Women in Publishing

Hamblett House Founded
in Nashville

In 1996, Wilson founded Hamblett House to offer writing, editing, research, and production services to individuals and companies. Her start-up was named in honor of a relative, Theora Hamblett, who was a well-regarded folk painter. “I named it for the creative twig of the family tree,” jokes Wilson.

Hamblett House began producing books in 1998. Some titles are close to home and heart, such as Danny McKenzie’s Matters of the Spirit: Human, Holy, and Otherwise. McKenzie, managing editor/ news for the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal in Tupelo, and former Clarion-Ledger columnist, holds forth on everything from politics and religion to families and pets.

“I was lucky enough to sit next to Danny during a meeting of the Millsaps College National Public Relations Advisory Coun- cil,” Wilson says. “Although everyone I meet says they can write a book, most can’t. But Danny was different. In fact, he writes ‘real good.’ And I loved his work immediately. Our publishing partnership seemed natural.”

Wilson collaborated just as easily with her former professor Samir A. Husni, better known in the industry as Mr. Magazine, an internationally known magazine consultant who teaches at the University of Mississippi and tracks new magazines. She published Husni’s Launch Your Own Magazine: A Guide for Succeeding in Today’s Marketplace, which analyzes the medium, the newsstand, and the start-up process and in- cludes insight from publishers.

There is a role for small publishing houses, says Wilson. They establish niches and define audiences that respond to them. Print runs are small, usually no more than a few thousand. But small publishers serve a great purpose by increasing the variety of books available to readers, by promoting writers whose voices are worth hearing (even if they’re not at the top of best-seller lists), and by offering regional flavor.

Hamblett House’s latest niche title is Ready for Rush: The Must-Have Manual for Sorority Rushees by sisters Bonnie Hooten Thornton and Debbie Thornton. The book gives college-bound women the inside scoop on rush.

Straight Talk – For Anybody
Who Wants to Be a Writer

Wilson is dead honest with anybody who aspires to be a writer. “I like to tell people there’s difference between being a journal keeper and a writer. A writer is driven to work with words, to take a risk in sharing ideas, emotions, perspective. Supporting yourself as a writer is incredibly hard, both emotionally and financially. You get your fair share of rejection, and you spend a lot of time taking assignments to pay the bills while reserving enough time to pursue what’s close to your heart.”

In other words, stop dreaming and get practical. Her advice is simple: “Be realistic. Start small. Write nonfiction. If you have a hobby, interest, or special knowledge about a subject, start there. And consult Literary Marketplace and Writer’s Market for guidance.”

“You don’t have to have an agent, especially if you work with a small press,” she adds. “But everybody needs a solid editor – that is, objective feedback. Sorry, but your mother’s opinion doesn’t count.”

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