Who TF Is Stephenie Magister? (that’s me! a transgender success…ish story)
S-T-E-P-H-E-N-I-E does not contain the letter “A”
The Short Of It
I AM TRASH | DEAR CISTERS, YOU PROBABLY TRANSITIONED TOO | TRUE CRIME IN PUBLISHING | DOES IT MATTER WHETHER A WRITER IS A GODDAMN LIAR? | XTRA (forthcoming) |
| LINKEDIN | TESTIMONIALS | WRITER’S DIGEST | INTERVIEW WITH DRILL | SCREENRANT | PATREON | INKERS CON | IMPACTING MILLIONS | PITCH WARS | DISCUSSION WITH AUTHORS AI |
Discussion at Creative Screenwriting on STEPHEN KING with:
- Jeffrey Reddick, creator of Final Destination (no way!)
- Diana Ossana, screenwriter for the film adaptation of Brokeback Mountain (OMG!!!)
- Stephenie Magister (me!), director of a high school short film that deserved better than a B- (to my knowledge, this is the only Highlander fan fiction short film made by a transgender storyteller)
While you can read/watch pretty much anything as a member of Medium, my Patreon is where to go if you want to SUPPORT ME providing more storytelling tips, trans/queer relationship columns, and video essays on queer pop culture topics on such topics as:
- me surviving in my family’s cult as a trans kid in the deep South (“I Am Trash”)
- escaping into mental institutions
- finally escaping those too (!!)
- and now thriving with a disability as a storyteller connecting with other storytellers :)
But if you’re here for storytelling/business…read on!
Summary
- Transgender author turned editor turned storytelling, writing, and communications consultant
- Full-time career in publishing for over a decade
- Editor for a variety of publishers and indie authors
- As much success as failure (we all make mistakes)
- Direct experience in academic, education, and commercial publishing
- Coached authors to achieve numerous awards and top sales charts
- Mentor for Inkers Con, Impacting Millions/Selena Soo, and Pitch Wars
Education
- BA in Communications (Ashford University)
- MA in Journalism and Mass Communication (University of Georgia)
- Thesis (writing as Stephen Morgan): Book DNA: validating how successful mystery literature is constructed
The Long Of It
I’m a transgender author turned editor turned publishing consultant — who now writes about trans/queer stuff while making a living at Stephenie Edits.
Once Blockbuster went out of business, I tried my hand at managing bookstores and selling Post-It Notes. After sporadic success as a writer for short stories, advertorials, and lifestyle articles, I went back into grad school and got my Master’s in Journalism. During that time, I worked with University of Georgia/UGA/Grady College to execute a national ad campaign for their first low-residency MFA program in narrative nonfiction and screenwriting.
See Also: UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA STUDENTS: REQUEST ME AS YOUR FREE MENTOR
I was a year into the PhD program (and one semester from meeting the MFA program’s first cohort of students) when the publisher I was working with at the time offered me enough money to say see ya. It was pennies, but…still. I’ve been a writer and editor ever since. A bunch of my authors won awards, hit best-seller lists, that kind of stuff.
Finding my focus
I found the most personal meaning, however, by focusing my research on the science of storytelling and how to enhance the engagement and impact of those stories on target audiences.
With my master’s in hand, I’ve spent the last decade serving in a variety of roles for a diverse set of publishers and audiences. My collaborations with authors led to several award-winning and USA Today best-selling books that topped the publisher’s sales charts.
But while sales and awards are what keep agencies and publishers running, my passion is now in expanding representation for historically under-represented identities across established and emerging platforms.
The moment of transition
I identify what experience the author manifests for readers, and then strategize how to grow and retain their target audience. There’s no need to turn an author into anything that’s less than authentic. My purpose instead is to identify what aspects set an author apart and could make them irresistible — if only they will lean into those aspects. How often have you discovered the only thing holding you back was how hard you worked to be someone you’re not?
See Also: HOW EMPATHY DRIVES OUR BEST CREATIVE WORK
This wholehearted approach to building an author’s brand and career has helped me revitalize the creativity and enthusiasm each author (or all of us) needs to sustain a long-term career in publishing.
Final Thoughts
Happiness is hard to find in publishing. I hope these tips (or working with me!) help you find a little bit of yours.
I have a beautiful little pupper that is my pride and joy. Follow me on Twitter at @StefEdits if you want more writing/publishing advice. Follow me at @StephMagister for more puppy pics.
The end
Hi, it’s Stephenie!
Believe it or not, I do this for a living.
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