Interview: J.J. Hebert, #1 Bestselling Author & Owner of MindStir Media

Hi, J.J.! We are pleased to have you on here for an interview. Can you tell us how you got into writing?
I started writing poetry back in high school. Thanks to the Harry Potter book series, my interest in poetry morphed into an interest in novel writing once I entered adulthood. I found a local editor who helped me with my first novel manuscript. I went through about seven drafts of my fantasy manuscript, learned a great deal about writing during the process, but ultimately decided not to publish that first manuscript. Later on I wrote Unconventional and decided that it was publishable and marketable and so I self-published it through a company I formed, MindStir Media.

How long does it take for you to write a book?
Unconventional, my debut novel, took me about three or four months to write the first draft. Then it took me another few months to go through the revision process. I do my best work at night, so I often write through the night and into the early morning. My creative juices seem to flow best during those late night/early morning hours. 

You mentioned you formed your own self-publishing company, MindStir Media. What inspired you to start that company?
I essentially created MindStir Media in order to self-publish my own book, Unconventional. That was in 2009 and by 2010 I noticed that there were a lot of other authors out there looking for help with self-publishing, so I started offering consultations and helping other authors with self-publishing. Nowadays, MindStir Media is a fully fledged company geared toward assisting authors with self-publishing and book marketing.

What are some of your most cherished accomplishments with your writing and with MindStir Media?
Certainly when I hit #1 on Amazon with Unconventional — that was an incredible experience and feeling. I’ve landed on bestseller lists for all four of my own books throughout the years, and that experience never gets old. It was also thrilling to become an award-winning author nine times. On the entrepreneurial side, with MindStir Media, one of the major highlights was when Penny Matters ranked MindStir Media as the #1 self-publishing website. Another major highlight was when Shark Tank’s Kevin Harrington endorsed MindStir Media and myself and partnered with me.

Where can readers find you online?
Readers can connect with me at my official author website at http://www.jjhebertonline.com. They can also learn about my company, MindStir Media, at http://www.mindstirmedia.com.