So who are we?
Hi, I’m Ashley!
I knew pretty early on that I wanted to be a writer. Like many kids, I loved losing time reading and scribbling silly short stories in my room until my parents dragged me out for dinner. Unlike most kids, I grew into an angsty teen who spent more time creating and running a medieval fantasy roleplaying site loosely based on the world of Macalania from Final Fantasy X than doing her homework.
Upon further reflection, I think I would’ve gotten bullied senseless if I didn’t go to an all-girls high school where this kind of nerdery was deeply appreciated (especially by the theatre kids).
Fast forward, and I earned two journalism degrees—a bachelor’s in magazine journalism from Kent State University and a master’s in publishing from New York University (where I met my Wild Ink co-founder, Mallory!).
Over the last 14ish years, I’ve written for newspapers, magazines, websites, and books. My work has appeared in brands like GQ, O, The Oprah Magazine, PureWow, Healthline, and more. I’ve edited book manuscripts, essays, fiction short stories, and reported features for publication. I’ve also won awards for my reporting and content creation from institutions like the Society of Professional Journalists and the Webby Awards.
My hope is that somewhere along the way, I learned a thing or two about what makes a great story—and that I can share it with you to strengthen your work, your confidence, and your passion for writing.
Hey, I’m Mallory!
I’ve always loved getting outdoors and traveling to other places. As a kid this looked like roaming around my grandparents land picking wildflowers until I was forced to come inside. When I wanted to explore other worlds, I would get lost in the pages of Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Twilight to name a few.
In college, my love of reading, writing, and travel continued. I spent a summer in Madrid, launched an online literary journal (1966), edited our campus literary magazine, and earned a degree in Communication and Creative Writing. Then I was on to the next adventure in NYC, getting my master’s in publishing from New York University, (where I met Ashley).
I spent a decade working at Penguin Random House. I’ve managed author events, travel, major trade shows and writing conferences. I’ve been a sales rep. And most recently I oversaw the sales strategy for major authors like John Grisham, Margret Atwood, and Haruki Murakami, as well as breakthrough debut artists like Tommy Orange, Bonnie Garmus, and Hanya Yanagihara.
In my spare time, I helped hundreds of adventure seeking New Yorkers get out of the hustle and bustle of the city through trips with Sourced Adventures.
Since relocating to Colorado, I’ve had the pleasure to lecture at the Denver Publishing Institute and spend more time getting outside to stoke my creativity.
Through my experience, I’ve learned how you position your work is just as important as the crafting of the story itself. I hope I can share some tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way that will allow you to share your writing far and wide.