by HALLEIGH MILLESON
“Reading can take you places you have never been before.” ~ Dr. Seuss
I had the pleasure of interning with Forsyth Magazines this past summer. Currently, I am a senior at High Point University where I am majoring in English. I knew I wanted to intern with Forsyth Magazines because of my desire to learn more about publishing. After meeting with Brooke Eagle for the first time, I immediately felt welcomed into the Forsyth Magazines family. I began shadowing Brooke and getting to experience the behind-the-scenes of the magazine. Now, reflecting on my experiences, I have three takeaways from my time as an intern that I have shared below.
Creating a magazine involves a LOT of work!
I never realized how many moving pieces go into creating a new magazine issue every month. By shadowing Brooke in her home office, I was able to see the editing process of the magazine. All of the writers’ and photographers’ names need to be listed, there has to be a decision regarding where the photographs go, how many photographs to use, decisions made about what to highlight at the beginning of the magazine, etc. Brooke also sent emails out to the designers and writers with the documents they needed to work on their assigned part of the magazine.
Creating a magazine outside of the office involves having cover photoshoots, doing foodie reviews and handling distribution day. I was able to attend three cover photoshoots which were so enjoyable. I watched as photos were taken and decisions were made about the best poses and outfits to be used for the upcoming cover of the magazine. I was also able to attend a foodie review at Hakka Chow which was an awesome experience. Pictures of the food and notes about the food were taken to prepare an upcoming article. I also helped load the new issues of the magazines into cars on distribution day which gave me a good arm workout.
Forsyth Magazines is MORE than just a magazine!
My favorite part about interning was seeing how community-based Forsyth Magazines is. I loved being able to attend Brooke’s podcast recordings. Brooke interviewed multiple people including doctors, small business owners and people from charities. The podcasts have helpful advice and allow people to learn more about services, businesses and volunteer opportunities in Forsyth County. I was also able to attend one of the Girls’ Night Out events in downtown Winston-Salem. Women from all over the area attended, and there were quality conversations, delicious food and exciting prizes given out.
Additionally, I valued the networking experience I received. Specifically, I was able to have profitable conversations with Amy Hill and Debbie Linville who are writers for Forsyth Magazines. Also, being able to talk to photographers Jodie Brim and Natalie Sahloff was a delight. As a college student, having this networking experience with people in the Forsyth Magazines family was incredibly beneficial. Seeing how Forsyth Magazines has created a supportive, uplifting community was incredible. When you see the magazines on the stands just know that the pages are meaningful as well as what happens beyond the pages.
Brooke Eagle is an AMAZING publisher!
Being able to shadow Brooke this past summer was such a pleasure. As the publisher of Forsyth Magazines, she truly displays the leadership, encouragement and support that it takes to run a magazine. At every event that I attended with Brooke, I saw how much she cares and how hard she works to make sure each issue of the magazine is the best version that it can be. I am so grateful to Brooke for allowing me to have this opportunity.
If you are a college student who wants to learn about publishing while also getting to be a part of a wonderful community, then interning with Forsyth Magazines is definitely for you!
