Interview With Author Kit Campbell
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi! I’m Kit Campbell, and I don’t take myself terribly seriously. I’ve written many, many, many books, but I have four published, as well as two short story collection. I primarily write fantasy and science fiction, though I’ve found myself straying more toward horror as a trauma response from the last two years.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Hallowed Hill (Oct 2022), which is Gothic horror. It was inspired by a trip I took to eastern Canada in 2013, where we stopped in a town I no longer remember the name of. (Sorry, Canada! And also that town.) The highest point in town was Gallow’s Hill, so my spouse and I took the opportunity to climb it. It was an overcast, gray day, and when we got to the top, we found an elementary school immediately next to a graveyard. The atmosphere was perfect, and I said to myself that it was the perfect setting for a horror novel. And, well, I finally got around to writing it.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not especially. I find I don’t really get much done if I have to go through any elaborate rituals, not since I had kids. Got to work when you can, where you can. I do like to write to music (doesn’t matter if it has lyrics or not, as long as it’s thematically appropriate) but I don’t have to.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Sword of Shannara, by Terry Brooks, is what got me into fantasy. I found it as a kid in elementary school, and it was like a whole new world opened up for me. I’ve read most of your classic “doorstop” fantasy series at this point, but Shannara still has a special place in my heart.
What are you working on now?
Well, Hallowed Hill is coming out tomorrow, so I’m mostly doing promotion and marketing. (And quietly panicking.)
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m trying some new things this time around! Genre-specific websites and reviewers, as well as broader book promotion newsletters. Traditionally I’ve used Goodreads for ads and a giveaway, though they’ve raised the price and it’s a bit out of my reach, for now. Word of mouth is always good. I also go to a local scifi/fantasy/horror literature convention every year.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write, and finish drafts! All practice is good, and you can’t really see the shape of something until that something has a shape, if you know what I mean. Like any other skill, writing can be learned and honed with time, patience, and practice.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t sweat the petty things, and don’t pet the sweaty things.
What are you reading now?
I just finished A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine, and I’m starting Recursion by Blake Crouch. I try not to read the genre I’m working on, because it messes with my own voice.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Revision for me! I’ve got a high fantasy trilogy I’ve been working on since I was a teenager, and I think the first book is FINALLY about ready. Goal is to get that done by the end of the year. And then that’ll need to be submitted, and I have a scifi horror novella and a paranormal cozy mystery (under a penname) to revise while I do that.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Hmm. Do you take big books, that take forever to get through? Your favorites that you don’t mind living in? A combination? I guess I’d bring my favorites–The Phantom Tollbooth, Pride and Prejudice, and Howl’s Moving Castle–and hopefully some paper, to write fanfic off of them or something.
Author Websites and Profiles
Kit Campbell Author Profile on Smashwords
Kit Campbell’s Social Media Links