Helping Literary Estates, Publishers, Authors, and Producers Sustain and Extend an Author’s Legacy

For many families and executors, stewarding a literary estate is an honor and a challenge. There’s the desire to protect a loved one’s work, but also the uncertainty of how to move forward — which publishers to trust, what opportunities are worth pursuing, and how to handle the inevitable conflicts that arise when multiple stakeholders are involved. It can be overwhelming.

At the same time, those who work with estates — publishers, producers, biographers, and others — often struggle to engage with them effectively. Without clear leadership or industry knowledge, estates can become bottlenecks, causing great books to languish, promising deals to fall apart, and opportunities to introduce important works to new audiences to slip away.

Charlotte Jones Voiklis has spent more than 20 years immersed in the complexities of managing a literary estate — one that happens to be deeply personal. As the granddaughter and literary executor of Madeleine L’Engle, she’s navigated the intricate world of publishing contracts, licensing deals, adaptations, and backlist management. She knows that an author’s work isn’t just an asset to be managed — it’s a legacy to be honored and sustained. With additional background in academia and non-profits, and experience as a mediator, she understands both the emotional weight and the business realities of estate management. She knows that with the right approach, estates can become dynamic, engaged stewards of an author’s legacy rather than passive caretakers of a past catalog.

That’s where Tesser Well Consulting comes in.

What We Do

We act as a bridge — between estates and publishers, between rights holders and producers — helping literary legacies thrive rather than stagnate. Every author’s work is different, and every family dynamic is unique. We bring deep industry knowledge, a strategic approach, and a respect for the personal side of estate management. By balancing business acumen with creative integrity, we ensure that an author’s voice continues to resonate with both existing and future generations.

For literary estates, we provide:

• Guidance in rights management, including contracts, licensing, and reversion strategies.
• Support for backlist management, helping estates make informed publishing and adaptation decisions.
• Marketing and audience engagement strategies to keep an author’s work relevant for new generations.
• Legacy planning, ensuring that an estate’s long-term vision aligns with both business realities and the author’s intent.

For publishers, we offer:

• Best practices for working with estates, ensuring smoother collaboration and decision-making.
• Strategic insights on overlooked or under-leveraged backlist titles with potential for reissues, anniversary editions, or adaptations.
• Contract review and negotiation support, particularly in navigating reversion clauses and long-term rights management.

For producers and others engaging with estates, we help:

• Secure rights and navigate estate approvals, avoiding common roadblocks in adaptation projects.
• Align estate-managed works with current market trends, ensuring both creative integrity and commercial viability.
• Build productive relationships with estates, facilitating partnerships that honor the author’s work while allowing for creative exploration.

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 purpose. It’s a reminder that moving forward—whether in storytelling or in legacy management—requires both vision and care.

At Tesser Well Consulting, we embrace that philosophy. We help estates and publishing professionals navigate the complexities of the literary world with clarity, strategy, and respect for the past—while looking toward the future.

If you’re an estate looking for guidance, a publisher navigating backlist strategy, or a producer seeking to adapt an author’s work, let’s talk. Your next chapter starts here.

charlotte [at] tesserwell [dot] com