Conversing with a Publisher: D.W. Hitz of Fedowar Press
So, I decided to take the time to get to know my new colleague and publisher. D.W. Hitz and I actually previously were a part of the Beneath the Twin Suns anthology back in August, but we didn't interact much then. Given that we were both embarking on this endeavor alongside our other colleagues, I figured why not get to know him and then share that with you guys.
Truthfully, this exchange really just started as a conversation, but gradually (as Hitz noted at one point during our talk), it turned into more of an interview, namely because I asked so many questions. Considering the ongoing pandemic and that there us a considerable distance between Hitz and myself (he's in Montana and I'm in Missouri), we performed the following interview over Twitter. Enjoy.
Interviewer (IMC):
Tell me about Fedowar Press. How did this publishing house come about?
D.W. Hitz (DWH):
I opened Fedowar in November with the idea in mind to publish strong stories with a speculative fiction slant to them. I write stories that blend genres and found that hard to sell to agents and other presses. So I decided to open a press dedicated to strong stories first, and genre second. I intend to publish my own work there and other stories that I feel fit the idea across the speculative genres.
IMC:
How did you get Renee Gendron involved in this? Was it through her editing efforts with her anthologies?
DWH:
I met Renee about two years ago and we're both 2 of the co-founders of Muse Review, a newsletter for authors and readers. We work on that as well as the YouTube channel for it. We decided to work together on the Star Crossed anthology and I asked her to do editing for the press.
IMC:
How did you devise the idea behind the Star Crossed anthology? Was there a joint impetuous or did one of you come up with it and pitch it to the other?
DWH:
That was a team effort but I'd give Renee most of the credit.
IMC:
Besides Star Crossed, your upcoming MC novel, and the Christmas Horror anthology, do you have any other projects in the works for the press? I'm aware that those are plenty of projects to have on your plate.
DWH:
There are six books planned this year right now and 6-8 for next year.
IMC:
Let me shift to something a little different. What do you think makes a "strong story," given that it's one of the main reasons your started this press?
DWH:
On general, character driven stories, preferably relaying strong emotional connection between the characters and the reader. That's more important to me than what self (genre) it's put int. So if it's a strong story with elves, zombies, and a western theme, the important part is it's a good story.
IMC:
You mentioned genre. Do you hold the opinion that genre is largely a marketing tool for publisher and bookstores, or like George R.R. Martin, that it's really "a matter of furniture?" Also, why do you enjoy mixing genres so much?
DWH:
I think it is used as a marketing tool but has some value to readers in being able to predict what they would get, but too often it's used as a restriction and hampers creativity. I like the idea of letting a story go where it wants to take me and not being restricted by rules of genre. I don't necessarily set out to break them though.
IMC:
Who were some of the authors/artists/creatives who inspired you to do what you do now? At what age did reading become a big part of your life, and which writers did you enjoy reading most in that time?
DWH:
The first author I remember is Stephen King. My mom read to me on a cross-country road trip when I was 9-10, and I was in love with his method of storytelling. Later in school, I found Edgar Allan Poe, and learned about rhythm, style, and voice within a narrative. Both of those are still some of the biggest influences on me today. But I did not make reading a big part of my life until later, I wrote my first horror stories as a teen, but then life took me into a different creative direction with music. In my late twenties, I went back to school and rediscovered writing. I wrote half a dozen short stories and fell in love with it, so I jumped headfirst into a novel. Because of the gap in my literary life, I am not as well read as many in the community. But I have always loved stories and have taken them to heart. I feel that storytelling is at the heart of people and culture, and regardless of medium, it becomes part of us. The monomyth is just as important to our psyche today in Star Wars as it was to the ancient works. It's characters and emotion in the storytelling that bonds a teller to the audience. Today, my backlog of TBR has more stuff from King, as well as Jim Butcher, Hemingway, Larry Correia, Jonathan Maberry, and a dozen others.
IMC:
You mention Poe. He was, undoubtedly, a great storyteller. A pioneer in detective fiction. The original master of horror and suspense. But, he was also a great poet. Are there any other poets who influenced you?
DWH:
In a classical sense, no. I'm pretty illiterate when it comes to that. but it may have moved me toward my love of artists like 2Pac, Tribe Called Quest, Outkast, and dozens of others.
IMC:
I'm glad you brought that up because that was going to be my next question. Music was a big part of your life. Who are some of your favorite artists and genres in music and why?
DWH:
Up until college I mainly listened to Hip-Hop. Then I found electronic music, things like Drum & Bass, Jungle, and experimental. In my adult life, I learned to appreciate classic rock, metal, and some pop here and there. There are so many great artists, it would be hard to pick favorites, but a cross-section may be things from Aphex Twin, Lindsey Sterling, Avicci, to electronic hardcore. In rock/metal, things from Iron Maiden to Peth and Amon Amarth. I like dynamic sounds within the things I hear. Things that can take you from a beautiful symphony to the edge of destruction and back. I also throw Jazz and Classical depending on the mood.
IMC:
Back to Fedowar. There's been a big push in the last two decades to make Speculative Fiction more diverse, by publishing more authors of color and different gender and sexual identities. Probably the best success story of this being N.K. Jemisin's rise in recent years. What's your opinion about this big diversity boom, and will you encourage this big diversity boom, and will you encourage this trend to continue by publishing more authors of those descriptions?
DWH:
I don't believe in making Fedowar for or against any movements as a company. I believe in good stories and giving everyone a chance to sit at the table to tell them. I hope people from every diverse backgrounds work hard to sharpen their skills, practice their craft, and make the literary world a richer place. I hope anyone who has a strong book and wots work with us approaches us with it when we open to queries. In the end, though, the thing that will make Fedowar want to publish a book is the strength of that book and not the identity of the person who wrote it. In a perfect world, I'd rather have no idea who an author is beforehand, and let their work be what informs me of their skill. Have their work transport me to their worlds, and then let their life experience build and project that universe.
IMC:
In an ideal world, such consideration would be wholly moot. Your hero Stephen King once said, "If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: you must read a lot and write a lot." Do you believe it's that simple or do you think there are other things writers should, ought, or can do to improve their craft and inform their stories?
DWH:
I would add a few things. Pay attention to any story, no matter the format, study what you like, what does and doesn't work, and try to understand why. Pay attention to the people and situations in your life. Empathize with them, put yourself in their shoes and feel what they are feeling. It will come across when you need to dig into the thoughts and emotions of your characters. And full life your life. Those experiences, good and bad are what we use for fuel, even the exceedingly mundane.
IMC:
Do you have any thoughts on MFA programs and their role in the contemporary literary world?
DWH:
I would hesitate to say. My knowledge of MFA programs and graduates isn't deep enough for me to comment accurately.
IMC:
Let's go broader then. Do you think that creative writing can be taught or do you think it's a craft/skill that you can only learn?
DWH:
I think storytelling is inherent in most humans. We love to tell stories to each other. It's a way we bond and build tribes and communities. That can translate into many mediums. I think the craft of doing it through writing comes more easily to oral storytellers, as they already have a voice in mind to the story they are trying to convey. Others can learn to write as well or better on a technical level, but it may or may not come as easily. And the types of stories they tell may be very different. Those trained in the art may take a completely different approach with structure, characterization, and emotion as those who empathetically explore what they fell without that same training. The fact though, is that writing is hard work, and training will only take you so far. You must sit down and do it for thousands of hours to get to a professional level, no matter where you come from.
Star Crossed will be available on April 26th, 2021. Pre-order your copy today.
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