About Lee Studio

Lee Studio is the virtual marketplace for the books and art of Leslie Lee. Inside, the visitor will find book topics ranging from extreme adventure, to poetry, to travel. Her love of learning, exploring, and creativity is evident in all of her work. Now in the last third of her life, Leslie has decided to share this work by publishing her writing and art for others to enjoy. She hopes she may add a bit of enrichment, illumination, and charm to the lives of others, just as she has experienced throughout her own life. Welcome and Enjoy!
 

ABOUT THE SUPPORT TEAM

Production and publishing at the Lee Studio would not happen without the support of many dedicated experts.

Please meet our team:


Lee Studio

The chief supporter of the work at the tiny, but productive Lee Studio is the ever-present, ever-reliable help of Leslie’s co-worker, Byrdie Butka. Byrdie handles most anything from finance, to spreadsheets, to data retrieval, to communications, to customer service, and more. The Lee Studio would not exist without her intelligence, energy, and good nature.


Fine Art Reproduction

Scott Wilson and crew of Vada Color in Traverse City, Michigan reproduce the art from the travel journals and other original works of Leslie’s. The travel journals are especially difficult because they vary in size, include stray marks, are often painted on inferior paper, besides being difficult to lay flat to photograph. Scott makes a jig to hold each journal, carefully photographs each page of illustration, then enlists his team to apply their expertise in reproducing the images to perfection using archival inks and paper.


Publishing

Various parts and pieces of the publishing process are fielded out to other experts; chief among them are Creative Director and designer, Yvonne Fetig-Roehler, and Production Manager, Leah Nicholson at Jenkins Group, a publishing services company.

Gail Dennis, Creative Director at Big Maple Press, was instrumental in designing Book One, We Are the Land, Ireland and the Leslie’s Travel Companion series.

Fen’s Rim Publishing in Elk Rapids aided in the lay-out and map digitization of Backcountry Ranger so long ago in 1994.

Experts at Mission Point Press, have offered advice and support at various stages of the publishing process to Leslie and other writers at the writer’s group and in the community.

The members of the Old Town Writer’s Group are a twice monthly source of advice, early reading, and encouragement.

And to my colleagues who have read advance copies and offered terrific testimonials, thank you from my heart to Jerry Dennis, Thomas Lynch, Diana Beresford-Kroeger, Susie Galbraith, and George and Viv Nixon.
 

Editing and Proofreading

Jennifer Carroll, former Editor in Chief of the Detroit News, now, freelance editor for Mission Point Press in Traverse City, Michigan, edited We Are the Land, Ireland, and Leslie’s Field Guide to Ireland.

Clover McKinley proofread Backcountry Ranger, Jennifer Carroll helped proofread We Are the Land and C.D. Dahlquist proofread Leslie’s Field Guide to Ireland. What can you say but that proofreaders are a special type of person.
 

Book Sales

Despite that our profits are higher when a visitor purchases from our website, Leslie strongly suggests that buyers of her books and art support their local independent bookstores, art galleries, and libraries by asking them to carry the books and art sold here. It may mean the buyer has to wait a few days while the bookstore or gallery places their order, but by doing so, authors, booksellers, and communities are doubly blessed. Nevertheless, we at Lee Studio are delighted to sell directly to individuals and bookstores whenever that seems best.

Books by Leslie Lee may be purchased at Horizon Books and Brilliant Books, or taken out to read for free from the library in Traverse City, Michigan.
 

Marketing and Website Development

In the experience of this author-artist, author-artists are not qualified to market, socialize, or sell anything, and so are completely reliant on the expertise of others who do this well. In our case, that is the team at Flight Path Creative in Traverse City, Michigan.

 

VISIT US ONLINE

Travel art on Facebook and Instagram:

Please friend, follow, and share the Lee Studio Facebook and Instagram with others who might like to start their day with coffee, email, and a quick armchair travel to the featured location with journal excerpts of the week. It’s a great way to indulge the wanderlust while in pandemic lockdown!

 

To all of the community of book lovers in Traverse City, Michigan, thank you!

Thank you all!