Passion for sci-fi and fantasy grew to a publishing house that helps keep books in print

While considering self-publishing some new titles, well-established and award-winning fantasy and sci-fi author Edward Willett ultimately decided to try something even bigger: starting a publishing company.

Founded in 2018 and based in Regina, Shadowpaw Press is named after Willett’s black Siberian cat, who has a publishing connection of his own.

“He came from a breeder in West Virginia through Betsy Wollheim, one of the publishers of DAW Books,” Willett explains. 

“She went down and sent us pictures; we picked the little black cat. And now his picture is on every Shadowpaw Press book!”

Now with over 50 books under their belt – a mix of original publications and reprints – Shadowpaw has already managed to make a considerable name for itself in Canadian publishing, especially in the genres of fantasy and science fiction.

“Because I’m a science fiction and fantasy author, Shadowpaw Press will always have a lot of those titles,” Willett says, “but there are many more to choose from.”

With such a breadth of titles already published, it can be daunting for new readers to find a place to start. 

But if you know what you like, Shadowpaw likely has something right up your alley.

“I have literary historical fiction – Thickwood by Gayle M. Smith, for example, set in post-war Saskatchewan and offering a fascinating story that combines the love of horses and women’s professional baseball. And also on the literary side, coming up, I have two new collections of literary short stories by acclaimed Saskatchewan authors David Carpenter (Hello) and Dwayne Brenna (Theories of Everything).

“For poetry lovers, my newest title is The Door at the End of Everything by Lynda Monahan. For kids, there are Arthur Slade’s Canadian Chills trio of spooky stories for middle-grade readers, Katherine Lawrence’s middle-grade novel-in-verse, Stay, and a picture book by Alison Lohans, The Wind and Amanda’s Cello, illustrated by Nova Scotia artist Sarah Shortliffe.

“There are also titles for YA readers, including my own Aurora- and Saskatchewan Book Award–nominated Star Song and Matthew Hughes’s award-nominated The Emir’s Falcon, with Arthur Slade’s new Dragon Assassin novel, I, Brax, and James Bows’s The Sun Runners coming up this fall.

“In other words, whatever you like to read, there’s likely something in our list that will appeal to you.”

When it comes to finding what to publish, Willett relies on the advice of other publishing professionals. 

“Submissions are vetted by my editorial advisory board. You can find their names and bios on my website – they’re an impressive bunch,” says Willett.

It is indeed an impressive list of authors, including Dave Margoshes, dee Hobsbawn-Smith, Arthur Slade, and others.

“I route submissions to whichever of the members (who include poets, YA authors, a science fiction editor, and literary fiction and non-fiction authors) seems appropriate. Ultimately, I make the final decision, but I take their advice very seriously,” Willett says.

As well as the more straightforward traditional publishing model, Shadowpaw has also made room for a number of reprints and even offers some services to those interested in self-publishing through their sister company Endless Sky Books.

On the reprint side, Willett explains, “The original idea was to offer authors whose works had been orphaned by the collapse of publishers (which has happened to me more than once) a way to keep those books in print.

“And, indeed, I’ve brought out several titles that would otherwise have fallen by the wayside. My own young adult fantasy series, The Shards of Excalibur, was orphaned by a publisher’s collapse and has since come out under the Shadowpaw Press Reprise imprint.”

With so much work going through the press, it is even more impressive when one realizes that Shadowpaw is essentially a one-person operation. 

“Shadowpaw Press consists of me and the cat, and he’s no help at all,” Willett says.

The skills he’s accumulated throughout the years as an editor and especially as a writer are certainly major factors in how Willett and Shadowpaw do business.

“I’m very aware of what it’s like to be on the other end of the author/publisher relationship and strive to keep my authors well-informed every step of the way. I’m also aware of some of the concerns authors have often had with publishing contracts and try to offer contracts that alleviate those concerns,” Willett says.

“And while I’m still trying to find the balance between writing my own books and publishing other people’s books, the end goal has always been the same: to create great new books that engage and entertain readers of all ages.”