Client Spotlight: Author Dana McSwain Releases Horror Novel Set in Cleveland
I was intrigued when Dana and I had our consultation call for her headshot. “I just wrote a horror novel and I need a new headshot for the book,” she said.
Cool.
I couldn’t take Dana’s photos and not ask 500 questions. I had to learn more about this fascinating author and publisher who lives in my neighborhood. Below is a condensed summary of my Q&A with Dana. I hope you’re as intrigued as I am.
So you wrote a goth horror novel. Tell us more.
My debut horror novel, Roseneath, will be released October. 6, 2020 by Webb House Publishing. Roseneath is an intricate story with a simple premise: Georgia Pritchard's dream house has a dead child in the attic and a monster in the basement but she can't tell her husband because she's not sure it's really him anymore.
Roseneath has received the IR Approved distinction from Indie Reader and has been named one of their highest reviewed titles of 2020.
The Midwest Book Review called it “a solid literary horror page-turner.”
The Prairies Book Review called it, “dark and absolutely riveting,” and bestselling author James Renner (True Crime Addict, The Man From Primrose Lane) calls Roseneath, "A Gothic tale of horror with a touch of fantasy, Roseneath reads like a beloved book from your childhood that you've just rediscovered in your mother's attic.”
Roseneath is a distinctly Midwestern work of gothic horror and will be featured in The Frankfurt Bookfair Issue of the New York Review of Books.
You’re a woman of many talents. Let’s talk about your publishing venture.
I am also the principal at Webb House Publishing (webbhousepublishing.com). Webb House Publishing is an independent literary press based in Cleveland, Ohio, with deep regional roots. Our focus at Webb House is daring Midwestern literary fiction, non-fiction, memoir and humor.
At Webb House, you can expect thoughtful, collaborative editing and a strong commitment to the integrity and dignity of both the book and reader. We specialize in debut writers and new voices, books that take chances and don’t fit neatly into a specific genre. We are dedicated to creating a dynamic environment designed to nurture great writing and groundbreaking authors.
It’s rare to find books set in Cleveland, let alone horror novels. What was your inspiration for Roseneath?
I wrote Roseneath over the ten years I spent restoring an abandoned 1921 Tudor Revival in Cleveland's inner ring that locals believed to be haunted. Basically, my husband was traveling a great deal for work and I was home alone in a creepy old house with a history and my imagination ran wild.
So many literary fiction and horror stories are set in far-flung places. I think the Midwest and particularly Cleveland are uniquely situated to lead the way with genre fiction. Everyday, we all exist in the ruins of a Golden Age, surrounded by the remnants of the oil barons and captains of industry. Our homes and neighborhoods are generally over 100 years old and carry the weight of tragedy and despair, hope and progress. If that's not haunting, I don't know what is.
It was easy for me to imagine a story like Roseneath in our old house, and it was interesting to watch our house come alive with each page I wrote. With the resurgence of interest in the horror genre (IT, The Haunting of Hill House, Get Out, Bird Box) I think it's time Cleveland showed what we can bring to the table.
How did you get into writing and publishing?
I have worked in public libraries and as a freelance writer and indie press publisher for over 20 years. The literary world has been in constant flux since the creation of the internet. In some ways for better, in others for worse, but overall I am excited about the opportunities this new era provides to connect author with their audiences on a more personal level.
Over the years I have watched the old paradigms crumble under their own oppressive, gatekeeping weight and found myself uniquely situated to start my own publishing company with the lessons I learned with my own career. No one at any of the Big 5 publishing houses is ever going to care about your book or your career goals like you will. I love being able to help authors just starting out navigate the bewildering world of publishing in a human, thoughtful way.
What sort of obstacles did you have to overcome during your journey?
I had to learn to believe in myself. That was a rough journey but I got there by deciding one day that I was worth it. I had been writing for years but never really jumped to that next level.
Then I got sick with an autoimmune disease, Hashimoto's, that robbed me for a time of the ability to function, let alone write. I was sick for several years and when I recovered, I had to teach myself how to write again. And I realized how empty my life had been without my work.
You only get one go around, so live your dreams as fully as you can with the time you have. I try to see every day as full of possibility. But I didn't get there alone. I had a lot of support from my dear ones and fellow authors.
You broke industry norms. What fears did you fight through?
The general reaction from publishers and agents when I pitched a literary horror novel set in Cleveland was "Cleveland? Ummm... no. How about England or Scotland?" Over the years I had people suggest I change the location, make the characters less Rust Belt, maybe make someone a teen vampire who sparkled.
It was scary to ignore mainstream literature and go my own way. I had to be willing to fail in a big way, and that's pretty terrifying. A ten-year long endeavor with no idea how it will be received. But I have to say, when Indie Reader and The New York Review of Books reached out to me about Roseneath, that was incredibly satisfying. I took a gamble on myself and Cleveland and it paid off.
What did you learn about yourself during this journey?
That I can teach myself pretty much anything and that I enjoy the process. I learned a level of professional tenacity that I never knew I had in me. I leaned that I have a passion for helping other authors who want to get their best work out there. I love what i do.
What advice would you give based on what you've learned?
Believe in yourself and believe in your story. Don't let someone talk you into being mediocre. And to quote a friend, “Beware those who want to keep you in your place. Your place is in the stars, baby, and don't waste your time on anyone who thinks otherwise.”
What's your hope or vision for the future? What are you dreaming will come to fruition?
I want to produce a broad body of work for myself and help other authors do the same. I am positively evangelical about it.
What is something you wish other people knew about you? What stereotypes do you want to break?
I hate the stereotype of a housewife. I am a wife and parent, but I, like so many other men and women who chose to stay at home and raise their children, have rich talents that extend beyond cooking and cleaning. Although I do make a mean stuffed cabbage. A lot of creativity is required raising kids and keeping a home afloat.
Where Can Readers Connect with You?
Website: danamcswain.com
Shop: https://bookshop.org/shop/dana-mcswain
Instagram: @danadmcswain
Facebook: @danadmcswain
Look for Dana’s fabulous new headshot on the dust jacket of Roseneath and don’t forget to pick up your riveting copy. But you may want to read it in daylight. ;-)
