground. If creativity dries up, take a break. Even if it’s only for an hour, focus on something else. Go for a walk, watch your favourite episode of a sitcom. Let the WIP go for a while, breathe, and relax. There’s a fine line between a distraction and something that takes you out of your current work though, and it’s important to recognise that. If you have another book screaming to be written, and you’re blocked on your current work, it’s tempting to take a stab at the other piece for a time. That’s great if it helps refocus you, but if you never go back to the original work, your great opus might never find its readers. Finally, if you listen to music while you write, as I do, never listen to Bruce Springsteen’s Born To Run album, or you won’t get a thing done until it finishes.
IG: @hayleypricebooks
FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095118901850
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hayleypricebooks
W: www.hayleyprice.net
