Hugh Aaron, a native of Worcester, Massachusetts, received a Liberal Arts degree in the Humanities at The University of Chicago. For three years as a Seabee he served in the South Pacific during WWII. He was CEO of his own plastics manufacturing business for 20 years before selling it to write full time. Several of his short stories have been published in national magazines and 18 of his essays on business management have appeared in The Wall Street Journal. He is the author of Business Not as Usual: How to Win Managing a Company through Hard and Easy Times. Currently he’s writing and producing plays.
His latest book is a short story collection, Stories From a Lifetime.
You can visit his website at www.stonespointbooks.com or his blog at www.businesswisdom.blogspot.com.
Q: Welcome to Beyond the Books, Hugh. Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?
Multi-published.
Q: When you were published for the first time, which route did you go – mainstream, small press, vanity published or self-published and why or how did you choose this route?
Self-published
Q: How long did it take you to get published once you signed the contract?
No contract necessary since I self-published.
Q: How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?
I was elated, and informed my family of the book’s existence.
Q: What was the first thing you did as for as promotion when you were published for the first time?
I contacted all our local bookstores and informed followers of my newspaper column.
Q: Since you’ve been published, how have you grown as a writer and now a published author?
I’ve expanded my subjects and formats as a published author, and gradually established a specific writing style.
Q: What has surprised or amazed you about the publishing industry as a whole?
Its commitment to bottom line profits rather than excellence.
Q: What is the most rewarding thing about being a published author?
Sharing my ideas and stories with readers.
Q: Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?
Stick to writing only the truth, be honest, write first for yourself, expect both criticism and praise for your work regardless of how good or bad it is.
Beyond the Books 