So You Want to Self-Publish?

So you want to self-publish a book of poetry? Where do you begin? How do you prepare? How do you know what you don't know? Enter: This class. In our time together, I will walk you through everything I've learned in my many years of self publishing. Topics we'll talk about include, formatting your pages, creating a cover, publishing platforms, costs that should and should not come with the process, planning your publication timeline, and what comes after hitting "publish." This is not the be-all-end-all of self publishing courses, but it is a great place to start. This is a great workshop to help you take stock of what you'll need to know before getting started and to get your questions answered.

Instructor

Kelsey Bigelow, based in Des Moines, works as a mental health poet. She is the author of five poetry projects, including her book "Far From Broken." Her work is published with several small presses and journals. Kelsey is an Inspiring Women of Iowa honoree, Pushcart Prize nominee, a Button Poetry Video Contest Finalist, and a Central Avenue Poetry Prize finalist. Kelsey has worked with organizations like The Mayo Clinic, NAMI, Planned Parenthood, and more. She has shared the stage with poets like Ross Gay, Jane Wong, Donika Kelly, and more. Videos of her work can be found on Button Poetry, Every Word Poetry, and elsewhere. 

She's the founder of the Des Moines Poetry Workshop, the chair for the Iowa Poetry Association Poetry Slam, a teaching artist in the Des Moines community, the director for the BlackBerry Peach National Poetry Slam, a member of the Iowa Writers Collaborative, and more.