We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chyina Powell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chyina below.

Chyina, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

I feel that this is a pretty heavy question. I am a multi-faceted person, so I really have to question how I want to be remembered. And when I think of the word “legacy” it is always how someone is remembered not what they are remembered for. It is more of a feeling. However, I am sure you mean something a bit more tangible than that.

As an author, I hope that my words inspire someone else. I know that without some of the books I read as a little girl, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Especially as a Christian author, my goal is to write books that are enjoyable and real and full of wonder and hope. As an entrepreneur, I want young girls who look like me, and even those who don’t, to think that they can. Women of color are always forced into boxes by dominant culture and I rebelled against that by starting my own company in an industry mainly male and white. I want others to feel free and encouraged to do the same.

Chyina, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Chyina Powell. I am a freelance editor and published author. My company is called Powell Editorial. I offer quite a wide variety of services from developmental editing to line editing to sensitivity reading, beta reading and more. It’s funny because this is something that I have always wanted to do. Even as a kid, I never wanted to be a superhero or a fireman or anything like that. I always told my mom that I wanted to be a professional reader. So when I got to high school and found out that was a real job, you can imagine how excited I was!

With each type of editorial service I provide, I solve a different issue for my clients. Sometimes I help them take an idea and turn it into a story while at other times, I help to take out the filler of an already amazing story so that readers can enjoy it as much as the author does. Or I can simply provide another set of eyes on a work and give feedback as the author works on making edits themselves. And as a sensitivity reader, I make sure that diverse voices are not only portrayed in someone’s work but that those portrayals are accurate, not stereotypical or based on incorrect information. This is really important when I work with my nonfiction clients or clients that deal with textbooks.

I am also the founder of an international writing circle strictly for women of color called the Women of Color Writers’ Circle. There we create a safe space for women of color who desire to write regardless of genre, age, location, or experience. It is a fun and open environment and I am really proud of it. Seeing how there were women in the Circle new to writing and watching them hone their craft and seek publication is inspiring. Watching success stories before your eyes is magnificent.

What I am most proud of? I am proud of the fact that regardless of the ups and downs, my five-year-old self would be proud of me. I took the crookeds with the straights and I made it this far. And with everything that was going against me, that’s a win for the history books.

And for those who would like to know more about me, I am on social media and am especially active on Twitter and Discord. I love engaging with creatives and talking about works in progress. I hope that you find the time to look me up and share some of your genius with me there. I am a huge fan of speculative fiction and can discuss it all day.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Firstly, I was an English major. While I double-majored in Business Administration, when anyone asked, I always said I was an English major. The first thing most think of is “English? You must want to be a teacher.” And that was the furthest thing from my mind when I went into that field. Many non-creatives come in with pre-conceived notions. I have heard it time and time again that “writing a books isn’t that hard” or someone tell an artist “AI can do it quicker and cheaper.” Here’s the thing: we do this because we love it. True, a lot of us wish we could earn more money and there are people who cannot afford to do their creative work full-time because it isn’t a very stable income, but that doesn’t make it less valuable. Nor does that give anyone the right to be dismissive of the time and effort it takes to hone and perfect that craft.

And being a naysayer won’t help anyone.

I have had dozens of people (some well-intentioned and others not) say that I was smart so I should’ve been something else. Every time I heard that, especially when I was still new to the industry, my heart hurt. It was as though you told me that I wasn’t good enough, that I would fail even before I tried. And creatives all over the world hear this sort of thing on a daily basis. If that is something you’ve said, please recognize the damage it does.

Yes, this is hard. Yes, sometimes it isn’t very lucrative. Yes, there are times I get two hours a sleep a night. But, and here’s the key, this is what I was made to do. And because of that, I want to keep doing it. And a kind word here and there helps keep me going in those rough times. So, for all the non-creatives, please be kind to those in your sphere who may have chosen a different path than you.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Recommendations.

It may seem strange, but most of my clients come via recommendations and social media. When a former client leaves a review on Google or shares my site with a friend, even if that friend doesn’t need my services at that moment, they will remember my name. And when they do require editorial services, they look me up, we do a free prospective client interview so that we can learn more about each other and the project and what they are seeking and then we begin the process.

Even on social media, people who’ve worked with me before recommend me. They may follow me or share my posts and others see that, realize that I am reputable and then do their own research and decide to work with me. Recommendations are vital for freelancers.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://powelleditorial.org
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/chyina_powell
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/chyinapowell/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/chyinap
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@chyinapowell
• Other: Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/chyinap