We're thrilled to offer monthly classes January through August to support the writing community of the Pacific Northwest. Each month, we offer a class double feature—the first to coach your craft, the second to boost your writing as a business—that combine into three insightful hours. Take either class for $45, or double them up for $70.

Due to popular demand, we're also offering our Being Your Own Publisher class on a monthly basis. If you've ever considered publishing yourself, this is the class for you, and you no longer have to wait months before it's offered again!

We pride ourselves in staying apprised with literary and publishing trends—from storytelling styles to e-book platforms—and we happily pass that knowledge on to our students. Participants will leave every class with a packet of fresh information relevant to their writing and publishing projects.

We also value individual attention. Classes are presented in a small-group format to ensure participants have a close connection with the instructor. To further that mission, we offer class participants 15 percent off a one-hour consultation with an Indigo editor, to be scheduled within thirty days after the class.

Effective Grammar for Writers I
Vinnie Kinsella, Indigo Editing & Publications
1:00–2:30 p.m., $135 for all three sessions
Grammar: a word that strikes fear in the hearts of wordsmiths. Studying the rules of how to correctly use nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, prepositions—well, words in general—can seem mind-numbing. But why should it? After all, understanding grammar means understanding the tools of your trade.

These three workshops offer a fun-filled way to explore grammar. Students will learn how intentional grammatical choices can greatly impact their work. (For example, did you notice both the punchy nature of the verbs in this workshop description and the complete lack of be verbs (am, are, is, was, were) in it?) Through these workshops, students will learn new ways to study grammar, new ways to analyze their writing, and new ways to approach crafting sentences. This class will also help writers develop a better grammatical lexicon, which will help them get more out of the editorial process.

This series benefits all types of writers: poets, novelists, screenwriters—even cookbook scribes. Come prepared to both write and share your writing.

Be sure to mark your calendar for the two subsequent class times for this series: May 18 and June 15.

Promotion 101
Paty Jager, Fiction Author
2:45–4:15 p.m., $45
In this class presenting the nuts and bolts of promoting you and your writing, we'll discuss several factors, including: setting up an internet presence; where to find free promotion and how to use it; what you need to know to contact book stores, set up book signings, and what to do before, during, and after a signing; how to write a bio and press release; and how to put together a promotional packet. By the end of class, promotion will be less of a buzz word and more of an ingrained skill.

$135.00 - Effective Grammar for Writers I, II, and III $45.00 - Promotion 101

Being Your Own Publisher
Vinnie Kinsella, Indigo Editing & Publications
6:00–7:30 p.m., $45
The publishing industry is changing, and authors are taking note. Print on demand technology, e-books, and the rise of online bookstores have made self-publishing an alluring process to many. But is it right for you? This class offers authors insight into the risks and rewards of self-publishing. It is specifically designed to give authors a clear picture of what the process involves. It will answer the following questions, plus several more:

• What are the costs of self-publishing?
• How do I know I’m not getting scammed?
• How do I choose the best approach for my book?
• How much work is really involved?
• What can I do to make sure my published book is of high quality?

$45.00 - Being Your Own Publisher

Effective Grammar for Writers II
Vinnie Kinsella, Indigo Editing & Publications
1:00–2:30 p.m.
This class continues the Effective Grammar for Writers series, which started in April.

E-Book Publishing
Amanda Gomm, Digital Bindery
2:45–4:15 p.m., $45
The rising popularity of e-books has provided independent authors with a cost-effective way to publish books. Many are forgoing or delaying the release of printed books to free up capital for marketing. Others are finding that few of their readers even want printed versions of their books. In this class, we’ll examine how e-book publishing can be an effective way to build both your business and your reader base. Topics explored in this class will include: how to determine if your book is well suited for electronic publication, options for creating your e-book on any budget, options for selling your e-book both online and at physical locations, determining the price of your e-book, and managing digital rights.

$45.00 - E-Book Publishing

Being Your Own Publisher
Vinnie Kinsella, Indigo Editing & Publications
6:00–7:30 p.m., $45
The publishing industry is changing, and authors are taking note. Print on demand technology, e-books, and the rise of online bookstores have made self-publishing an alluring process to many. But is it right for you? This class offers authors insight into the risks and rewards of self-publishing. It is specifically designed to give authors a clear picture of what the process involves. It will answer the following questions, plus several more:

• What are the costs of self-publishing?
• How do I know I’m not getting scammed?
• How do I choose the best approach for my book?
• How much work is really involved?
• What can I do to make sure my published book is of high quality?

$45.00 - Being Your Own Publisher

Effective Grammar for Writers III
Vinnie Kinsella, Indigo Editing & Publications
1:00–2:30 p.m.
This class is the final installment in the three-part Effective Grammar for Writers series, which started in April.

The Heirloom Memoir
Kristen Hall-Geisler, Indigo Editing & Publications
2:45–4:15 p.m., $45
Just because we’re not all Frank McCourt doesn’t mean we don’t have meaningful stories to share with our families. The ease of on-demand and self-publishing means anyone can create a book for future generations to read. Rather than aiming at the best-seller list, these memoirs are meant for family and friends. The class will include how to write yourself as the main character, how to incorporate genealogical information, and how to keep your story on track and moving right along.

$45.00 - The Heirloom Memoir

Being Your Own Publisher
Vinnie Kinsella, Indigo Editing & Publications
6:00–7:30 p.m., $45
The publishing industry is changing, and authors are taking note. Print on demand technology, e-books, and the rise of online bookstores have made self-publishing an alluring process to many. But is it right for you? This class offers authors insight into the risks and rewards of self-publishing. It is specifically designed to give authors a clear picture of what the process involves. It will answer the following questions, plus several more:

• What are the costs of self-publishing?
• How do I know I’m not getting scammed?
• How do I choose the best approach for my book?
• How much work is really involved?
• What can I do to make sure my published book is of high quality?

$45.00 - Being Your Own Publisher

Building a Mystery: Effective Strategies for Mysteries, Thrillers, and Beyond
Susan DeFreitas, Indigo Editing & Publications
1:00–2:30 p.m.
According to the latest neuroscience, one of the greatest thrills fiction has to offer us is the opportunity to discover clues and accurately predict outcomes—but in no genre is your reader counting on that dopamine rush more than in the mystery/thriller. How can you, the author, slip those all-important clues into your story without showing the reader your hand? How can you create the twists and turns that will leave your reader guessing but also deliver enough dopamine to keep her turning the pages? In this class—focused on the mystery/thriller, but equally applicable to the novel in any form—we'll cover all this and more.

A Winning First Impression: Making the Most of Your Query Letter
Ali McCart, Indigo Editing & Publications
2:45–4:15 p.m., $45
The query letter is one of the most daunting pieces you as a writer will ever take on. It’s your first impression with the publisher, and the final draft could come across as either a soggy handshake or an impressive, firm grip. In this workshop, we’ll examine what makes a well-crafted query letter and what dooms it for rejection. Then we’ll draft and critique our own queries so you can leave with the confidence to stand up straight, make eye contact, and smile wide for your literary introduction.

$45.00 - Building a Mystery $45.00 - A Winning First Impression $70.00 - Double Feature

Being Your Own Publisher
Vinnie Kinsella, Indigo Editing & Publications
6:00–7:30 p.m., $45
The publishing industry is changing, and authors are taking note. Print on demand technology, e-books, and the rise of online bookstores have made self-publishing an alluring process to many. But is it right for you? This class offers authors insight into the risks and rewards of self-publishing. It is specifically designed to give authors a clear picture of what the process involves. It will answer the following questions, plus several more:

• What are the costs of self-publishing?
• How do I know I’m not getting scammed?
• How do I choose the best approach for my book?
• How much work is really involved?
• What can I do to make sure my published book is of high quality?

$45.00 - Being Your Own Publisher

Hiding the Plumbing: Strategies for Invisible Exposition
Susan DeFreitas, Indigo Editing & Publications
1:00–2:30 p.m.
One of the most maddening issues faced by fiction writers is how to convey that all-important information in the past of the story (the backstory, or exposition) without breaking the flow of action in the present. In this sense, the exposition is like the plumbing: we all want it to work, but we don’t want to know it’s there. In this class, writers will gain an array of highly pragmatic tools for burying the backstory and installing the plumbing, all without their readers becoming aware of it.

Literary Journal Publishing: Rejection, Acceptance, and Everything In Between
Liz Prato, Attic Institute
2:45–4:15 p.m., $45
Untangle the dizzying process of sending your stories, poems, and essays to literary journals. We’ll cover how to target markets, format your work, and handle the inevitable rejections—and what happens when you get accepted. After this lively class, you’ll be ready to charge the world of publishing. (Note: Not for book-length publishing.)

$45.00 - Hiding the Plumbing $45.00 - Literary Journal Publishing $70.00 - Double Feature

Being Your Own Publisher
Vinnie Kinsella, Indigo Editing & Publications
6:00–7:30 p.m., $45
The publishing industry is changing, and authors are taking note. Print on demand technology, e-books, and the rise of online bookstores have made self-publishing an alluring process to many. But is it right for you? This class offers authors insight into the risks and rewards of self-publishing. It is specifically designed to give authors a clear picture of what the process involves. It will answer the following questions, plus several more:

• What are the costs of self-publishing?
• How do I know I’m not getting scammed?
• How do I choose the best approach for my book?
• How much work is really involved?
• What can I do to make sure my published book is of high quality?

$45.00 - Being Your Own Publisher

Being Your Own Publisher
Vinnie Kinsella, Indigo Editing & Publications
6:00–7:30 p.m., $45
The publishing industry is changing, and authors are taking note. Print on demand technology, e-books, and the rise of online bookstores have made self-publishing an alluring process to many. But is it right for you? This class offers authors insight into the risks and rewards of self-publishing. It is specifically designed to give authors a clear picture of what the process involves. It will answer the following questions, plus several more:

• What are the costs of self-publishing?
• How do I know I’m not getting scammed?
• How do I choose the best approach for my book?
• How much work is really involved?
• What can I do to make sure my published book is of high quality?

$45.00 - Being Your Own Publisher

Being Your Own Publisher
Vinnie Kinsella, Indigo Editing & Publications
6:00–7:30 p.m., $45
The publishing industry is changing, and authors are taking note. Print on demand technology, e-books, and the rise of online bookstores have made self-publishing an alluring process to many. But is it right for you? This class offers authors insight into the risks and rewards of self-publishing. It is specifically designed to give authors a clear picture of what the process involves. It will answer the following questions, plus several more:

• What are the costs of self-publishing?
• How do I know I’m not getting scammed?
• How do I choose the best approach for my book?
• How much work is really involved?
• What can I do to make sure my published book is of high quality?

$45.00 - Being Your Own Publisher

Amanda Bryan-Gomm started Digital Bindery with Tom McCluskey in 2009. There, she uses her master's degree in book publishing from Portland State University, her experience as a web designer, and her passion for technology to help publishers and authors understand the opportunities and pitfalls of digital publishing. She is an avid reader, an ardent sci-fi fan, a classically trained bassoonist, and an all-around nerdy girl. Amanda's specialty is combining a dedication to accessibility, an eye for technical perfection, and the aesthetic drive to push the boundaries of technology to achieve the most beautiful and readable project possible.





Susan DeFreitas’s creative work has appeared in The Bear Deluxe, Third Wednesday, and Southwestern American Literature, and is upcoming from Sin Fronteras, a publication of Writers Without Borders; her nonfiction on green living has been published in Yes! Magazine, E: the Environmental Magazine, and The Utne Reader and appears regularly on The Huffington Post. She holds an MFA from Pacific University and lives in Portland, Oregon, where she works as an associate editor with Indigo Editing and covers green technology for EarthTechling.com.


Jessica Glenn is a book publicist, manuscript herder, reviewer, squirrel whisperer, musician, inventor, writer, and she’s mischievous at times too. MindBuck Media is a natural extension of her work as a freelance writer and development designer, as well as her former employment with Web 2.0 savvy Electric Artists Marketing Services Company in NY.

From manuscript to book release, Jessica Glenn provides highly personalized author services ensuring the highest level of success possible for authors and their publishing companies. Conservatively, she’s helped authors sell half a million books in the last two years, two of which were bestsellers in 2011. She works directly with authors, with publishing companies (including Amazon Publishing), or in tandem with both to create the best bang for the publicity buck through her established relationships with a wide range of media sources, book manufacturing providers, and artists.

Kristen Hall-Geisler has been editing nonfiction books and articles since 2002, in addition to being published herself in the New York Times, Oregon Business, and other print and online outlets. Her best piece of self-editing advice: Read everything out loud to your dog. One of you will catch the mistakes.









Wife, mother, grandmother, and the one who cleans pens and delivers the hay, award-winning author Paty Jager and her husband currently ranch 350 acres when not dashing around visiting their children and grandchildren. She not only writes the western lifestyle, but she also lives it.

She is a member of RWA, COWG, EOWG, and EPIC. Her contemporary Western, Perfectly Good Nanny won the 2008 Eppie for Best Contemporary Romance; Spirit of the Mountain, a historical paranormal set among the Nez Perce, garnered 1st place in the paranormal category of the Lories Best Published Book Contest; and Spirit of the Lake, the second book of the spirit trilogy, was a finalist in the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. You can learn more about Paty at her blog, www.patyjager.blogspot.com; her website, www.patyjager.net; and on Facebook, and Twitter, @patyjag.

Vinnie Kinsella is an instructor in Portland State University’s renowned publishing program. His career as a publishing professional includes work as a writer, editor, document designer, journal publisher, and publication consultant. He has helped numerous book publishers, independent authors, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations produce high-quality print and online publications.






Ali McCart has been working in the publishing industry since before she could read. Her first job was as a saddle stitcher in her parents’ print shop at age five. Since 2005 she’s focused her efforts on helping authors’ words find their way to publication, and once in a while, she writes her own words too. Hippocampus Magazine will be featuring one of her narrative nonfiction pieces in March 2013.






Liz Prato’s short stories and essays have been nominated for four Pushcart Prizes and have appeared in Hayden’s Ferry Review, Salon.com, Subtropics, Iron Horse Literary Review, Hunger Mountain, and ZYZZYVA, among others. Awards include the 2010 Minnetonka Review Editor’s Prize, 1st place in the 2005 Berkeley Fiction Review Sudden Fiction Contest, and a Tennessee Williams Scholarship to the 2012 Sewanee Writers’ Conference. When she’s not moving her characters around the chessboard of the American west, Liz dreams of palm trees.

Space for each class is limited to five participants. Preregistration is required. All classes will be held at Indigo Editing & Publications, 917 SW Oak, #302, Portland. Parking is available on the street or in nearby garages. We are located near all forms of public transportation.

Please contact us if you'd like to pay by check instead of Google Wallet. Registration is not complete until payment is received.

If you have suggestions for class topics, please share them with us at classes@indigoediting.com.