Retreat to the Springs! will be offered Aug. 2 to 4, 2019, in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Maddie James, romance writer and indie publisher, is one of the faculty members for the retreat. Here we get to know her a little better.
Maddie James
Q: What made you choose your genre(s)?
Honestly, the genre chose me! It took hold of an 11-year-old girl who cried inconsolably after Rhett told Scarlett, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” That day, this girl vowed that every story here and evermore deserved a happily-ever-after ending. Besides, I grew up kissing my pillow. Writing romance was a given.
Q: What do you consider to be the first meaningful things you wrote? (For example, I had a poem published in a national magazine when I was 10. I then wrote my autobiography when I was 12, but my mother said no one would buy it until I had done something meaningful. I then wrote a “Nancy Drew” book the next year. Even though I’ve published nine books, those three things are what stick in my mind.)
Probably the note I wrote to my kids’ teacher explaining why I didn’t agree with her philosophy about how my kid should choose a book from the library. It was poetic and oh-so-convincing but I’m pretty sure said kid lost the note on the way to school. Sigh.
Q: Is there anything you wish you had not written?
Yes. A couple of Op-Ed pieces. I did learn a couple of valuable lessons though by writing them — the pen is powerful and be ready to back up what you wrote to your family.
Q: Do you read your books after they’re published?
I read my emails after I push send. What do you think?
Q: How do you feel about self-publishing? It has lost a lot of the stigma of “vanity” publishing.
I could write for a day on this topic. I’m totally independently published these days, so I am pro — but only if you know what you are doing, and not saying one should self-publishing exclusively. There are a lot of considerations. Self-publishing and vanity publishing, by the way, and as you likely know, are two very different things. I could go into the differences here but will spare you. 
(maybe in the workshop?)
Q: From when you first started seriously pitching your first book, how long did it take to be picked up?
Ten years. Ten very long years. From 1986 to 1996. It was a different era in publishing. I wrote my first complete manuscript on an electric typewriter. Think about that.
Q: What is your writing routine? Do you have one?
I still work a day job but I work from home so there is that. My fiction writing happens between 5 and 8 a.m. every day of the week. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, I could go longer. In the evenings, after the day job ends (where I also write) I work on other “writer stuff.”
Q: If you didn’t write in your genre, what would you be writing?
I write in several romance subgenres — from suspense to paranormal to contemporary to westerns. I like the variety. But I also have a cozy mystery and a women’s fiction novel in the works. And, I write non-fiction, mostly in academia but I have written essays, articles, curricula, etc. I’m currently writing the 30-year history of a non-profit organization. So, it’s pretty safe to say, if I want to write it, I’ll likely take a stab at writing it.
Q: What was your harshest rejection? What was your best rejection?
It has been over 10 years since I submitted a work traditionally and I can’t recall a harsh rejection (not saying it didn’t happen, I just don’t recall!). I do remember a good rejection where my former editor stated that my suspense voice was similar to Iris Johansen’s. I floated around on that one for a while.
Q: What did you do when your very first book arrived? (I opened the book and smelled it.)
Probably opened the box and said, “Thank God. Finally!” But I honestly can’t remember.
Q: Where do you think your genre is going? What are the changes you’ve seen?
The romance genre is not going away. It will continue to be a popular genre. That said, the genre will evolve as it has over the past 15 years or so. Ebooks and erotica changed the landscape of the romance genre a while back. Indie publishing was the next wave. As writers in the genre become more diverse, so do the romance stories, and that changes not only the genre but the industry as a whole. There is a lot we could talk about here.
Q: Do you ever think back on your first book and wish you’d done something differently?
The rights to that first book reverted to me several years ago. Since then, I have revised and rewritten the story, added scenes and chapters that were left out, and re-released it back into the world. I like the final product better.
But — would I do anything differently about that first published book? Yes. I would have learned more about marketing. I would have written the sequel sooner. I would have paid attention to the popularity of the western genre (it was a cowboy story) and written more of those back then. But yeah, hindsight. We learn from it.
Q: Do you recommend getting an agent? How many agents have you had?
I have never had an agent. I didn’t need one for my first six books but my editor at the time kept bugging me to get one. Things happened in my life at that point that prevented me from moving forward and seeking an agent, and I actually stopped writing for a few years. After that, I sort of had to start over again, and with small press and indie publishing becoming a “thing” I decided not to go the agent route. However, never say never. I have a book in the hopper that might be a candidate for submitting via an agent.
Do I recommend getting an agent? I think the answer to that question is tied up in what your goals are as an author, what you write, how you want to publish, and more. It’s a good question.
Q: Anything else you’d like to add?
Just that I’m looking forward to the event! Is it summer yet?
Retreat to the Springs! takes place Aug. 2 to 4, 2019, in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Besides Maddie James, we will also have Tim Waggoner and Jeffrey Marks on faculty. For more information, go here.
More about Retreat to the Springs!
August 2–4, 2019, “Focus on Fiction” Details
Register by July 25, 2019: To keep our intimate setting and personal attention, the workshop is limited to 25 people.
Location: John Bryan Community Center
100 Dayton St.
Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387
