What We Do
We help authors, estates, and those shaping their futures carry forward what’s alive in the work—what still speaks, stirs, unsettles, and invites. Our role is to bring clarity to complex decisions, connect the right people at the right time, and protect creative intent as a story finds new life.
Who It’s For
We serve a range of people who care for creative work—each from their own perspective. Our services are tailored and grounded in a shared goal: to support what endures.
For those working with rights
Attorneys. Agents. Publishers. Producers.
Whether you’re managing IP, negotiating renewals, developing an adaptation, or preparing for transition, we support your clients in clarifying priorities, navigating dynamics, and naming what matters—so when it’s time to act, they’re ready.
For those holding memory and values
Heirs. Executors. Families.
We help sort through the questions that don’t come with instructions: What do I do with this work? How do you decide what matters, especially when priorities compete or family dynamics are in play? We offer space, structure, and mediation when needed—so the work is not only preserved, but cared for.
For those in conversation with legacy
Authors. Scholars. Librarians.
We support those who write the work—and those who help carry forward what’s alive in it. Whether you’re preparing for the future or preserving the past, we help ensure the work continues to invite meaning and connection.
Who You’ll Work With
Charlotte Jones Voiklis brings over two decades of hands-on experience managing a literary estate that is both culturally significant and deeply personal. As the granddaughter and literary executor of Madeleine L’Engle, she has guided publishing partnerships, licensing agreements, adaptations, and backlist strategy—always with an eye toward preserving creative integrity while embracing new opportunities.
Charlotte’s training in mediation and conflict coaching equips her to navigate the interpersonal and emotional complexities that often arise when families, estates, and creative partners intersect. Her approach is collaborative, empathetic, and grounded in helping clients clarify their goals and explore thoughtful, sustainable paths forward.
She holds a PhD in Comparative Literature and has worked with nonprofits and foundations, as both staff and board member—experience that deepens her understanding of governance, institutional priorities, and mission-aligned planning.
She believes that with the right support, literary estates can become dynamic, engaged stewards of a writer’s enduring voice—not just preserving a legacy, but extending it for future generations.
What People Are Saying
I commend Charlotte Jones Voiklis for her savvy, her perspicacity, and her ability to listen and to navigate among competing interests as writers hunt for the best way forward for the healthy preservation of their intellectual property. She brings a wealth of experience to the table. Her advice to me was invaluable.
— novelist whose reimagined fairy tale became a cultural landmarkMagnificent! What Tesser Well offers is supremely helpful, highly intentional, and lovingly designed expert wisdom. For anyone working with these important challenges, I can’t imagine a service more excellent or necessary. Nor can I imagine a person more thoughtful, capable, experienced, or ethical to do this work than Charlotte Jones Voiklis.
— author of a long-running fantasy series rooted in myth and ecologyThere is precious little to guide the literary heir through the labyrinth of legacy publishing, literary preservation or even building family consensus. Charlotte was an excellent sounding board and a font of good advice. As a literary heir you do not have to figure all this out for yourself, you can use Tesser Well as a guide and resource.
— heir of a major American literary estate
While many of our clients are happy to be named, we choose to keep all testimonials anonymous to honor the discretion we bring to our work.
Why “Tesser Well”?
Madeleine L’Engle often signed books with “Tesser well,” a phrase inspired by A Wrinkle in Time. It refers to the act of traveling across space and time—not just physically, but with understanding, courage, and care.
At Tesser Well Consulting, we embrace that philosophy. We help estates and publishing professionals move through complexity with discernment, strategy, and respect for the past—while looking toward the future.