Morning Friends!
Today we have with us our second Sponsored Artist Award Winner Antonia Hughes! Her novel, Soul Witch is an LGBTQ+ story about a witch on a quest of discovery, torn between what she knows and what her other witches are hiding from her.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your writing.
I’ve been starting stories since I was 13, and really dove into writing at 22… and then got mired in endless rewrites and overhauls on the same three-quarters of a fantasy story for years. In 2020, I decided it was time to learn how to finish a book, so I trunked my old novel and began anew. I finished the first draft of a witchy urban fantasy in about 100 days, with help from some friends to keep me on track.
What prompted you to apply for the Sponsored Artist Award?
I love that WriteHive is so supportive of authors with intersectional marginalizations—as a queer aspec woman with ADHD and several health conditions, I appreciate the need for diversity in fiction. I knew I wanted to self-publish, but when my freelance work was only just paying the bills, being able to afford a cover designer and editor seemed out of my reach. I learned about WriteHive’s sponsored artist award, and it seemed like the perfect fit—not that I knew I’d be lucky enough to be awarded!
What are your goals for this work?
Honestly, my goal with this work is to have a completed, polished, published book that I can feel proud of, and learn all the ropes of self-publishing along the way. As a first in series, I don’t expect much from it until I’ve written more books, but it will be a testament to the fact that I can be an author, that I can do hard things, and that I can finish things (thanks, ADHD 😉).
What is the dream and how will the sponsored artist award assist in bringing you closer to that?
The dream is to be a full-time author, some ways down the line. (I know, you’ve never heard that before, right? 😂) I’ve always had more ideas than I can write, and I don’t shy away from hard work, so I know I can do it if I put in the effort. I am so grateful for the sponsored artist award, which will help me get the ball rolling—start-up costs for getting a professional-quality book out into the world are no joke, and I am delighted that the award will help my dreams of being a published author become a reality.
Where can we find you?
