Danielle DeVor was named one of the Examiner’s 2014 Women in Horror: 93 Horror Authors You Need to Read Right Now, and she’s continued to grow as an author ever since then! She spent her early years fantasizing about vampires and watching “Salem’s Lot” too many times to count. When not reading or writing her next blockbuster, you can find Danielle at the nearest coffee shop with a mocha frappuccino.
Read on below to learn more about what makes Danielle tick and the exciting things she has coming in the future!
Q: Who has been your biggest supporter(s) throughout your writing career? What about your editing career?
A: That’s a toss up between my parents, my cousin, Josh, and my SFAM (sister from another mother), Tabby.
In my editing career, without a doubt, Tina Moss, my boss at City Owl Press. She has encouraged me every step of the way. I also have to put in a shout out to Brad Braddock, the owner of the other small press I work for, Arcane Shadows Press. Brad is a big supporter of horror.
Q: Where do you draw inspiration from in your work? What about in editing? On days when it’s a slog to get through a project or when you just can’t find the motivation, how do you keep yourself moving forward?
A: As an author, everywhere. It sounds silly, but I can be taking a bath and think of something. Or see a real estate listing.
In editing, well, sometimes it is the next book on the docket that I am really excited about. There is one book I recently worked on that had me laughing my butt off, so every time I got to work on it, I smiled.
Q: Editing is often a thankless job when it comes to the wider fanbase of an author. What does it mean to you to be a professional editor?
A: I help authors bring their books to the state they want them to be. It isn’t about me, it’s about making the author and the book shine.
Q: What does it mean to you to be an author?
A: I am someone to entertain, to give someone an escape that they may not otherwise get. That is a very important thing.
Q: What is your writing process like? Do you listen to certain music, snack, make loads of phone notes when inspiration randomly strikes?
A: It seems to change from book to book. Most books, I write to silence. The last book I wrote, Sorrow’s Fall, Book 5 of The Marker Chronicles (est. Fall 2024), I had to write to a specific playlist of 2000s – 2010s alt rock and new metal.
Q: How do you keep yourself focused when undertaking lengthy editing projects?
A: I get to choose what projects I take on these days. When I was just starting, I was assigned books that weren’t necessarily my cup of tea, but I edited them to the best of my ability. After I became a full editor, I got to choose which authors and books I wanted to work with. So, length doesn’t matter as long as I love the story.
Q: Is there a genre or subgenre that you want to explore that you haven’t yet? Conversely, are there any that you’ll never write?
A: I have an idea in my head for a historical fiction piece that I don’t know if I will ever write, but the idea is in there percolating. I will say, without a doubt, that I will never write erotica – that is, unless there is a market for someone to write a comedy erotica sounding like a 12-year-old cis boy…
Q: What has been the hardest part of your career as an author and as an editor so far?
A: As an author, accepting the fact that sometimes there are colleagues that will love that you share their space and write, while others will choose to try and take you down. You blow the dust off your shoulders and plod on.
As an editor, dealing with internet drama and cancel culture. When you work for a press that suddenly has a group of authors who decide that they are unhappy for one reason or another, it puts you in a funky place. And sometimes, the story is edited in the public eye to fit a message that is not necessarily true. And what is frustrating about cancel culture is that the more you try to defend yourself, the more they pile on. And the message is lost until things really get out of control.
Q: Professional editing can be a hard industry to break into, especially for women. What was your path like when you knew professional editing was the direction you wanted to go?
A: Well, I started working with a variety of other small presses and made my goal known. I had one who used me as an acquisitions editor for a while. And I also beta read for a lot of authors and developed my editing skills that way. I do have to say I started with a really good grammar base. But I am definitely more of a developmental editor than a copy editor.
Q: What do you consider to be your greatest strength and weakness as an author and an editor?
A: My biggest strength as an author is definitely my dialogue. I began writing plays, not prose. So, I can nail realistic dialogue pretty well. As an editor, it’s trying to do everything I can for my authors. I stand up for them, I try to get the things they want for their books accomplished, and I try to guide them on how to navigate this crazy literary world of ours.
My weakness as an author is probably descriptive setting, for the same reason as above. As an editor, it’s wanting to take on books that I love for the story whether they are currently a big selling genre or not LOL. I am a sucker for vampires; I admit it.
Q: Who is on your radar as someone you’d love to work with?
A: OMG there are so many: Judith Sonnet, Nick Roberts, Gage Greenwood, Paul Tremblay, and I would have loved to have worked with Anne Rice on a project. As an editor, I would be honored if so many Books of Horror authors approached me. It would be amazing.
Q: At some point in our lives, we’ve all heard the negative comments: “You’re not good enough.” “You’ll never make it.” “This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen.” “You don’t belong.” How do you move forward when faced with negativity?
A: Well, to be honest, most of the truly bad reviews I have gotten have made me laugh. A lot of them call out the use of curse words in my books – which is funny to me since that type of language is part of regular life. I have more trouble with silence vs. negativity.
I push forward and keep doing what I do best. In the end, what matters is that my author’s books are edited well, and they can be proud that not only they wrote an amazing book, but it was edited professionally, and that increases their chances of other opportunities.
Q: What advice would you give to women who are wanting to write, especially if it’s something others might perceive as “outside of the norm”?
A: Do it. I know it sounds flippant and simple, but if more of us do not write, then we can’t challenge the norm. So, write the thing. Whatever it is. Then network with other authors in your genre. Get a group of friends together in the business and be each other’s cheering section.
Q: What about to women who are wanting to get into professional editing? Is there a certain degree or experience level that they should have?
A: I would not say a degree, per se. I’ve seen English majors who are horrible editors and housewives who happen to be amazing editors. I’ve seen scientists write wonderful fantasy. It’s about talent more than education. The most important things, I think, re grammar, and then learning to beta read well for a lot of authors. Over time, you develop the skills that help the author with the vision THEY want to create with their story instead of the vision YOU think the book should have.
Coming in the fall will be book 5 of the Marker Chronicles series. It’s with Danielle’s editor now, which means her wayward exorcist who curses at demons and irritates his fiancé will be back for more soon!
Looking for something to read in the meantime? Check out House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland. Danielle found it to be very unique and gothic, and she loved it.
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