BY VICTORIA ELLIOTT
“So long and thanks for all the fish!” — A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.
Bowing out gracefully.
I began my wonderful internship at Xchyler Publishing in May of 2013. I wanted to learn about the editorial process and have something productive to do while I searched for a job post college.
Sadly, the stress of trying to find a job and the amount of time I spend looking has made it difficult to focus on my duties as an intern. I don’t like to devote myself halfway to anything, and money is a necessity at the moment. Therefore, I have decided that it is time to step down and focus 100% on job hunting.
First off, I would like to take a moment to talk about my experience as an intern. I had always been intimidated by editors—they were the masters of stories; words were their shield. They fought mistakes such as grammar, punctuation and spelling, like monsters. They wielded their red pens like swords, leaving bloody ink marks on an author’s work.
I went into the internship prepared for battle, ready to prove my mettle, but Penny and her team were not the tyrants I imagined; they were teachers. They taught me how to separate what I thought were mistakes and to recognize the author’s voice.
It was difficult to learn to control the impulse to ‘improve’ a story. Editors have to learn how to advise a writer and make corrections without disrupting that voice. In the end, it is important that the editor and the author agree on the finished product. I enjoyed working with and getting to know the authors of Xchyler. They are very talented and creative, and very encouraging people.
Gratitude and praise:
To Penny, you gave me a chance and encouraged me to keep pressing forward. Despite my mistakes, you were patient and generous in your understanding and faith in my ability to grow. You are the glue that holds the team together. Thank you for your guidance and wisdom. You are an outstanding leader!
McKenna, my sensei—thank you for being there to answer the millions of questions I had along the way. You are a patient and firm, but kind, teacher. You gave me lots of encouragement and structure. You are awesome!
Amanda, even though we only worked together for a short time in marketing, you taught me a lot about promoting. I had fun conversing with you and Scott on our phone meetings. One of the downsides to working online is the lack of human interaction. I like talking to people, so it was nice to chat with you. Thank you for the job reference and for everything else. You are bubbly, energetic and extremely smart, keep rocking!
Scott, you are super Steampunk and cool. I enjoyed your story, Midsummer Night’s Steampunk. Thank you for encouraging my creativity in the marketing field. You are talented all around!
To all of my other team members: Jessica, Heidi, Dale—new people that I am still getting to know, you guys are brilliant, talented and have been such a wonderful group to work with.
Finally, a shout out to all of the authors: Raven, Jason, Beth, Justin, Frank, Shauntel, Elizabeth, Anita, David, Ben (the guy responsible for landing me this internship) and everyone I might have forgotten to name, but will never forget to cherish—YOU ARE ALL AWESOME!
I will miss you guys—but who knows? Maybe I will return someday. I will definitely be looking forward to the new stories that come out. Best of luck everyone and thank you Xchyler Publishing for being one more wonderful life experience!
Tori Elliott has left her mark on several projects from The X, including Mr. Gunn & Dr. Bohemia by Pete Ford, Shades and Shadows: a Paranormal Anthology, and Primal Storm, Book 2 of the Grenshall Manor Chronicles by R. A. Smith. Her final project, Kingdom City: Resurrection by her good friend, Ben Ireland—a project near and dear to her heart—is slated for release later in February, 2014.
We here at The X will miss Tori’s vibrant enthusiam, eagerness to learn, willingness to work hard, attention to detail, and unfailing support of all things Xchyler. We wish her the best in all her endeavors.