We talk about Ali’s definition of self-publishing versus independent publishing, how Indigo is working to improve the book world, and the exciting process of learning how to produce audiobooks.
Guest Bio
Ali (McCart) Shaw (she/her) thinks her love for the written word might have something to do with the pungent odor of ink from her parents’ printing press, which permeated her senses before she even knew how to read. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from Willamette University and a master’s degree in book publishing from Portland State University, where she now teaches Entrepreneurship in Publishing. She also spent two years as a bookseller and sometimes still itches to create front-of-store displays.
Ali founded Indigo in 2006 and has edited a diverse range of nonfiction authors. She began editing audiobooks in 2018 and launched audiobook production as an Indigo service in 2020. Her book, Write Book (Check). Now What?, came out in 2021.
About Indigo
Indigo: Editing, Design, and More, has a mission to improve the book world. To do this, they not only provide expert services to authors, small presses, and large publishers, but they also advocate for thriving independent bookstore commerce and greater inclusion and diversity in the publishing industry. Indigo started as a firm of freelance editors in 2006 and has now grown to offer design, ebook conversion, audiobook production, and publication management services in addition to editing. Indigo is dedicated to sustainability in all its various forms and dedicates time and money to give back to the publishing, writing, and literacy communities, most notably through scholarships for publishing students and authors from marginalized communities.
