My Professional Background

My writing and editing expertise comes from a decade of experience writing for regional and national publications, as well as from 15 years in the public relations field, as account manager at some of the largest firms in the area.

At Hill & Knowlton, Cole & Weber and other communications firms I specialized in writing and media relations for clients in the food and hospitality fields. As public-information officer at the Seattle Public Library and later, as the media-relations officer and spokesperson for the Port of Seattle, I wrote everything from annual reports and newsletters to press releases and speeches, and I edited all publications for public use.

In 1994, I began copy editing Sea Kayaker Magazine. Within a couple of years I was hired as the executive editor, launching my career in editing. My position at Sea Kayaker Magazine was a dream job for me, and I ran all aspects of the magazine, from laying out the entire magazine to assigning stories and editing all content. It didn't hurt that the office was dockside, and I could write or edit on a bench overlooking Puget Sound and the Olympics.

As managing editor at Alaska Airlines Magazine for four years, I hired writers and guided them in the development of vivid, well-crafted stories, and worked closely with art directors. The position afforded me the opportunity to write travel and arts-and-entertainment stories on a regular basis, and I thrived in the fast-paced, exciting atmosphere.

Today I work for myself, producing freelance stories that frequently focus on travel and sustainable living, for a stable of regional and national publications, including Alaska Airlines Magazine and AAA publications. I also write and edit travel-related books; my first book, Wanderlust and Lipstick: Traveling with Kids, was published in April 2009.

My fascination with travel and an eye for detail continues to lead me along new paths: I was recently the lead researcher for the Michelin Green Guide to British Columbia and the Rockies, and more than 70 of my photographs were published in its pages. 

My Personal Background

I was born into the third generation of a farming family on the westernmost dairy farm in the continental U.S., on the Olympic Peninsula. My childhood days were spent industriously, driving the tractor for hay crews in the summer, and feeding calves year-round. The beauty of the landscape and our family credo of using natural methods undoubtedly helped to shape my interest in outdoor recreation and sustainable living.

Assisting my grandmother with the daily chore of baking fresh fruit pies and bread for the hay crew was the nucleus of my lifelong love of baking. And my passion for dancing was nurtured in the wood-stove warmed kitchen, where my grandmother, famed in her youth for her dancing, guided me in the box waltz and Charleston.

I have always had an innate curiosity, and love learning. I earned a perfect 4.0 grade point average during junior high, becoming the class valedictorian. During high school I was involved in a long list of extracurricular activities, and ran for class president, although I was shy 15 votes. (The honor went to a schoolmate who promised to overthrow the school's ban on smoking!) My senior year of high school I managed a staff as the yearbook editor ... and fit in a full course-load of 12 credits per semester at Peninsula College.

At Pacific Lutheran University I was a jazz announcer and news anchor for KPLU-FM; a news anchor at the campus television station; a newspaper editor and the editor-in-chief of the yearbook. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and communication arts (a double major) and a minor in broadcast journalism, with an emphasis in book publishing. I was listed in Who's Who Among American College Students.

Speaking Engagements

With my unusual background in both public relations and writing, I am sought after for speaking engagements and writing workshops. Recent talks include:

  • Guest Speaker, University of Washington Extension: Creative Writing Nonfiction, "Travel Writing as a Sub-Genre"
  • Panelist, Seattle Chapter, Public Relations Society of America "How to Capture the Interest of an Editor"
  • Staff Development Workshop Presenter, Go World Travel, "Travel Writing and Photography 101"
  • Guest Speaker, Puget Sound Sea Kayak Symposium, "Writing for Outdoor Publications"








Leslie Forsberg
Freelance Writer and Editor
ABOUT ME
What I Love . . .

I live with my husband and daughter on an "urban farm" replete with fruit trees, flower and vegetable gardens, and chickens, adjacent to Puget Sound. It's a quiet space with salt-tanged air where we hear the barking of sea lions and the mewling of gulls more often than the sounds of traffic.

I am passionate about:

  • Travel — I'm fascinated by other cultures, and by what influences led to a place's present-day persona
  • The environment and living sustainably on the land
  • Seriously good natural foods—I'm a foodie who loves baking
  • Dance, from ballroom to swing, contra to Salsa—dance has been my passion for more than 30 years
  • Outdoor recreation —hiking, biking, skiing, kayaking and running


“Leslie is a fantastic editor, and her attention to detail raised the overall quality of Go World Travel. We knew that anything coming from her desk would be accurate, on time and up to the high standards she set for the magazine. Through a writing workshop she led, and through everyday correspondence, I learned a great deal from Leslie, whose good attitude made learning (and working for her) very easy.”

— Rachel Barbara,
assistant editor,
Go World Travel Magazine