Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to S Elizabeth (Liz) Ransdell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi S Elizabeth (Liz), thanks for joining us today. One of our favorite things to hear about is stories around the nicest thing someone has done for someone else – what’s the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?

The kindest act I’ve received as a creator was being given the momentum to set foot on this path in the first place. No one in this industry makes it alone. There’s no such thing as a self-made artist, and anyone who says differently is lying to the world and possibly to themselves.

I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the prompting and support of someone who had already “made it”. The day I was told to “just go write a comic,” my life was changed. I was always a writer, but in that moment, I’d all but given up ever writing for myself. Already a ghostwriter with several long-term clients, I was in a place that would have led to burnout and giving up the one true love of my life.

That prodding was followed by tools and resources that I could use to create something amazing. It led me to agree to help an artist start his own creative studio, and gave me the confidence to continue on my own when that partnership was unsustainable. Setting up The Shark Queen has been terrifying. But that mentor is still part of my life today. I’ve had the pleasure of buying his work and will be publishing it in my upcoming sophomore anthology. Creating is a hard life. Half the luck of success is being seen by that one person who keeps you climbing when you can’t do it alone.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Before I was “the shark queen,” I spent a decade ghostwriting highly rated books for KDP authors, some to help with volume, others with no desire to write themselves. First published in high school, I don’t know that there was anything else I wanted to do with my life.

From ghostwriting, I cofounded my first creative studio, Studio Metropolis Inc., and published a comic and a cartoon beloved by my small and loyal circle of fans. I’ve since set up shop for myself with much help from volunteers– from my eldest child and business partner, Tabitha, to the horror and comic book communities. No matter what people say, the creative communities are strong. The best thing any creative can do is find the people they can work with.

Under the banner of Blood in the Water Books/Productions, I’ve set myself to the task of supporting creatives, writers, artists, and filmmakers to get their work produced and paid a top market rate, rather than starvation wages.

After publishing Curiouser & Curiouser Vol 1- a collection of my own erotic horror, I decided to make it an ongoing project. Volumes 1 & 2 were funded by grants and on Kickstarter. Volume 2 funded in 3 days, with a final total well over the goal. Volume 3, The Infernal Feminine, opens to submissions on December 15. I love being an anthologist. I think reading and sharing other people’s stories is exponentially more fun than writing my own, and I LOVE telling a story. With several books, the pre-production stage of a feature horror film, at least one comic, and another anthology releasing throughout 2026, I have taken all the fear and stress and uncertainty of being a Canadian in the U.S. and turned it into my own little rebellion against everyone who tells artists they should starve for their work.

With the new year, The Shark Queen (thesharkqueen.com) will enter an exciting period of growth. By spring, we begin the process of acquiring authors other than myself to publish. I hope to show the kindness given to me to another author who needs that one person to see their potential and give them the tools and resources to succeed.

I look forward to seeing all the feminine rage and queer love that is submitted for the next installment of the anthology. Seeing its popularity grow has been fulfilling and amazing. I can’t wait to see where it goes next.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I don’t think anyone who doesn’t create truly understands the amount of labor that goes into creative endeavors. The same people who will pay what is asked for a piece of furniture that came off an assembly line, do everything in their power to get the same for almost nothing when it was built by an artisan to their specification. Art is one of our greatest gifts as a society, and as a species. It’s an honour to pay an artist what their work is worth, not a burden to negotiate down or try to acquire for free or “for exposure”.

There are thousands of hours of work behind the next book I write– over twenty years of learning and perfecting my art so that every “next” is better than the last. Just because I wasn’t punching a clock doesn’t make it any less a real job.

At its core, that’s what we’re trying to accomplish with Blood in the Water. To provide cool, entertaining products at a price that won’t break consumers, especially in the current economic and political climate, without sacrificing the survival of great creatives, from artists and writers to actors and filmmakers.

How did you build your audience on social media?

They say everyone has a facade, a mask we wear publicly to be acceptable to others and get along in society. What I’ve learned from the rate my twitter was growing when I left and now as I find my people elsewhere, like Bluesky, is that we’re all a little starved for connection in this technologically fast world.

Many of my fans now, are the people who were there for my struggle in 2015, who know my politics and my beliefs and they love my work even when I don’t.

My advice to anyone growing their social media, is to stand for something and be present and consistent. In my house we say, “in a world of Burrs, be a Hamilton.” There are certainly those who won’t give you their attention or money, but if you stand against bigotry and racism and hate, why would you want hateful bigots in your community, and if you’re the problem, then people deserve to know.

No product, no creation, no art is worth fence-sitting, and especially as creatives, who we are informs our creations. Be yourself, take time to interact with people, be consistent with your online presence, both in terms of what you post, and how often, and you’ll build a strong community around you to support your endeavors.

Contact Info:

• Website: thesharkqueen.com
• Instagram: @the_shark_queen
• Facebook: facebook.com/srittel
• Other: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thesharkqueen.com

Image Credits
Photos taken by SE Ransdell