McDonald is a former editor for DC Comics' Vertigo imprint and Disney Adventures. She was also the editor of the 2006 graphic novel prequel, The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning. She then created "The Beat" at Comicon.com in June 2004 and, in 2006, moved on to become the co-editor of PW Comics Week for Publishers Weekly, where she also brought "The Beat" and wrote a monthly column Hey Kids! Comics! for Comics Buyer's Guide. In February 2010 she moved "The Beat" to its own independent site but continued in her other editorial and writing roles at Publishers Weekly. She explained the reason for this by saying: