Workshops &
Manuscript Consultations
Trio House Press editors Kris Bigalk and Natasha Kane have extensive experience as
creative writing professors and as editors of poetry and creative nonfiction titles for Trio House Press. Check out our current offerings, which include Manuscript Consultations and Zoom and in-person classes and workshops.
"Kris is generous. She reads manuscripts the way every poet hopes to be read. When she called to tell me she wanted to publish Public House, I could tell immediately. In what she asked, what she shared, and what stuck out to her. That quality of attention is what every writer needs, and few get." Dylan Weir, author of Public House
Manuscript Consultations
Whether you've just finished your first manuscript or you've been submitting a manuscript for awhile, maybe you could use some feedback on individual poems and the manuscript as a whole -- along with some tips on where you might submit it and how to improve your network of readers.
If you'd like to submit your manuscript for review by Kris or Natasha, please click here for full information and guidelines:
Zoom Classes & Workshops
In 2026, we're offering several Zoom classes and workshops (plus a couple of in-person classes). Click on the title of a course for more info and to register.
Two Hour Zoom Workshops: $150
Marketing and Selling Your Poetry Book (Natasha Kane)
Sunday, May 3, 7 pm - 9 pm CDT
The point of publishing a book of poetry is to make sure people buy it and read it. This workshop gives participants proven strategies and tips they can use to market their books in ways they find fit their personalities and strengths.
Wednesday, May 13, 6 pm - 8 pm CDT
Bring your problem poems to this workshop, and we will give them a makeover! Participants will share poems with the group and learn techniques to add tension, imagery, and structure to poetry they can take forward into their drafting and revision practice, and will also create some new work.
Making an Entrance and an Exit (Kris Bigalk)
Tuesday, May 19, 3 pm - 5 pm CDT
This class focuses on creative nonfiction and memoirs, specifically on how the opening to an essay collection or creative nonfiction book is essential to its success. Participants will submit their manuscripts a week ahead of the workshop, and bring their current "entrance" and "exit" for critique and guidance.
Four Week Zoom Classes: $500
Memoir or Essay Collection? Let's Edit (Kris Bigalk)
Sundays, 4 - 6 pm CDT, May 31, June 7, 14, and 21
Many of the creative nonfiction submissions we receive are somewhere between an essay collection and a memoir - they don't seem to know what they want to be. If you have a manuscript like this, we can help. This small workshop will involve analyzing which format works best for your topic and your style, and then implementing editing techniques to move it towards either an essay collection or a memoir. Both group workshops and individual meetings are included.
It's in Your DNA: Researching and Writing Family Stories in Every Genre (Kris Bigalk)
Wednesdays from 6 pm - 8 pm CDT, July 10, 17, 24, and August 1
So many of Trio House Press' books are inspired by family stories or traditions, including War Boys by Jason Prokowiew, Sing Me a Circle by Samina Najmi, Mele by Kalehua Kim, Glassful of Prayer by Anthony Ceballos, and Dressing the Bear by Susan L. Leary. This class involves reading some of these books and delving into the techniques used to write about family stories, research the background of these stories, and explore different genre options.
