Meet Victoria Duerstock | Author & Owner, End Game Press

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

Hi Victoria, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Being in charge has always been something I’ve enjoyed. To be honest, I prefer it. As a creative I enjoy the freedom to create but turning it over to someone else and letting go of the end product is hard. So I wanted to take on the whole process – writing, production and printing. What I didn’t expect was that so many others would want to walk with me on this journey to publication and trust me with their creative endeavors.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I would have chosen all of the above if that had been an option! I have a brain that can operate equally in both spheres. I can handle logistics and on task to get things done, but I also have a deep love of creativity and crave space to see what transpires when time allows. The challenge is that I can’t do both at the same time. As I grow my publishing house and receive great joy from launching other peoples books, this also means my time for creating my own books is diminished. I am working to find better balance for being able to still be creative and artistic. It’s not surprising though. As I launched my writing career, I recognized my music career (teacher/performer – voice and piano) had to be set aside for a time so that I could fully learn and lean into the new path. I hope to bring music back to the table again because I do miss it at times. I’m so proud to always be learning on this path. While learning new things is never easy, learning to be ok with the risk of failure has been so good for my personal growth.

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.
Oh goodness. Most of my friends need a break and some space. So offering them a comfortable and quiet place to land wold be first and foremost. Then we would have to go visit every bbq spot in the area as Memphis has the best bbq! There’s a lot to do here – checking out the Mississippi River and walking across the bridge, going to Graceland, cheering on the Grizzlies and the Hustle, catching a Redbirds or 901FC game, and just enjoying time together. It doesn’t happen often enough so it would be amazing!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Oh my goodness, there are so many. My parents always supported any of my endeavors and believed I could do anything I set my mind to. My husband Rob always encourages and allows me to run with my crazy ideas. He offers such valuable feedback and insight when I’m hitting a wall with a decision that needs to be made. He’s an incredible asset. My children support my efforts and often look for my books or my authors books on shelves in stores. My agent and dear friends in the writing industry who offered mentoring when I first decided to try to figure out getting a book published. There are so very many people that offered a helping hand who didn’t have to and who continue to support my efforts. None of this is possible without any of them.

Website: www.victoriaduerstock.com www.endgamepress.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/vduerstock

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vduerstock

Twitter: www.twitter.com/vduerstock

Facebook: www.facebook.com/vduerstock

Other: www.heartandhomebooks.com

Image Credits
Headshots – Linde Lightkep, Linde Lou Photography