Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Book Publishing Secrets of D.A. Hewitt



D.A. Hewitt is an award-winning author of four novels and over a hundred short stories. One novel was awarded a gold medal from the Independent Publishers Book Awards for best regional fiction. He attributes his success to hard work, honing a skill and providing an outlet for his passion for writing.

Born in Michigan, he lived for 25 years in North Carolina before returning to live in his home state. In addition to enjoying sky diving and mountain climbing, he is a proud veteran of the US Marine Corps and has earned a degree in mathematics.

Mr. Hewitt admits to a fascination with the work of Carl Jung and of the Gnostic religion. He’d always thought intertwining these topics in a science fiction novel was a stretch, but one day the storyline of Dominion came to him. He wrote the novel in a stream of consciousness. “It makes sense, tapping into the collective unconscious,” Mr. Hewitt says, “very much like Carl Jung might have predicted.”

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About the Book:

It’s the year 2075. Lunar mining and processing facilities have prospered near the lunar south pole, where the Moon’s largest city, Valhalla, rests on the rim of the Shackleton Crater.

Dominion Off-Earth Resources has beaten the competition into space and is ready to establish its monopoly with the opening of the orbiting space resort Dominion. But Pettit Space Industries has a secret plan to emerge as a major contender in the commercialization of space. The upstart company is training the first space rescue squad at a secluded off-grid site in Barrow, Alaska.

The rescue squad gets nearly more than it can handle when its first mission involves the Pope, who’s traveling to the Moon to establish the Lunar See. During the rescue attempt, they discover Earth is imperiled by an asteroid large enough to cause mass extinction. Using the unique skills taught during their training, skills emphasized by the great psychoanalyst Carl Jung, these Jungi Knights must elevate their game if they are to save both the Earth and the Pope—while not getting killed in the process.
Thank you for your time in answering our questions about getting published.  Let’s begin by having you explain to us why you decided to become an author and pen this book?
Doug: Oh, I’ve been published before. I just had something happen that made me want to write another novel. I mean, you have to have something to say if you want to write a novel. Dominion is a novel with a message, and I hope it connects with an audience, because the audience will benefit. You can find out more at my website, www.StinkyUniverse.com or my blog, www.StinkyUniverse29.com.
Is this your first book?
Doug: No, my third. I’ve also had five nonfiction books published.
With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?
Doug: I wanted to go big time, but I think my message was too controversial. So I went with small press. Who knows? Maybe if the story is good enough, it’ll catch on. I’ve made it available, that’s all I can do. Well, that, and a bit of promotional effort.
Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?  The pros and cons?
Doug: One of my first writing teachers told me that if it’s possible for me not to pursue the life of an author, then I shouldn’t do it, because that path leads to many, many disappointments and hardships. The writing life is not an easy life, but it is rewarding. I started with short stories. I had written 12 before I sold my first one. I didn’t sell a novel till I’d written my fourth. And so you can see it takes time to develop into a top-notch writer. But it’s worth it.
What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?
Doug: It’s incredible how much luck is involved with hitting a home run in the publishing industry. To some extent, sure, the quality of the manuscript matters. But it’s all about getting that manuscript in the right hands at the right time. And that’s a crapshoot.
Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
Author: Sure. Small press publishers are great. I’d advise against self-publishing unless you’re writing a family history or something that you know only family members are going to be interested in. If that’s your goal, fine. Self-publish. Otherwise, if you can’t sell your manuscript, go and write a better manuscript.
What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
Doug: Don’t give up. Like life, writing is a journey, not a destination. Enjoy the ride while you can.

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