​Between the Lines: Interview with RockHill Publishing

​RockHill Publishing is an independent publisher that specializes in Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Adult, and Romance. Athina Paris (Editor-In-Chief of RockHill Publishing) and James L Hill (Author and Publisher) share their insights about the publishing industry.

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About RockHill Publishing
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​RockHill Publishing has chosen to cater for an adult audience, so that would make anyone between 18 and 81.

As we are a small enterprise, we chose to focus on four genres presently: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Adult, and Romance, as these are the most popular. Romance is by far the most read. This gives us more control over the quality of the work we receive and helps us provide a better service. This way, we can interact with the writers in a personal capacity.

And although we list titles in their main categories of fantasy, science fiction, and adult fiction, many of our novels have a romantic element. Such as The Emerald Lady from fantasy, Get Out Now! an adult fiction, and Pegasus: A Journey To New Eden which is a dystopian science fiction.
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Love & Madness and All I Ever Wanted are epic romances in the truest sense of the HEA (happily ever after) genre.

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Publishing Process
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What are the main challenges that RockHill Publishing’s editorial team experiences?

​We often receive the incorrect genres and very badly put together work. It is true many people have a story to tell, but they are not necessarily writers. So, whether they have a fiction tale, led an interesting life and want to write a memoire, or have a family history they want to share with the world, most do not know the correct way to go about it.
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How do they overcome these challenges

Every story we read gets a detailed evaluation. We help the writer by pointing out their good and bad points. We were new writers once too, and we know how it feels when you get a cold rejection slip. So instead, we send these aspiring writers, positive criticism. We explain what is wrong with the work and give suggestions on how to improve it.

How does RockHill Publishing’s editorial team decide which manuscripts to publish

The most important element is that we should like the story.

Does RockHill Publishing consider submissions from international authors?

Yes, we accept from all over the world. In fact, we have writers from three continents already.

Does RockHill Publishing accept submissions from debut authors or unsolicited manuscripts?

It is our mission to find promising new authors and provide them an opportunity to see their work in print. We have a submission page on our website and writers, whether new or seasoned, need to follow those guidelines.

• Our first step is to see if the genre is one we publish.
• Second, we’ll go over their synopsis and character list.
• Third, if it intrigues us, we will read the required four chapters—first two, one in the middle, and the last one—to gauge if the story makes sense. Is there a beginning, a middle, and a satisfactory end?

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Industry Trends
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What prominent opportunities can RockHill Publishing observe in the publishing industry?

​EBooks have been around for a while and Audio books are gaining momentum in the industry the way eBooks did a decade ago. A combination or hybrid of the two is the interactive book, which is starting to be developed. All these forms of literature have gained wide acceptance due to their availability across many platforms.
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How can RockHill Publishing utilize these opportunities to remain competitive?

Our titles are available in eBook form for any device. They can be downloaded from multiple vendors like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and the RockHill Publishing Bookstore website. We are exploring the possibilities of turning our novels into audio books in the most cost-effective way.

Does RockHill Publishing intend to collaborate with international partners in the future?

​We have in the past worked with a foreign publisher to produce translated books. Also, we partnered with Gazelle Book Services to distribute our titles to the European market. We are open to new avenues that will further RockHill’s reputation and reach the global marketplace.

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About the Journalist

​Tiffany Lim has worked with several notable organisations with marketing and project management, such as Cartoon Network, Bossini Singapore, and Singapore’s primary broadcaster Mediacorp. She is a journalist whose network includes executives from international organisations, such as The Walt Disney Company, Turner Broadcasting System, Nickelodeon and FUNimation.

Tiffany is a speaker who has addressed polytechnic students in Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Singapore Polytechnic. ​She has also spoken in educational institutions (IMDA Labs, National Library Board) and literary festivals (All In! 2018).

More details may be found on her official website.