Meet Anna Hartzog

We were lucky to catch up with Anna Hartzog recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Anna, thank you for joining us today and sharing your experiences and acquired wisdom with us. Burnout is a huge topic these days and so we’d love to kick things off by discussing your thoughts on overcoming or avoiding burnout

Burnout is a such a real thing for so many of us who were always taught to do our best to just keep pushing forward. I think it can be too easy for people who have that strong work ethic to take it to an unhealthy extreme, especially if they really enjoy their work and want to succeed. It can feel good to take on extra levels of responsibility and feel like you’re helping your team or your company get ahead. But, the late nights and long weekends spent working can start to add up and take their toll. That’s what I saw happening in my life. Like a lot of folks, I enjoyed the extra flexibility that came out of Covid. I was able to work from home more and see my family more, but it also meant that I felt like I was always “on call” and connected to work. My time at home with family or out with friends started to feel like there was always a distraction of things I could or should be doing for work. I realized I needed to find more balance and boundaries. The way that I felt would work best for me was to step away from my corporate job and go out on my own. I wanted to create my own schedule and shape my own priorities. It was scary at first, but it’s been hugely energizing. I feel like I’m able to breathe better these days and say “no” when I need to. In order to overcome burnout, I had to do a hard reset and start over in a new place where I was in control. There are still occasional late nights spent working, but it’s because I’m making the call. And, it’s a tradeoff for getting to spend more time during the days at my kids’ schools or enjoying a hobby, like playing tennis. I needed more freedom in my days and true flexibility. Working one-on-one with clients in environments with smaller teams has allowed my work to be more efficient and created more collaborative relationships with my clients. I love the work that I do and am thankful for the renewed sense of purpose I’ve felt since venturing out on my own.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I started Village Editorial as an editorial firm that would work on variety of projects—anything from editing website copy and text for marketing campaigns to writing magazine articles and ghostwriting books. I assumed the work would happen in various formats. I’ve been surprised that over 95% of the work we’ve done in our first year has been specifically related to books. Though I’ve worked in all of these areas throughout my career, I have realized that my understanding of writing and editing books is what draws new clients to me. There are already a lot of fantastic companies and freelancers out there who focus on editing website copy or writing articles; the gap in the industry is really finding enough people who understand the ever-changing world of book production and publication. I love that even though our focus has narrowed a bit, we are still able to cast out a wide net and work with authors in nearly every genre. One of our authors, Andrew Grayson, just released his second novel, The Five-Year Samaritan. It’s a Southern gothic story with some political tie-ins. It was the first book to be published on the Village Editorial imprint. Ann Coyne, Emily Coyne, and Joyce Litzler (3 generations of women) are set to come out with their design-focused coffee table book later this year. Jennifer Hallman, our first children’s book author, will release her book, illustrated by Racheal Smithson, in February. Alison Robinson’s debut novel, Shadowless, will also hit shelves in February. Additionally, we’ve worked on or are working on an educational philosophy book (Donna Dukes), a cookbook (JeriLynne Clifford), a middle grade fiction novel (Lisa Purcell), a nonfiction self-help book (Kim Shumate), and others. The variety of books we get to work with each day keeps me energized. Additionally, we help with each stage in the process. Whether someone needs help with an outline or coaching chapter-by-chapter, or they need help with copyediting, layout, and design, or they need assistance getting it printed or finding a traditional publisher…we really can do it all!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

One of the most important things that has led to success is having project management skills. On any given day, I’m working on projects for 3 to 7 clients. I’ve got to be able to organize my thoughts, files, workload, etc. Being able to keep all of those plates spinning effectively and making good progress requires both organizational and communication skills. You have to be okay with (and hopefully thrive in) an environment that feels a little bit like a balancing act. I think, for me, this skill was built initially as a student who was involved in way to many societies and activities, but then it really solidified in my first career as a high school English teacher. I taught 6 classes and saw over 150 students each day. Most years, I taught multiple grade levels and had other duties outside of teaching, planning, and grading. And typically, I also was either taking extra graduate school classes at night, teaching night classes at the local community college, or working a second job (retail) after school. You could say it was trial by fire! But those years of experience play an invaluable role in my ability to manage projects well now.

Secondly, I would say that being able to network and put myself out there has been important as I’ve stepped out as an entrepreneur. I’ve always loved meeting new people and making connections, so talking with potential clients about how I might be able to help them or connecting my clients to a team of other professionals I’ve put together to brand, edit, design, or promote their book is really an extension of my natural personality. I love hosting parties and introducing friends to other friends. If a friend is looking for a new job, and I see an opening that might fit, I send it to them. If a friend is looking to buy a house and another friend is selling, I connect them. If one friend loves trying new food and another friend opens a restaurant, I take them. (Yes, these are all real-life examples!) I’ve heard someone say that the opposite of a gatekeeper is a waymaker, and I love that idea! I love putting people together and making successful or helpful connections. That’s really what Village Editorial was born out of…my desire to take my knowledge and people I know in the book industry and put them together to build a village that supports authors.

Lastly, it’s certainly important that I have the knowledge and skills necessary to write, edit, and produce books. This understanding has accumulated over a lot of years. I really fell in love with reading in high school, but even before that, I was penning my own stories. I was an English minor at Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi (the home of William Faulkner), a place that is known for producing great writers and lovers of the written word. Then I went to graduate school at the University of Montevallo, where I took more creative writing and literature courses. After that, I taught high school English for 6 years and graded/edits A LOT of papers! I continued to develop my skills as I wrote a cooking blog for 5 years and produced a cookbook of my grandmother’s recipes before working for a nonprofit, the Junior League of Birmingham, as their magazine’s editor. Then, I spent over 6 years working for a publisher in both the magazine and book divisions, eventually becoming the editorial director of a book imprint. All of these experiences taught me things that enable me to do the work I do now. And, I’m continually learning and researching. I love meeting with people in adjacent areas of publishing to learn how our worlds intersect. Even with things like BookTok and Bookstagram, the industry continues to shift…there’s always something new to learn.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

Yes! As my business continues to grow, I’m adding to my network of publishing professionals. If you’re interested in freelancing as an editor, graphic designer, or publicist, please reach out via my website. Additionally, we are always looking for new authors. Whether you’re just starting the process and have an idea for a book you’d like to talk through or have a fully finished manuscript, we’d love to chat about ways that we can work together to make your book a reality! We work with authors to self-publish, hybrid publish, or traditionally publish. Send me an email or reach out on my website to connect about your project.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.villageeditorial.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/villageeditorial/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-hartzog-15133257

Image Credits

Becca Beers