As the founder of the publishing company Eerie River Publishing, Michelle River is working hard to establish her company's name in the industry by working in various fields to put forth the best product for readers. Now, in honor of Women in Horror Month, I talk with her about her early interest in writing, founding the company and responsibilities she shares and upcoming projects.
Me: Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this. First off, when did you get into horror in general?
Michelle River: I honestly cannot remember a time where I wasn’t into horror. From books to movies and shows, I have always been drawn to the darker genres.
Me: Were you into genre films growing up? What films specifically got you into watching horror movies?
MR: My mother is really into scary movies and did not have a real concern for our sensibilities when selecting movies to watch growing up. I remember watching Elm Street, Halloween, Aliens, and so many more, well before my teens. That is to say, it wasn’t all we watched, but it was a regular occurrence in our household, which was not great for my father who hated scary movies.
My first memory of horror was at five years old. We were at a family event and someone threw on the movie Dolls. At the time it terrified us, but it also opened up the “fun” part of horror for me. My whole family likes to try and scare each other, and I think it was this movie that really started it all.
Me: You started the publishing company Eerie River Publishing for horror and dark fantasy authors. Where did the inspiration come from?
MR: The inspiration came directly from my experiences as an indie author and submitting to short story anthologies. I felt confident in my stories and decided to start self-publishing in 2019. Along with fellow indie-authors Alanna, Ben, Drew, Zane we released our debut novella “Storming Area 51: Horror at the Gate” under the Eerie River Publishing brand. It was intense, crazy, and amazing - I wouldn’t change a thing. It was a great learning experience, and for me, a person who loves to be hands-on and in charge, it was exactly what I wanted in a career.
It that experience that pushed me into opening Eerie River Publishing to the public, instead of it being just for my individual projects. Since I personally love horror and dark fantasy and wanted to highlight and focus on those genres to start and make sure I was printing high-quality stories in books people would be proud to show off.
I opened the doors in late 2019 with the promise to always pay my authors, and haven’t looked back.
Me: What are some of your duties as the owner of the company?
MR: Pretty much everything. Well, everything but editing.
Up until last year, I was running all the social media, reading all the submissions for each call out and responding to them, formatting the books, running the author group, creating and updating the website and designing our covers. There are some other things, but I honestly don’t want to list everything! It is a little overwhelming seeing it all together.
Thankfully, by the end of last year, I was able to build a small team to help read through some of the submissions for our last call and I hired a cover artist for the dark fantasy covers.
Me: What are some of the services you provide to authors of any experience level?
MR: We do have services outside of the “publishing” side of Eerie River. We have author services available to purchase for those looking to self-publish. I do book formatting, where I format novels for eBooks and paperbacks. I also do cover animations for people looking for that as well.
We did offer editing services, however, that has been put on pause for the moment.
Me: One of the main services is your monthly themed short-story submissions. How did the concept for this initially begin? What are some of your favorite surprise submissions since you began hosting this?
MR: The monthly themed contest was something that I came up with so that we could highlight some of the awesome authors we have in the community every month, as well as providing constant material for our Patreon account. As a small publishing house, the biggest issue we face is reliable income. Especially in the era of COVID, so having a Patreon that is active has really helped.
The top two stories from the monthly submissions are used on our Patreon account as a free story bonus. They are then placed in the year-end anthology. The runner-up gets their stories published on our blog.
There were been so many stand-out stories last year, but there are two that I can say gave me a physical reaction to them for different reasons. They are both in our newest release “Midnight Shadows”, the year-end anthology.
The first is “Tasty Treats” by Tim Mendees, and the second is “The Mirror That Tells Truths and Lies” by McKenzie Richardson.
Me: What are some of the company’s upcoming projects that you can mention at the moment for our readers?
MR: We have four anthologies releasing in early 2021.
“Midnight Shadows: Tales from the River Volume One” Just launched February 5, this collection is the 24 winning stories from our 2020 monthly contest. The theme for 2020 was classic horror tropes, so you will see things like zombies, witches, deadly carnivals and tech horror, all mixed into one.
“With Blood and Ash” and “With Bone and Iron” will be released in March 2021. This is our first dark fantasy release and we are so excited about it. These anthologies push the word count from short story to full novelettes, averaging around 10,000 words per story. So, if you like the longer world-building of dark fantasy, this is for you. Our theme for this one was all about Magic.
“Dark Magic” is our only drabble collection for 2021, and this will be released in April. This one is a hybrid of horror and dark fantasy, and like the name, it is all about dark magic.
“It Calls from the Sea” is the next installation of our horror series “It Calls From”. Probably the most anticipated one yet, this one will cover all the horror you can think of related to water. I am really excited about it as I think we have some strong and unique tales to tell in this.
Then we get into our single-authored novels and novellas!
“Sentinel” by Drew Starling, a horror novel. This follows a family that lives just outside of a dying town. Tragedy strikes close to home when a neighbor is brutally murdered and a mysterious figure begins to lurk in the woods outside their home new home.
“In Solitude's Shadow” by David Green, the first of a dark fantasy series coming 2021/2022. Calene Alpenwood, a powerful warrior-mage gifted with the Spark, makes a shocking discovery that sets into motion events that put her at odds with the very masters she serves. Reuniting with her mother Zanna, a woman banished after a terrible crime, they team up with unlikely alias as they attempt to save the fortress of Solitude from destruction.
“The Void“ by Neen Cohen, the first of a dark fantasy series coming 2021/2022. Everyone knows dragons don't exist. But they are wrong. Within a flash of lightning Keira's world is turned upside down as a dragon falls from the sky and sets in motion an adventure that will take her to the edge of the world and beyond.
"A Sword Named Sorrow" by Kara Dakley, an award-winning fantasy author. Erculeo Salamago, the greatest magical swordmaker in all of Alta Califia, has vanished. No one knows if he was running from creditors or despair or shame from involvement in dark sorcerous forces he should never have touched. He has, however, left behind one last sword, of incalculable value.
We have a few other secret projects on the go, and some other releases still to be named, so look out because here we come!
Me: How do you do to keep your creative energy flowing?
MR: Coffee. I would like to say hot, black coffee. But in all honestly, with a toddler and a newborn on my hip, I am lucky if it is lukewarm.
But seriously it is because I love it. I love the late nights and the deadlines. I like being able to use all of my creativity at once. I always struggle to find an outlet for my passions. With publishing, I get to do everything.
I am lucky enough to have a wonderful husband that supports me when I need it. Doing things at this scale with children and finding time to devote to it is hard. Thankfully, he gets how important this is and is always willing to go the extra mile when I have deadlines and live events. He may not touch any of the publishing aspects of it, but it really is a team sport.
Me: Lastly, being that this is Women in Horror Month, what special message do you have for any women out there looking to join in the industry in any capacity as you are one yourself? Thank you again for your time!
MR: This industry isn’t for the thin-skinned. As an author expect to get rejections and lots of them. Take these rejections and learn from them. Becoming a writer or a publisher is hard work. It takes a lot of dedication, of pushing through the hard bits to get to the gooey center. When you think you have learned all you can, there is forty other lessons to learn lined up behind it that you just didn’t realize were there. Keep going.
I am going to be super cliché but I feel it is relevant.
Don’t sell yourself short. Hold nothing back and give everything.
To follow the company online, check out their social media sites:
Book Releases:
Feb: Midnight Shadow Release https://books2read.com/MidnightShadows
March release - Dark Fantasy Collection:
With Blood and Ash https://books2read.com/BloodAndAsh
With Bone and Iron https://books2read.com/BoneandIron
March/April release: Magic drabble collection
Early April release - It Calls From the Sea
May - Sentinel - Drew Starlings Novel
June - In Solitudes Shadow by David Green Novella
August - The Void by Neen Cohen Novella
September - A Sword Named Sorrow by Kara Dalkey
This interview ran as part of our Women in Horror Month celebrations. Click the banner below to check out all of our reviews and interviews about the occasion:
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