Meet John G. Hartness | Writer, Publisher, & Editor

We had the good fortune of connecting with John G. Hartness and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi John G., we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I had friends who were excellent writers who either weren’t getting picked up for publication because the books were 90% ready but not quite ready, or they weren’t being treated fairly by their existing publishers. I thought I could do better, and provide more opportunities for talented writers, so I opened Falstaff Books in 2016

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started writing fiction on a whim, after being away from writing for decades. I wrote my first novel in 2007-2008, put it in a drawer for over a year, and spent time researching the publishing industry. There is so much information out there, and the writing is the easy part! Publishing is a complex business with a lot of moving parts, and in the early 2000s, we were just seeing ebooks and audiobooks rise to dominance, so there were a LOT of changes taking place. I was fortunate enough to benefit from an increasing awareness and acceptance of self-published and small press work, but it took a lot of research and a lot of walking conferences and conventions talking to people before I published my first novel in 2009. THEN the real learning began.

If people were to know anything about my books and my story, it’s that they are an outgrowth of me – my beliefs and feelings are right there on the page, the product of well over a decade of work and growth. I am exactly what it says on the tin, so there should be no surprises about what’s in the books. 🙂

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I don’t live in Atlanta, but spent several years working in the ATL for one week out of every three, and I still come in 3-4 times every year for conventions. I’d make sure they scheduled their visit around Labor Day weekend, because if anyone is taking a nerdy vacation to Atlanta, it needs to happen during Dragon Con. I’d get them into the city early, so we’d have a chance to hit Fox Brothers BBQ for some banana pudding, and I’d be sure to take them through Little Five Points to hang out and shop. Hopefully there would be somebody good playing at the Variety. Then I’d immerse them in five days of the most insane nerdy family reunion/party/networking in the world at Dragon Con.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would rather not because I don’t want anyone to be left out. It takes an even bigger village to build a writing and publishing career than to raise a child, and I have benefitted from the guidance and advice of dozens of people through the years.

Website: www.falstaffbooks.com

Image Credits
Magen Scarboro