Photo: PT Potter

Monica is an extremely busy woman who wears many hats. Some people in the Horror genre know her as the Associate Editor and Webmistress of Rue Morgue Magazine, Canada's #1 horror magazine. On top of her duties with Rue Morgue, Monica is also the Founder of Burning Effigy Press, which recently launched a Horror chapbook line. You'd think this keeps her busy enough, but she is a woman of many interests: she's a spoken word poet, a freelance editor, a model, and a writer herself. Fearzone was lucky enough to take some of her valuable time and get an interview:

Let's start from the beginning Monica. If you could describe yourself in one paragraph, what would you say?

I am a workaholic who is just leaning how to balance ambition and pleasure.

What was your first experience with Horror?

I had a couple that occurred right around the same time in my childhood, and both came courtesy of my mother. From the time I was very young she used to read me folk tales from around the world, many involving ghosts and demons and other mythological creatures. Also, around the time I started kindergarten, we'd always watch DR. WHO together after I got home from school, and while the show is more sci-fi than horror, it did give me my first visual taste of "monsters."

How did you get the job with Rue Morgue and how long have you been working there?

Before I worked for Rue Morgue, I go-go danced at their Halloween party, and that's how I met Rodrigo. He asked what I did for a living and I told him that among other things I was a writer. As it turned out he had a column that needed a scribe and the rest, as they say, is history. When Mary-Beth went on maternity leave eleven months later, I applied for the admin/copy-editing position and got it. I used that opportunity to learn everything I could about writing and editing for a magazine and eventually left the admin stuff behind and moved into editorial permanently. I've been at Rue Morgue full-time for over four years now.

What are some of the more interesting projects you've worked on with Rue Morgue?

I'm particularly proud of my Children's Horror Literature feature because it was a bit of a departure for the magazine. After it ran we got tons of letters from folks who appreciated the story and now had a better idea how they could introduce the genre they love to their youngsters. Of course, the two cover stories I've done, on FIDO and JACK KETCHUM'S THE GIRL NEXT DOOR, respectively, taught me a lot and were rather large accomplishments. The most challenging story, however, had to be the 50 Alternative Books round-up. People may think "lists" are easy, but a lot of work goes into deciding which literary works make the cut and which don't. I think that story had about a dozen writers on it and even more who were submitting their shortlists, which is a lot of people to wrangle. There were some fabulous round-table debates that happened while we were preparing that feature.

Who are some of the more interesting people you've met through your job at Rue Morgue?

The two who probably stand out most in my mind are of course Stephen King and Clive Barker, since their stories were so pivotal in my development as a young horror fan. Since no one was really writing scary stories for kids when I was growing up, I started reading King and Barker around age eleven out of desperation for something that wasn't Judy Blume, etc. I remember in eighth grade I did a huge comparison study between the two for an English project. Had I told that fourteen-year-old I was then that seventeen years later I'd be standing in a green room conversing with both of them, she'd never have believed me! One of the best parts of my job is getting the opportunity to meet/speak to some of my heroes.

Burning Effigy Press was around for a while before you brought out the Horror chapbook line. What inspiration did you have to venture into the world of Horror Publishing?

Being a micro press I never thought we had the finances to do it properly, so I didn't pursue it. During the summer of 2006, however, I learned that everything I thought, I'd thought wrong, so I decided to give it a shot.

What is your vision for Burning Effigy's future?

I'd love to see it grow into a respected small genre press that releases two to five horror novels a year, but I doubt that will happen in the near future. Growing a press is hard work and too many small presses fall into the trap of overextending themselves too soon. I have no intention of doing that. I love working at Rue Morgue, so Burning Effigy's got plenty of time to grow slowly and carefully.

How is editing different than creatively writing fiction or poetry? Does editing come more easily than creative works?

Editing is very different, when you are writing creatively you only have to answer to yourself (at least until the editorial stage). Additionally, writing is primarily a solitary undertaking (again, at least until you are in the editorial stage). Editing involves working closely with the writer and words that are not your own, which, of course, presents its own unique set of challenges. You must be able to communicate your thoughts about the work in a way that the writer will understand and not take offense with them. You must be able to make edits and rewrite suggestions for the work that take into account the writer's own unique voice and personal style. You must always be aware not to inject too much of yourself or your own style into someone else's work. Other editors may disagree, but I find everything is about that delicate balance. I also like to work closely with a writer during the editorial process (particularly in regards to fiction) - as I believe that it should not feel as though a battle is occurring between writer and editor, but rather that both are striving to make the work the best it can possibly be. Is one easier than the other? Hell, no. They're just different.

How do you juggle all the many interests and projects you're a part of?

I don't know. Like I said, I'm still figuring out how to balance this the best I can. I guess I make a lot of sacrifices in order to get things done - mostly my social life suffers.

Any new projects you are venturing into in the next while?

I have a non-genre poetry manuscript of my own to finish, then I need to get back to my zombie novel. On the Burning Effigy front, the horror chapbook line will continue for the foreseeable future, but we're also going to start looking for our next novel to publish. I strongly want that novel to be a horror novel.

Horror is a hard genre to work in for anyone, including women. What sort of advice would you give to young writers trying to break into the genre?

You've got to want it and you've got to want to work for it. If you're serious about a career in horror, there's no reason you can't have one. For writers, get used to rejection - as everyone at all levels must face it - and try not to take it too personal. Most people receive plenty of rejection letters before the sales start coming. Also, read lots and learn as much as you can about your craft. That will only improve your writing. Networking also goes a long way in the genre, so put yourself out there - you won't meet a nicer group of folks. After all, sure, we may work in the genre, but first and foremost, we're fans too!