Hello all! My name is Devan Heyburn and I am an English, Writing and Publication, major with a Business Administration Minor on the UNG Dahlonega Campus. I have no apt way to describe the joy I feel for finally being a part of this world of publishing, specifically with interning at the UNG Press this coming semester.
Words and books have been capturing me within their pages since the early days of my childhood. I believed that the most powerful people on this Earth were authors. Not the leaders of countries or my teachers, but those who had mastered the strength of the written word. They held my racing heart within their grasp with their crafted worlds and civilizations filled with adventure or tragedy. With a simple swipe of their key stroke, they could bring ancient walls to the ground and leave destruction in their wake or fill my chest with utter delight. No one else held that power. In my mind, they were akin to present-day gods walking among us.
But, like many things a child learns, the core of those beliefs ring true as age and experience refine them. When I learned about the existence of a publisher, the power shifted slightly. Authors still held most of the power, but these heroes didn’t act alone. They had publishers in their corner to edit out their mistakes, refine their language, and help craft the plots that filled my days with wonder.
It is my hope that working with the UNG Press will help me build the skillset I need to assist these heroes. I want to help clarify the world they are building and make the characters seem as real as you and me. Because something as simple as a misspelled word can halt an adventure in its tracks, I want to learn the best ways to edit out any mistakes that could distract from the color of a story. I want to set the stage so that an author can perform to their greatest capability. I’m perfectly okay being the wizard behind the curtain, the invisible sidekick. I know my name may not be on the cover, or even in one line on the Copyright page. But that won’t stop me from using the skills I will hone here at the UNG Press to make books as great as I can, or from being proud of my work.
An ardent desire I hold is to build my career foundation now, so that I will be able to rise within the publishing world upon graduation. I need to help these superheroes seem flawless and god-like to those readers who need something to marvel at within this discovered world. In a time and place when it seems all wonder has ceased and every spot on the globe can be Googled, adventures can still be found on the movie screen and within a book. These authors just need a little help getting these adventures out on the shelves, and I am more than happy give it to them.
