Charla Ayers - Intern

A Little Bit About Me

Hello! I am Charla Ayers.

I received my Bachelor of Arts in Writing and Publications in 2016 from University of North Georgia and my Master of Arts in Publishing from George Washington University in 2024. I also possess a Certificate in Creative Writing from Wesleyan University. I started my own photography business in 2013 to make extra income and have a creative outlet while going to college. That business exceeded all my intentions and hopes for it. Over the ten years I operated, the business flourished and evolved from just photography into a branding business. I realized that I had a passion for cultivating others’ visions. I would work with brands to create their mission, graphic and website designs, and photography for their businesses that included headshots, live working shots, and more creative/artistic projects. I learned that it was a magical thing to take someone and their dreams and be able to help them communicate them effectively to the world in their own tone and style. Through this time, I learned editing programs, graphic design, website design, SEO, marketing, business collaboration, and more.

As enjoyable as this was, this was not my real passion. I love books and stories. I am a reader, writer, and designer. I want to take the multitude of skills I have learned through owning my own business and through my education and create something new and unique. My dream has always been to become an editor. I love grammar and line editing. I love reviewing character arcs and plot holes. I love working with the author to achieve the best version of their work. I want to cultivate a relationship with authors—one where they feel confident I can give them an honest, intentional opinion on their project the whole way through.

My goal for my career is to successfully launch and operate the new editorial business I am working on along with writing and publishing my own novels. My favorite genres are fantasy, romance, and mystery. Focusing on these specific genres will help me create a specific niche to thrive in. Though my graduate program was very thorough in teaching me all the aspects of the publishing industry, my goal for this internship is hands-on experience. I have experience in writing, editing, formatting, design, acquisitions, contract, copyright, and more. I want to take all I have learned and begin applying.