by Melissa Boyce-Hurd

I was elated to find out that I’d been given the opportunity to intern with Cornerstones, as they are a company with values that I truly believe in. The publishing industry can sometimes feel impossible to break into, but Cornerstones’ mission to give feedback and tips to all authors who submit to them is a great step towards levelling the playing field. The internship has been all that I hoped for and more. I was immediately given a lot of responsibility and the chance to gain hands-on experience in editing as well as knowledge of the wider publishing world.

I worked alongside the Cornerstones team on their 2021 ELEVATE mentorship programme and it was a joy being part of a campaign which aims to diversify literature by giving a mentoring opportunity to underrepresented authors. I had a marvellous time reading through dozens of incredible submissions from unique and talented authors, all from different backgrounds and all with wonderfully distinct voices. I also gained insight into how to run a social media campaign and expand our reach by collaborating with other like-minded organisations in order to engage with new writers.

As a writer myself, I have learned some invaluable tips for getting your submission package to the next level. I now know what to look out for when self-editing and believe it can be a creative and exciting process rather than a daunting one. I’ve even been able to gain new knowledge and a new outlook for how to approach my own works of fiction.

This has been an incredible experience, not just to add to my CV, but also to solidify in my mind that publishing is the perfect choice for my future career. I am incredibly grateful to the lovely team at Cornerstones for giving me this opportunity.