A previous guest on a past Women in Horror Month spotlight, I welcome back Trish Wilson to talk about her experiences working at The Horror Zine and her upcoming writing.
Me: Hello and thank you for returning to this! Since last we spoke, you’ve seen plenty of success working with The Horror Zine as their media director conducting interviews with other writers. What typically goes into the preparation for a new article?
Trish Wilson: Thank you for inviting me to return! I enjoy working with The Horror Zine very much. I read one of my interviewee's books or several short stories before I came up with interview questions. I also read about each author so I know what kinds of questions to ask. I don't have a boilerplate set of questions I ask every author. I tailor each question to each individual. There are a couple I do ask everyone, such as "What scares you?" I like to see the different answers I get to each of those questions.
Me: What would you consider your favorite part of the process involved in conducting these articles? What part do you dread having to do?
TW: My favorite part is that I've interviewed writers I've admired in some cases for decades. I try to not go all fangirl on them, LOL. There really isn't a part I dread. The entire interview process is fun and pleasant. I don't often get turned down. It's also fun to have a Holy Grail of author interviews. I won't say who those authors are lest I jinx myself.
Me: What has been the most memorable experience that you've had based on your collaboration together?
TW: Editor in Chief and owner of The Horror Zine Jeani Rector is one of the best bosses I've ever had. She's easy to work with. My most memorable experience? My first interview. It was with Jonathan Maberry in 2019, and I was terrified! I was so afraid I'd ask stupid questions and stammer. I had no reason to be so nervous. By the time I interviewed him a second time in 2023, I felt much more comfortable with the interview process.
Me: As well, you’ve seen several short stories of yours published throughout the year including work for Crystal Lake Publishing and The Horror Zine. What type of influence, if any, did interviewing other authors about their work become a part of your writing?
TW: Interviewing other authors has had a great deal of influence on my own writing. Some of them I'd admired for years – even decades – and I was already very familiar with their work. An example is Joe R. Lansdale. I also became familiar with and greatly enjoyed the works of writers I didn't know much about, such as Ray Garton and Kathe Koja. I studied their writing to learn how to properly craft a story.
Me: What is your writing process for these stories? How do you stay focused on writing?
TW: It hasn't been easy to stay focused on writing this year since I've had a great deal going on in my life, but I did write and publish. Last year, I tried Kindle Vella, and I was burned out. Didn't like the hustle. Also in 2024, The Horror Zine published my interviews with horror comedy writer Grady Hendrix, horror legend Ramsey Campbell, and mystery writer Dana Cameron. Roads Less Travelled Magazine published my interviews with mojo storyteller Joe R. Lansdale and fantasy and horror writer Tim Lees. Since then, I've published an interview with award-winning horror writer Elizabeth Massie. This month (February 2025), Crystal Lake Publishing saw fit to publish my flash fiction story "Locked In" for its Shallow Waters competition. My short story "A Twist of Fate" shall appear later this year in Kandisha Press's "Pretend You Don't See Her" anthology. I've been busy, but I'd like to be busier. It's coming.
Me: Is there a difference in your approach depending on the genre of the story or is there no preference in how everything comes together?
TW: Yes, there is a huge difference! I have written erotic romance in addition to horror. My approach to each is definitely different. I listen to music when I write. Lords of Acid and Enigma do not work with most horror I've written, especially when it comes to songs with titles like "The Crab Louse" and "The Principles of Lust." I listen to New Age, trance, house, and techno when writing horror. Some of my favorite artists are Tiësto, Armin van Buuren, and Paul van Dyk.
When I write erotic romance, I read erotic short stories for inspiration. I have enjoyed books published by Cleis Press and Circlet Press, and both have published my short erotic fiction. I also watch romance movies that don't make me cringe when I write erotic stories. I read horror and watch horror movies and mysteries for inspiration when I write horror. There is some overlap. I also like dark romance and erotic horror. I read both genres for inspiration, but I don't watch many movies. Most of them suck and have titles like "The Sexy Adventures of Van Helsing," which has a very high IMDb rating of 3.9. Yes, that is a real movie.
Me: Has this experience made you feel differently about publishing featured novels or gearing to a more short-story type of career path?
TW: I would like to write a novel, but I'm drawing a blank on ideas. Part of it is me recovering from burnout. When I come up with a good idea, it ends up being more effective as a short story than as a novel. I've written two erotic romance novels (erotic fairy tales, to be specific), and they were quite challenging but successful. Writing a novel for me is very different from writing a short story. It's a bit overwhelming at the moment. When I'm ready, which I hope will be later this year, I'd like to tackle a horror novel.
Me: As one of the writers caught up in the shutdown of Kindle Vella, are you doing anything to ensure your work continues to be noticed?
TW: Amazon didn't do much to promote Kindle Vella which is a shame. Many Americans didn't know about it, and serialized fiction like what you'd find on Kindle Vella isn't as popular in the United States as it is in Europe. I also believe Kindle Vella was not available in Europe. It was doomed before it even had a chance. I collaborated with another erotic romance writer on one book, and it was a great experience. As far as Kindle Vella goes, I felt as if I were writing for other writers rather than finding readers. I also spent much more time doing promotions than writing, which made me miserable. I made a decent amount of money, but not for the work I put into it. I quit in December 2024 after doing it for a year and then focused on author interviews. In January, I found my writing voice again. I've recently added myself and The Horror Zine to BlueSky. I'm finding readers and other writers there. The chats are also fun, especially the Horror Writers Chat. Writers are asked four questions about themselves and their WIP. That's a great way to get noticed. BlueSky is so new to me that I'm feeling my way around. I also promote myself in various Facebook writers and readers groups. The best thing for me to do to promote myself is to continue to write short fiction and see a publisher snag it.
Me: What else are you working on that you’d like to share with our readers?
TW: I'm working on five short horror stories at the moment. When they're finished, I plan on sending them to pro publishers in the hope that I get an acceptance. I know I may not get published as much as I'd like this year since I'm aiming very high. For instance, I've begun submitting to Flame Tree Press's submission calls. I know how hard it is to get into that publisher, but if I do it's definitely a gold star for me. As I had mentioned earlier, my short story "A Twist of Fate" will appear in Kandisha Press's "Pretend You Don't See Her" anthology later this year. I'm also wrapping up an interview with mystery and horror writer Heather Graham. That will go live at The Horror Zine in a couple of months. Once I have links, I post them on Facebook and BlueSky. I'll also update my website to include the new works.
Me: Lastly, being that this is our Women in Horror Movement, 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!
TW: Read, read, read! Read within and outside your preferred genres for pleasure and to study how the best writers do it. Also, don't get discouraged by rejections. You're going to be able to paper your house with them. Keep trying. If you don't write and submit, you'll never be published. Don't be afraid to spread your wings.
Here is where to find me and The Horror Zine on the web:
Trish Wilson (Web Site):
Trish Wilson (Elizabeth Black – Pen Name) - Facebook
Trish Wilson - BlueSky
The Horror Zine
The Horror Zine (Facebook):
The Horror Zine - BlueSky
This interview ran as part of our 2025 Women in Horror Movement series. Click the banner below to check out all the featured interviews in this series:
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