Podcast
Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing
Hosted by Mark Leslie Lefebvre · EN
Perspectives and reflections on the writing and publishing life. Mark Leslie Lefebvre, a writer, bookseller, digital publishing advocate, professional speaker, and publishing consultant explores inclusive and collaborative opportunities for writers and book publishing professionals via interviews, discussions, and reflections about the industry. (Mark's personal website is www.markleslie.ca)
33episodes
Episodes
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EP 456 - The Published Novelist Saves Schrödinger's Cat!
Jan 2300:24:01Tap to summarizeIn this solo episode, Mark reads a new article entitled: The Published Novelist Saves Schrödinger's Cat! How to Improve the Odds Before You Open the Box—OR—What Writers Can Control While Their Book's Fate Remains Uncertain Links of Interest: Substack Article Link The Dialogue Doctor Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's YouTube channel ElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building Once Bitten (Novella) The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation I Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
Transcribe →EP 455 - Kobo Insights with Tara Cremin, Director of Kobo Writing Life
Jan 1600:55:45Tap to summarizeMark interviews Tara Cremin, Director of Kobo Writing Life about Kobo, Kobo Plus, and the self-publishing platform Kobo Writing Life (KWL). Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report. In their interview, Mark and Tara talk about: Tara's background and how she got into the reading/writing world and Kobo Kobo's distinct identity as a platform that is exclusively dedicated to READING How Kobo is the 2nd largest seller of eReading devices in the world Kobo releasing 1 to 2 devices a year and the importance of a distraction-free reading experience The Kobo Clara Colour and the Kobo Libra Colour devices The option of connecting your Google Drive and OverDrive (AKA Libby) library account to a Kobo device for seamless reading of your personal content and library books Being able to add different colours to your highlights when making notes on your Kobo Tara's advice for readers who've not yet attempted a "digital reading diet" The "forever reading" option that now exists within the Kobo reading experience The self-publishing platform Kobo Writing Life and how it's designed to making the publishing process as painless as possible What listeners can expect to hear on the Kobo Writing Life Podcast Kobo Writing Life's "worst-kept secret" of the marketing tab/tool A little bit about how Kobo Plus works for authors The growth in revenue of Kobo Plus around the world in the past few years (it's now available in 28 countries) Partnering with a publisher in Portugal to create a subscription service The importance for authors of always thinking about Kobo in a global sense The value that comes with being in front of the most engaged readers And more... After the interview Mark reflects on numerous things about Kobo that authors should consider when thinking about marketing their books (as well as the amazing people who work there) Links of Interest: Kobo Kobo Writing Life KWL Blog KWL Podcast Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's YouTube channel ElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building Once Bitten (Novella) The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation I Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises Tara Cremin is the Director of Kobo Writing Life (KWL), Kobo's self-publishing platform. Combining her love for books with a decade of indie publishing expertise, she champions independent authors. Tara is focused on making KWL the most intuitive, author-friendly platform, helping authors reach readers globally. Leading a team of book enthusiasts, she also hosts live events featuring authors and industry experts, sparking engaging conversations and is a regular voice on the Kobo Writing Life Podcast. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
Transcribe →EP 349 - Edward Willett of Shadow Paw Press
Mar 1, 2024Tap to summarizeMark interviews author, podcaster, and publisher Edward Willett about his writing, his podcast, Kickstarter campaigns, and some bold new ventures he is pursuing with his publishing company Shadow Paw Press. Prior to the interview, Mark reads comments from recent episodes, shares a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by ScribeCount (affiliate link). Spend less time logging in to multiple platforms and crunching numbers, and more time writing and marketing your books thanks to ScribeCount's handy all-in-one interface. In the interview, Mark and Edward talk about: The very first short story Edward wrote at the age of 11, "Caster Glaz, Hyper Ship Test Pilot" Working as a newspaper reporter for about eight years while he continued to write - Selling his first short story Making reference to Canadian historical figures like John Diefenbaker and The Arrogant Worms, which non-Canadians might not understand. (Thank goodness for Google) Publishing a science fiction short story "Strange Harvest" in an agricultural magazine based on his reporting of oddly shaped plants. And how that story was adapted into a nationally broadcast CBC Radio drama and might just beward's most popular short story Becoming a full-time freelance writer more than thirty years ago The twelve novels that Edward has released with Daw Books The radio broadcast work that he did for seventeen years as a freelancer Why Edward started the Worldshapers Podcast The anthologies Edward released that tie in with the novel as well as the Kickstarters Edward has run for them The evolution and growth of Edward's Shadow Paw Press How in 2024 Edward is taking on a huge number of new and innovative products, including books by notable Canadian authors like Dave Duncan and Robert J. Sawyer Working with an actual sales force and distribution network like LitDistCo The ins and outs of grant writing and investments involved in trying to get real distribution Helping other authors with their self-publishing needs Advice Edward has for authors thinking about being a publisher as well as for writers in general And more.... Mark then reflects on the value of a publisher with actual distribution and the difference between that and what any indie author can do in digital publishing. Links of Interest: Edward Willett (Website) Shadow Paw Press The Worldshapers Podcast Endless Sky Books Crowdfundr For Shadow Paw Press ScribeCount (Mark's Affiliate Link) EP 348 - Amanda Byrd on Direct Sales and AuthorsGoDirect Coast to Coast AM with George Noory (Mark featured guest on March 1, 2024/March 2, 2024) Mark's Past Appearances on Coast to Coast AM Mark's YouTube Channel Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries Smashwords Link (eBook 57% Off until end of Feb 2024) The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Edward Willett is an award-winning author of more than sixty books science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction for both children and adults. He's also host of the Aurora Award-winning podcast The Worldshapers: "Conversations with science fiction and fantasy authors about the creative process." (http://www.theworldshapers.com). He successfully Kickstarted and edited a new anthology, Shapers of Worlds, featuring authors who were guests during the first year of the podcast. Among his novels are twelve published by DAW Books, one of the premier publishers of science fiction and fantasy publishers: Lost in Translation, Marseguro (which won the 2009 Aurora Award for best English-language science fiction or fantasy book by a Canadian author), and its sequel Terra Insegura (a finalist for the 2010 Aurora Award); Magebane (written as Lee Arthur Chane); the Masks of Aygrima fantasy trilogy for DAW Books, written as E.C. Blake; the stand-alone science fiction novel The Cityborn. His Worldshapers series began with Worldshaper ("a rollicking contemporary fantasy," Publishers' Weekly said in a starred review), and continued with Master of the World and The Moonlit World. His latest is The Tangled Stars, a humorous far-future space-opera adventure. Willett is also the author of The Shards of Excalibur modern-day YA fantasy series for Coteau Books, I Tumble Through the Diamond Dust, a collection of science fiction and fantasy poetry published by Your Nickel's Worth Publishing, and Paths to the Stars, a collection of his short fiction; Blue Fire a YA fantasy written as E.C. Blake, and Star Song, a YA science fiction novel that was a finalist for the Aurora Award for Best Canadian YA Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel, all published by Shadowpaw Press The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
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