What FiT Publishing's Transition to West Virginia University Press Means

FiT Publishing is now an imprint under West Virginia University Press, according to an announcement on its site dated Wednesday, November 26, 2025. In practice, this means FiT continues to exist as a publishing brand, but it now sits within a larger press rather than operating on its own. The announcement frames the move as a way to carry on the legacy of founders Andy Ostrow and Bill Alsop, and describes West Virginia University Press as the largest publisher of its kind in the state.

What actually changed

The transition is a change of ownership structure and publishing home, not a shutdown of the FiT list. The site still presents FiT Publishing as an active catalog organized by topic, with featured books and news. What changed is who FiT reports to and where its operations are anchored.

The announcement also acknowledges that the move may cause disruption, thanking customers for patience "as we move FiT to its new home." That wording signals the transition is operational as well as organizational — ordering, fulfillment, and customer service may pass through different channels than before.

Why the founders' legacy is part of the message

The announcement specifically ties the transition to continuing the work of Andy Ostrow and Bill Alsop. For readers and authors who associate FiT with its founders, this is the reassurance being offered: the imprint is meant to persist, not dissolve. Being absorbed into a larger press is presented as a way to sustain that legacy with more institutional backing.

What it means for ordering and returns

Separately from the imprint news, the site carries a policy update stating that as of April 27, 2026, FiT is no longer accepting purchase orders or returns directly. Those functions move to its warehouse, the Chicago Distribution Center, reachable by phone at (800-621-2736) or email at [email protected]. New customers of the distribution center are directed to email [email protected] to set up a purchasing account.

So the practical picture is two-layered:

• Publishing identity: FiT Publishing is now an imprint of West Virginia University Press.
• Transactions: Orders and returns run through the Chicago Distribution Center, not FiT directly.

What it means for the catalog

The site lists these book topics:

The transition announcement does not say these categories are changing. It also notes that out-of-stock titles are being reprinted and restocked, with status updates available by emailing [email protected].

A related change worth noting

The site also announced on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, that IJSF and SMQ are now published by Sage. That is a separate move from the West Virginia University Press transition, but it points in the same direction: FiT's surrounding publishing relationships have been shifting, with some titles and journals moving to other publishers while the FiT imprint itself lands under West Virginia University Press.

How to read the change

If you are a reader, author, or instructor who works with FiT titles, the transition mainly affects who you contact rather than what FiT publishes. The imprint name and topic focus remain, the founders' legacy is explicitly invoked as the reason for the move, and the operational side — orders, returns, restocking questions — now routes through the Chicago Distribution Center and FiT customer service email rather than FiT directly.