Toby Sells
Tennessee Storyteller • Journalist • Video Producer
I help organizations, destinations, and businesses tell compelling stories through writing, video, photography, and on-camera hosting. I'm a veteran journalist and the creator of State & Beale, a project dedicated to exploring Tennessee's culture, history, food, and places.
Journalism
For more than two decades, I've covered the people, places, businesses, and issues shaping Tennessee.As a journalist and editor, I've reported on everything from economic development and local government to culture, food, tourism, and community life.My work combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters.
Video
"We had a blast working with Toby on our Beast of Rainbow Lake videos.We gave him a general idea of what we wanted to accomplish, and he totally ran with it, creating the concept for a video series and executing it brilliantly. He was a breeze to work with throughout the filming and editing process, and we loved the final product.Now when I walk through the park, people are constantly asking me if I’ve seen the Beast that day!Toby did a great job helping us activate our brand in a fun and playful way."
— Melissa McMasters - Overton Park Conservancy
I create story-driven videos that help organizations, destinations, and businesses connect with their audiences. Combining a journalist's curiosity with a filmmaker's eye, I produce content that informs, entertains, and inspires.My work includes documentary-style features, tourism videos, cultural storytelling, interviews, and social media content focused on the people and places that make Tennessee unique.Let's make something great!
State & Beale
ONE MISSIONTelling Tennessee's Stories
State & Beale is my Tennessee storytelling project dedicated to exploring the people, places, food, history, and culture that make the Volunteer State unique.Through short-form video, long-form storytelling, photography, and reporting, I've built an audience of more than 45,000+ followers across social media and reached millions of viewers with stories from every corner of Tennessee.
WHY WORK WITH ME?45,000+
Followers Across Social MediaMillions
Video Views25+ Years
Reporting & Storytelling ExperienceRates
Starting at $500. Want to see a menu? Look below.
Freelance Writing
For more than two decades, I've helped organizations tell complex stories with clarity, accuracy, and impact.My freelance writing clients have included healthcare systems, technology organizations, nonprofits, economic development groups, and community institutions. Recent work includes projects for Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Tech901, and Alliance Healthcare Services, along with feature reporting, magazine writing, website content, impact stories, and organizational storytelling.Whether I'm profiling a local entrepreneur, explaining a major community initiative, or highlighting the work of a mission-driven organization, I bring a journalist's curiosity, reporting skills, and commitment to compelling storytelling to every project.Let me help you tell your amazing story!RatesWriting projects start at $500.Hourly rates upon request. Need ongoing support? Retainer arrangements are available for organizations seeking regular content, reporting, and storytelling services.
HOsting
For years, I've helped bring stories and communities to life as an emcee, host, moderator, and event personality.I've created and hosted events including the Memphis Bigfoot Festival, the Overton Square Crawfish Festival, and Oktoberfest at Overton Square. I also host the Writers Sessions Q&A series at the Skolastic Book Fair at Soul & Spirits, interviewing authors and leading audience discussions.Whether leading a festival crowd, moderating a panel, conducting on-stage interviews, or serving as an event host, I bring energy, preparation, humor, and a storyteller's perspective to every event.Available for festivals, community events, author talks, panel discussions, live interviews, and special events.
Television
For nearly a decade, I've appeared regularly on WKNO's Behind the Headlines, offering analysis and commentary on the stories, issues, and people shaping Memphis and the Mid-South.In 2025, I was invited to host an episode of WKNO's In Conversation With, conducting an in-depth interview with Memphis restaurateur D.J. Naylor. The opportunity reflected my experience as both a journalist and interviewer, bringing thoughtful conversation and storytelling to a public television audience.My television work combines reporting, interviewing, and audience engagement, helping viewers better understand the people and issues that shape our communities.
Book
Haint BluesIn 2024, I published my first book, Haint Blues: Strange Tales from the American South.Part travelogue, part folklore collection, and part historical reporting, Haint Blues takes readers on a Southern road trip through haunted beaches, back roads, bayous, and mountains in search of the region's most enduring mysteries.Drawing on years of newspaper research and archival reporting, the book explores Southern ghosts, cryptids, UFO encounters, folklore, and legends, including the Gray Man of South Carolina, the Pascagoula UFO Abduction, the Kelly Green Men of Kentucky, the Rougarou of Louisiana, and dozens of other strange tales from across the South.Written with a reporter's eye for detail and a Southerner's appreciation for a good story, Haint Blues blends history, mystery, folklore, and humor into an accessible journey through the unexplained side of Southern culture.
Podcasts
I’ve spent years behind the microphone creating original podcasts about news, history, culture, and the unexplained. My work includes: Haint Blues, Memphis Flyer Radio, and the evolving State & Beale Podcast, where I tell stories from across Tennessee.
work with me
ServicesWriting & Journalism
Feature stories, profiles, newsletters, website content, annual reports, donor reports, economic development stories, tourism content, and ghostwriting.Past clients and experience include:
- Memphis Flyer, Commercial Appeal, Memphis Business Journal
- Memphis magazine
- Le Bonheur Children's Hospital
- Tech901
- Alliance HealthcareVideo Storytelling
From concept to final edit, I create story-driven videos that help communities, organizations, destinations, and businesses connect with audiences.Services include:
- On-camera hosting
- Interviews
- Documentary-style storytelling
- Tourism videos
- Social media video packages
- Event coverageHosting & SpeakingNeed a moderator, emcee, interviewer, or event host?I regularly host public conversations, interviews, and live events and have appeared on television, radio, podcasts, and public forums across Tennessee.Experience includes:
- Guest host of WKNO's In Conversation With
- Host of the annual Writer's Sessions
- Regular guest on WKNO's Behind the Headlines
- Host of Overton's Square's Oktoberfest and Crawfish Festival
---Podcasts & Audio Storytelling
I have created, produced, and hosted podcasts focused on journalism, history, culture, and storytelling.Projects include:
- Haint Blues (2018–2020)
- Memphis Flyer Radio (2021–2022)
- The State & Beale Podcast (current)Services include podcast hosting, interviewing, production, and storytelling consultation.
Why Work With Me?You're not hiring a marketing agency.You're working directly with an experienced journalist and storyteller who knows how to find compelling stories, conduct meaningful interviews, and create content people actually want to watch, read, and share.Experience- More than a decade covering Tennessee and the Mid-South
- Thousands of published stories
- Award-winning journalist
- Television appearances on WKNO's Behind the Headlines
- Host of WKNO's In Conversation With
- Founder of State & BealeAudience- 45,000+ followers across social media platforms
- Millions of video views
- Engaged Tennessee-focused audience interested in history, culture, travel, food, music, and community storiesRecent WorkWriting- Feature reporting and long-form journalism
- Profiles and community storytelling
- Economic development and nonprofit communicationsVideo- Overton Park Conservancy
- Tennessee travel and history features
- Destination and tourism storytelling
- Social media video campaignsHosting- Television interviews
- Live events
- Community discussions
- Podcast conversationsLet's Tell Your StoryI'm currently available for freelance writing, video production, hosting opportunities, speaking engagements, and storytelling partnerships.Email: [email protected]