Professional Member of
Professional Writers Association of Canada
(www.pwac.ca and www.writers.ca)
Member of Access Copyright (www.accesscopyright.ca)
Member of Canadian Freelance Union (www.cepmedia.ca)
BIO:
Michelle Greysen has more than 25 years of corporate business experience and ongoing education spanning two major career paths bringing her a wealth of skills, knowledge and contacts. Her first career and education began mid seventies in leading edge computer technology, specializing in system analysis, organizational flow, software design and custom programming. Michelle worked in Vancouver in two major Canadian data centres on design teams to develop and implement retail and accounting managements systems at Hudson’s Bay Co. and then on to Weiser Lock and raw materials manufacturing systems.
Her broad and extensive knowledge of corporate business made her move from Vancouver to Calgary in 1990 and her career change to the print media world seamless. Starting at the bottom of a new career path bringing all her corporate knowledge and personal talent as a writer quickly into line, she tackled the industry with full force. As a then aspiring freelance writer Michelle had success that quickly brought her a weekly rural newspaper reporter/photography position with Tall Taylor Publishing where she also successfully tackled advertising sales.
From there Michelle continued to write while working her way through sales and up to an Advertising Sales Management position with Quebecor Bowes Publishing Group overseeing a sales team on two in house weekly papers in a publishing operation that pressed 17 Southern Alberta rural papers weekly. Her confidence and success at this position allowed her to work closely with the Publisher on day to day operations in a mentorship that landed her a Publisher position with Vancouver Free Press, publishing The Calgary Straight. At the helm of the Calgary Arts and Entertainment weekly Michelle managed a staff of 15, printing 27,000 papers weekly under the continued mentorship of the successful Dan McLeod, owner/publisher of Vancouver paper the 35-year-old Georgia Straight. Following the unfortunate shut down of Calgary Straight, Michelle has personally gone back to her love of freelance writing and professionally gone on to start her own successful emerging publishing company, Greysen Ink inc. offering her extensive enthusiastic in-depth knowledge to the print media industry.
Michelle currently contributes to the industry as a consultant to start up or struggling publications and in 2002/03 was an approved "Pros on the Road" industry consultant within the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association. In early 2003 she oversaw the redesign from digest size to the launch of the premier newsstand issue of the Canadian wide Aboriginal Times magazine, following that with a contract as the Alberta Regional Representative for the Canadian Magazine Publishers Association, worked under contract to TNC Publishing Inc. as the Managing Editor overseeing the development and editorial design of the Montreal based Jetsgo airline in-flight magazine, and provided one-one-one publishing consulting to the exciting launch of True PLAYER magazine.
In 2004/2005 Michelle took on a personal writing focus, is an active Professional Member of the Professional Writers Association of Canada(PWAC),`a member of Access Copyright, a member of the Canadian Freelance Union, and served on the past 2003/04 Writers Guild of Alberta Board of Directors.
In the fall of 2004, Greysen Ink inc. acquired the Nanton REVIEW, a twice monthly community based publication serving Michelle's now home town of Nanton, Alberta (home of the renowned Alberta Antique and Art Walk). As Publisher/Owner/Editor Michelle continued to support the literary and fine-arts world through her reviews as well as historic feature writing and telling stories of the community and its people past and present. In September of 2007 Michelle sold the REVIEW, to concentrate more on magazine freelance and running her store, Inktiques.
Her life-long love of vintage and collector books has brought about Inktiques and a new role as a successful and knowledgeable dealer in the old-book world with thousand of titles in inventory (see Inktiques). In October of 2005 Michelle opened Inktiques - a unique antique store in Nanton, featuring thousands of Vintage & Collector Books, along with vintage inkwells, paperweights, pens, stationery and many fine furnishings and collectibles old and new in the theme of the old-world-office.
In May of 2006 Michelle ran in a town by-election and held a seat on the Nanton Town Council, choosing not to re-run in the fall 2007 elections given the schedule of increasing magazine freelance writing and her antique store.
Michelle Greysen continues to freelance write (see Clips), is currently feature writing for various magazines across the country, authoring non-fiction titles (see Books), developing forth-coming print project under Greysen Ink Inc., and is finally writing her first fiction novel.
For comments on Michelle's professional freelance writing and magazine features see Clips.
