Director: Jessie Glenn
Jessie Glenn attended Reed College and Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, and then started MindBuck Media Book Publicity in 2006. A one-year stint as a book publicist for Amazon’s publishing division gave Jessie singular insight into Amazon’s systems of ranking and algorithms. Over a decade of working with small, medium, and large traditional publishers has contributed to Jessie’s remarkably well-rounded understanding of 21st century publishing and distribution.
Jessie’s publicity work has been highlighted in Poets & Writers magazine, Annie Jenning’s EliteWire, AWP, and in numerous “Ask the Expert” articles. Jessie’s personal essays have been published in the New York Times, Washington Post, Salon, Toronto Star, Cleaver, and elsewhere.
A well-known member of Portland’s vibrant writers’ community, Jessie taught a book publicity class for Portland State University’s master’s degree in publishing. A comfortable, well-practiced public speaker, Jessie also coaches authors in media training. The captain at the helm of the MindBuck Media ship, Jessie has led the company through an extended period of growth and expansion, making MindBuck Media Book Publicity one of the largest, most comprehensive book publicity companies in the US.
Author Services: Vinnie Kinsella
Vinnie Kinsella’s work with books began in the second grade when he and his classmates wrote and illustrated a story about the adventures of an ice-cream-loving giraffe. As an adult, his skills as a book designer, editor, and publication manager have been employed by a wide range of authors, book service providers, and publishers. At MindBuck, Vinnie specializes in helping independent authors professionally format their books and properly set them up for bookstores sales. Vinnie lives in Portland, Oregon, where he drinks a lot of coffee and sings with his choir.
Special Projects Publicist: Deborah Jayne
Deborah Jayne is a literary publicist and editor with over fifteen years of experience in the publishing industry. Former director of publicity at Tin House Books and special sales manager at Timber Press, Deborah now focuses on freelance work. Her clients include publishing houses of all shapes and sizes, a NY literary agency, and independent authors of all stripes. At MindBuck, Deborah specializes in the creation and review of proposal packages and query letters, award submissions, and book tours. She has an MA in writing through the book publishing program at Portland State University, and she lives in Portland, Oregon.
Social Media Director/Manager: Hannah Richards
As a social media manager, Hannah Richards loves building robust online communities and active, influential connections for the authors at MindBuck Media Book Publicity, as well as for two theater companies. Hannah has a BA in theater studies from Guilford College and comes from a long line of writers. Before managing social media full time, she worked as an acting teacher and preschool teacher at the Louisville Preschool. Dedicated to spreading the word about the arts, Hannah loves diving into each new campaign.
Lead Publicist: Emily Keough
Emily Keough’s love of finding new audiences for authors and new books for readers led her to MindBuck Media, her sweet spot in book publicity. She has worked for Independent Publishers Group in Chicago, and Overcup Press, Propriometrics Press, and Ooligan Press in Portland, while also obtaining her master’s degree in book publishing from Portland State University. Emily has been working with MindBuck Media since 2018, leading campaigns for titles in various genres that have received attention from national news sources, industry publications, and other exciting media. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and dog.
Book Publicist & Social Media Manager: Kristen Ludwigsen
Born and raised in the great literary city of Portland, Oregon (and darn proud of it), Kristen Ludwigsen grew up amongst the shelves of Powell’s and neighborhood bookstores. She has a BA in English from Lewis and Clark College and an MA in book publishing from Portland State University. Kristen has been with MindBuck Media since 2019, finding joy in helping authors spread the word about the books they’ve put their hearts and souls into creating.
Book Publicist: Ivory Fields
Ivory Fields received her bachelor’s degree in English literature, language, and writing from Central Michigan University and her master’s degree in book publishing from Portland State University. With a passion for all things literature from a young age, Ivory has worked with slam poets, literary arts magazines, publishers, and literary nonprofits, as she grew her marketing and publicity skills. Her love for social action bleeds into her love for books and has inspired much of the work she has done in her professional career so far. As the creator of the “How to: Publishing” workshop for underrepresented authors in the Portland, Oregon, community, Ivory is passionate about uplifting underserved voices and introducing them to excited readers.
Book Publicist: Camylle Fleming
Camylle Fleming is a book publicist and project management professional with specialties in government, healthcare, law, international relations, plant medicine, book curation for libraries, and reproductive services. As a freelance leadership development facilitator, she enjoys carrying out virtual and in-person writing workshops for creatives and professionals. She is currently based in Lagos, Nigeria.
Book Publicist: Jennifer Ladwig
Jennifer Ladwig is a publicist with MindBuck Media, and an editor with the Lewiston Tribune in Lewiston, Idaho. Jen has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Washington State University and a master’s in book publishing from Portland State University, where her studies centered around children’s publishing. She has worked for a variety of daily newspapers, university magazines, and independent book publishers, including Ooligan Press, Overcup Press, and Paper Playground Press. She lives in Lewiston, Idaho.
Book Publicist & Social Media Manager: Rae Anderson
Rae Anderson is a Brooklyn-based writer and publisher. She has a BA in English from Hunter College, with a focus on contemporary literature and communication studies. She was a 2020 fellow with Wendy’s Subway, a non-profit independent publisher and reading room. Her work there focused on literature as activism and as a forum for dialog. Her poetry has appeared in No, Dear magazine and Open Fruit magazine. She is a prospective MFA student in creative writing.
Book Publicist & Social Media Manager: Katherine O'Hara
Katherine O’Hara received an MFA with Distinction from UNCW and is a Tin House Workshop alumna. She is a freelance literary marketer for the Macmillan Speakers Bureau (Macmillan Publishers) and Mindbuck Media Book Publicity among others. She also reads prose for Electric Literature. Katherine received a notable in Best American Essays 2023 and her writing has appeared in the Hayden’s Ferry Review, NELLE, Artemis Journal, and YES POETRY among others. She has worked formerly, in various capacities, for Beloit Poetry Journal, Ecotone, Lookout Books, and Hub City Press. At MindBuck, Katherine assists with social media and publicity campaigns.
Web Designer & Book Publicist: Bryn Kristi
Bryn Kristi combines her passions for books and design through her work creating and building author websites. She has an MS in book publishing from Portland State University and a BA in humanities from Washington State University. As a designer, Bryn makes sure that all of the materials she creates convey her clients’ messaging while remaining pleasing to the eye. She also builds branding and business logos, and designs books and magazines.
Book Publicist: Cassie Murray
Cassie Mannes Murray is a publicist at MindBuck Media and a literary agent at Howland Literary. Before she weaseled her way into publishing, she worked in design and marketing for Ecotone Magazine and Lookout Books, taught high school English, as well as graphic design and publishing at the university level. She has a distinguished MFA in creative nonfiction from UNCW, has received a notable in Best American Essays, has been awarded travel grants, fellowships, and scholarships for writing workshops and conferences, and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Her writing has been featured in The Rumpus, Story Quarterly, Passages North, Hobart, Joyland, Slice Magazine, and Fugue. She lives in rural North Carolina with her family.
Book Publicist: Izarra Varela Moore
Izarra Varela Moore is a book publicist and freelance editor with over a decade of experience in marketing and promotion. Former positions include business management and consulting, education programming, legal publishing, multimedia marketing, and academic research; her editing specialties include psychology, economics, public policy, politics, and law. Izarra holds a BA in economics from Reed College and a masters in psychology (PCPsych) from the University of Hong Kong. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and daughter.
Social Media Manager: Jennifer Ray
As a social media manager, Jennifer Ray loves crafting engaging content, building active communities, and increasing brand awareness for the authors at MindBuck Media Book Publicity. Jennifer has a BA in English from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a Film Production Professional Certificate from Los Angeles City College. Passionate about showing every brand in its best light, Jennifer loves creating cohesive profiles that allow each brand to shine.
Book Publicist: Lisa Pegram
Lisa Pegram is a writer, educator, and arts integration specialist. She has over 20 years of experience in high-level program design for such organizations as the Smithsonian Institute, Corcoran Gallery of Art, and National Geographic. A master of art as activism, she was DC WritersCorps program director for a decade, and served as co-chair of international women’s conferences in the US, India, and Bali. Her endeavors as a publicist are sparked by her natural talent as a connector to cultivate and leverage her extensive network in service of others. Lisa completed her MFA at Lesley University and has an Executive Certification in Arts & Culture Strategies from UPenn. She’s currently based in the Caribbean where, in addition to her literary pursuits, she is a personal chef, aka a food poet.
Research Specialist: Zane Lund
Zane Lund was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. She attended SOU in Ashland, Oregon for digital media and design. She is a Mindbuck research specialist on top of trend reporting and social media analytics.
Illustrator: Tina Granzo
Tina Granzo’s 17+ years of experience in designing and developing websites has provided her with the tools necessary to help authors develop a strong web presence quickly and affordably. When called upon, her formal fine-arts training (she has a bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Michigan) makes the leap from coding websites to illustrating books a breeze.