Meet Hilary Dartt | Author and Direct Response Copywriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hilary Dartt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hilary, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk is present in almost everything we do. We take risks when we go for walks, drive to work or the gym, and even when we eat food from the store. Of course some risks are smaller than others, right? Walking the dog through the neighborhood feels less risky than road biking (in fact, road biking felt so risky to me, I stopped doing it)! When I consider doing something new, of course I weigh the risks while thinking about my priorities … and then I decide, keeping in mind that almost nothing is permanent. If something doesn’t work out, it’s usually not forever.
Journalism was my first real career, and it felt pretty safe. After I gave birth to my first son, I really wanted to be home with him. Around that time, it just so happened someone I knew through my job was leaving her job, and she connected me with some of the people she’d written freelance for. Leaving my secure job was a risk, of course, but being home with my baby was so important to me; it was my first priority. And the handful of regular freelance jobs reduced the financial risk of leaving the newspaper where I worked.
Soon, I’d built up a pretty good base of direct response copywriting clients, and added two more kids to the family.
The money was good, but my pie-in-the-sky dream was to be a novelist.
Investing the time to write my first novel wasn’t too risky. It meant getting up early each morning, without knowing if all that time and energy I invested would pay off. But I LIKED it, so that was a good return! Soon, I wrote another novel, and another. Each step required a little more risk: paying for editing and covers, paying for promotions, spending my time on social media and newsletters. And then there’s the risk all creatives take: putting ourselves and our work out there … what if people don’t like what we have to say? What if they don’t like our art?
But what’s the risk of NOT being creative? For me, being creative is a priority. Having something of my own (my novels as opposed to the marketing copy I wrote for clients) means so much. Showing my kids that dreams take work, and habits produce results, and it’s WORTH it to take those risks to do what we love? That’s huge.
I think taking risks, knowing almost nothing is permanent, gives us a certain amount of freedom to do what we love, and build our lives around what’s important to us.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m the author of small-town western romance novels featuring strong, independent women and sexy cowboys. My first romance series is the Mint Creek Ranch series. I’ve had so many experiences, and have such a diverse group of family and friends, that I’m able to bring to life unique characters from different walks of life.
Before I started writing romance, I wrote nine women’s fiction novels. I’m so excited about branching out into romance because it’s so much fun to write and read! Who doesn’t love experiencing those meet cutes and first-date feels over and over again?
Sometimes it’s crazy to think about having 12 novels published! And when I look back on that part of my career, it’s crazy to think about how I did it while working from home with three kids at home. It wasn’t easy (and it’s still not!).
I met up with a few different challenges!
Balancing family time with paid-work time (freelance writing) and novel-writing time is tricky. Each morning, I get up before the rest of the family to spend time working on my author business. That time is sacred! Also, I dictate my books and use software to transcribe them, which means I can “write” when I’m driving or when I’m waiting for the kids to get done with practices.
Building a successful author career can mentally challenging, too. It stings to read a 2-star review, or to wonder why more people aren’t buying my books or engaging with my social media posts. Whenever I wonder whether my writing is really good enough, I remind myself that there’s an audience for every book. Getting more readers (and more readers who love a book) is more about getting the books in front of the right people than it is about quality. So a focus on getting visible is so important.
I had to learn that I can’t wait for the muse to show up; writing time is writing time! I also learned that I need to hold myself as accountable to myself, in terms of book writing, as I do to my other clients. I would never miss a deadline for a client … and I should treat my author business the same way.
I’ve always felt this way in my personal life, but I’ve discovered that having a community is so important professionally, too. I love talking with other authors, sharing advice, and swapping stories.
One of the things I love most about reading books is experiencing someone else’s life for a short time … and I sincerely hope that when people read my books, my books transport them, too.

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 live in a small town just outside of Prescott (this is where most of my books take place!). When friends come to visit, the Courthouse Plaza is a must-see. Beautiful shade trees line the perimeter of this grassy area, and there is almost always an arts and crafts show or music festival over the weekend (at least, during warmer months). We grab an ice cream from Mob Burgers or Frannie’s and walk around in the shade, doing the best people- and dog-watching.
Shopping is great downtown, too, with lots of unique stores and galleries.
I also love to take people hiking; this area is so well known for its many many miles of trails. The Peavine Trail has a nice variety: birds to watch, water to enjoy, and boulders to climb. Kids love the Slickrock Trail for all its rock climbing, and the Flume Trail features a lovely creek and the back side of a giant dam.
We’d kayak or paddle board on Watson Lake (moonlight kayaking is so fun here) or Granite Basin Lake, both of which are surrounded by giant granite boulders.
There isn’t possibly enough time to eat at all the places I’d love to eat! Some of my favorites: El Gato Azul, Limoncello, and Del Rio Springs Vineyard’s tasting room.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First, my parents. They have always been supportive, seen and talked about my strengths, and encouraged me to pursue things that seemed scary or exciting or both. They raised my brothers and me with the idea that we could do anything we wanted to, as long as we were willing to put in the work. My husband is hands down the most supportive spouse I could ask for. When I took the risk of leaving my regular job to become a freelancer, he didn’t bat an eye. When I wanted to spend money on editing and covers for my books, and a coach for my business, he said, “Go for it.” I also have an amazing group of friends and family members who have encouraged and inspired me to keep pursuing a career as an author. It means so much to have such a wonderful support network.

Website: www.hilarydartt.com

Instagram: instagram.com/hilarydartt

Facebook: Facebook.com/hilarydarttauthor